Roxy's POV

"Okay, this better be good. I was about to get in the shower."

I smiled at the sound of Elewon’s voice. For the first time all day, I didn’t have to think before I spoke. I dropped my keys into the little ceramic bowl by my apartment door and leaned back against it, letting the familiar quiet settle over me. My apartment. My own space.

The bookshelf was still crowded with manuscripts and old paperbacks. A framed certificate hung above the desk. The little dining table was still covered with the stack of notebooks I’d left behind. Here, nobody was waiting for me to smile, make small talk,...