kened by the

streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, cast

d looked to the side, the space beside her was empty, with on

was

ne night anyway, s

higher. Memories from last night floated back

ith anyone, and she had expected it to be more difficult, but th

y still held some

s together and push

was stil

beside the pillow, saw Eve's na

" Eve's voice burst from the phone.

stairs,"

Wait, when you say u

M

ry, immediately followed by Alana clearly

! Which one? The on

u s

but spoke faster and faster. "He was so tall, kept staring at you, then yo

cing," Alana said, her tone calm, even a bit

. "As your best friend, I have the right to know every

said. "Then

did te

ding the man's attitude throughout, her first-time exp

ed the last few words of certain sentences on the

, Eve was quiet for

atulations, but... Di

expressi

, thought some more,

..

, take a cab to the pharmacy. Buy emergency contraception and HIV post-exposure prophylaxis. The p

eight or n

still tim

the sheets and began l

r the chair back, surprisingly

moment, then qu

ear and shoulder. "Eve, he didn't leave any contact informa

nyway. It's better that he left first, saves you both the awkwardness of staring at each other. But anyway, once you

e in her voice. "If today were just a

t's enoug

r shoes, and took one last look at

folded piece of white

ed beside the lamp base, sitting quietly i

urned a

came down wi

e up, she was running a fever, her forehead burn

oked at herself in the mirror-

and lay back down, trying to attribute it a

completely broken, and she began

. She didn't know his name, what he

ht emerged, it

her phone an

something?" Eve's voice on the

t I have a fever, and I can't s

urself crazy thinking about it. Get checked, if there's nothing wrong, you can relax; if there is

et for a whil

, I'l

ver the destination, then leaned against the car

s condition, his words and behavior, his... overall, he hadn't seemed like som

oughts to a corner of her m

na took a number and sat in a chair for about twe

nd up and walk toward

the door to the

was a white curtain in the room, swaying gently in t

Alana as

vement behin

om inside, and a tall figure emerge

topped for near

ose eyes, deep, profound, now looking at her with the same calm exp

in her mind, rolling back

G

osed to never see