Naomi’s Pov

The building slept in shifts.

That was the only way I could describe it. Lights dimmed in some rooms while others stayed on. Footsteps passed every hour. Radios whispered. Someone coughed down the hall and then apologized to no one.

I lay on the bed fully dressed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep hovered just out of reach, like it was waiting for permission I wasn’t ready to give.

A knock came softly at the door.

I didn’t jump. I already knew who it was.

“Come in,” I said.

Cassian stepped inside quietly and closed the door behind him. He didn’t turn on the light. He leaned against the...