Photos Down the Drain

Ein sat in the cramped storage room, his phone plugged in to charge. It turned on. He went straight to the chat with Adriel, both dreading and expecting a barrage of messages.

Instead, the last text was the one asking Ein for his grandma's address. No other new ones. 

Judging from how talkative Adriel generally was, the silence must have meant he'd given up and moved on with his life. Which was exactly what Ein had wanted.

He set his phone screen down on the table and leaned back. Then why did it feel like somebody had stepped on his chest? 

Perhaps he needed to get up and find something to do, maybe go on a short limping walk. 

Ein pulled on his jacket and left the storage room, moving quickly across the dining hall. Avery and Dean were off in the kitchen, doing the dishes and folding delivery boxes—if he was fast, he could slip out unnoticed.

He was nearly at the door when a voice stopped him.

"You're wandering out like that?"