Maeve Lane struggled to keep her eyes open, pressing the button with one hand to speak, "I don't want to…"
She sent a sixty-second voice message.
Julian Fairchild raised his eyebrows and heard the first two words—"I don't want to."
The next few dozen seconds were completely silent.
Finally, he faintly heard Maeve's gentle breathing.
Clearly, the girl had fallen asleep.
He laughed in exasperation, "Little heartless one, falling asleep like this."
Henry Hughes closed the light with an expressionless face.
…
The next day, as Maeve Lane just walked out of the school gate, she encountered Julian Fairchild.
She glanced up at him, then expressionlessly walked away with her hands in her pockets.
A hand seized her.
"Why so indifferent?"
Julian Fairchild quickly released his grip before she grew impatient, "Bad mood?"
Maeve's pace didn't slow down, it even quickened.
