upstairs only by the silence that rang through the yard,
 
 announcing to her that it was past dinnertime.
 
 Adalynn located a bottle of chilled white wine and poured
 
 herself half a glass, then cut cheese off a thick block and set it
 
 between two pieces of bread with a smear of margarine. She
 
 added a few pickles on the side and called it healthy enough.
 
 She’d cut an apple later, maybe have a salad in an hour when
 
 the sandwich wore off.
 
 She took her plate and wine and sat back down in front of
 
 her laptop.
 
 She didn’t want to think of it as keeping tabs or checking up
 
 on or, heaven forbid, stalking. She wasn’t a stalker. God, that
 
 was such an ugly word. She opened up her internet browser
 
 and typed in Cassia’s name. First and last. She’d been doing it
 
 so long that it had become a habit. She’d started it right after
 
 leaving Vegas, two days after their night in the hotel room.
 
 She wanted to think of it as protective and not weird. She
 
 didn’t have bad intentions. She knew Cassia was working in
 
 an industry that could be cruel and viciously cold, and she
 
 wanted to make sure that she…that she…what? That she
 
 hadn’t sunk any further into it? That she didn’t need help?
 
 That she didn’t need saving?
 
 It was obvious that Cassia didn’t want to be saved, at least
 
 not by Adalynn. Even if she understood what Adalynn had
 
 told her that night, why she hadn’t gone further even though
 
 she desperately wanted to and taking a step back had felt like a
 
 betrayal of her own body, Cassia still hadn’t called. She didn’t
 
 need or want Adalynn in her life in any way. She’d made that
 
 clear.
 
 Adalynn felt like it was wrong, punching in those letters that