Any lingering sleepiness vanished in an instant.
Zoe Pierce's fingers rested on her Intelligent Brain, the pad of one tapping it again and again.
'Nathan Lockwood... where is he messaging me from right now?'
She knew Nathan Lockwood's cautious nature meant he would only message her from a secure location, but it was still hard to imagine how he could evade the sky full of mechanical eyes.
'And then there's the now.'
'How am I supposed to reply?'
'I can't bring myself to type something like "I miss you"...'
'But should I just not reply?'
Her finger hovered over the chat box. She blinked, then lowered her gaze and typed: Mm. Understood.
'I didn't know what to say, but I didn't want to just not reply.'
Zoe Pierce buried her head in her pillow. Her fingers came to rest on the soft edge, toying with the fabric.
A moment later, another message from Nathan Lockwood arrived.
