Chapter 02

Eve told herself she wouldn’t check her phone again.

She really did.

But the quiet had a way of pulling her back the kind of silence that made thoughts echo louder than they should. Her room was dark except for the faint glow of the streetlight sneaking through the curtains. She rolled onto her side, phone resting near her pillow, untouched.

For exactly six minutes.

Then it buzzed.

She hesitated, heart doing that strange, unfamiliar flutter again. Not excitement. Not exactly. Just… awareness.

A message preview lit up the screen.

Adam:

I hope I didn’t make things awkward earlier.

Eve sat up.

She read it once. Then again.

Awkward? No. If anything, it had felt surprisingly natural like a conversation she hadn’t known she needed.

She typed slowly, carefully.

You didn’t. I just wasn’t expecting a conversation tonight.

The reply came quicker this time.

Adam:

Same.

I was actually trying to text my sister. She worries too much.

Eve smiled at that. It felt grounding to know there was a normal reason behind the message that Adam existed beyond a screen.

Did she reach home safely? Eve asked.

A pause.

Adam:

Yeah. She did.

Thanks for asking.

There it was again that warmth. That subtle sense of being seen.

They talked about siblings next. Eve admitted she was the oldest, the “responsible one,” the one everyone assumed was fine. Adam said he was the middle child, permanently overlooked but oddly independent.

Somewhere between messages, Eve realized she was lying back down, phone held above her face, eyes refusing to close.

She typed:

Can I ask you something?

The typing dots appeared instantly.

Adam:

Sure.

She stared at the screen longer than necessary.

Why did you ask if I was okay?

There it was. The question that had lingered since the beginning.

This time, Adam took longer to reply.

Long enough for Eve to wonder if she’d crossed an invisible line.

Then

Adam:

Honestly?

Because sometimes people sound tired in ways that don’t come from lack of sleep.

Her throat tightened.

She hadn’t expected that. She wasn’t even sure how to respond.

So she told the truth but only a small piece of it.

That makes sense, she wrote. I’ve just had a long week.

Adam:

Yeah… I get that.

She wanted to ask more. About him. About what made him tired in that deeper way.

But she didn’t.

Not yet.

Minutes passed. Then more. The conversation slowed, but it didn’t feel like fading it felt like settling.

Finally, Eve typed:

I should try to sleep.

Adam replied almost immediately.

Adam:

Me too.

Thanks for replying, Eve.

She smiled again, softer this time.

Good night, Adam.

She put the phone down and closed her eyes.

For the first time in days, sleep came easily.

Adam lay awake for several minutes after.

He wasn’t sure why he felt lighter only that the heaviness he usually carried felt quieter tonight. He stared at the ceiling, phone resting on his chest.

A wrong number.

That’s all it was supposed to be.

And yet…

His phone buzzed again.

He frowned, lifting it.

Unknown Number:

Hey… Adam?

His breath caught.

It wasn’t Eve.

Unknown Number:

I think you texted me earlier?

Confusion washed over him.