Page 112 of Somno Slave

“Hey—uh, is this Rheda?”

The voice is soft. Slightly nervous, but warm.

“Yes,” I say, more carefully than I mean to. “Who’s this?”

“Oh—sorry. It’s Joe. We, um—” a small, embarrassed laugh, “we bumped into each other at the pub? I got your number from your friend.”

Right.

Joe.

“Oh,” I say because nothing else seems to work. My heart ticks loudly.

“I hope you don’t mind. I wasn’t sure if calling would be weird. But I thought I’d try anyway.”

He fills the silence quickly. “I just— I was wondering if you might want to go out this weekend? Nothing big. Coffee, or— I don’t know, a walk or something. Just... yeah.”

My grip tightens slightly around the phone.

A date.

The word sits there, heavier than it should be.

“I—”

My gaze lifts without meaning to, to the corner of the living room. For a second—just a second—I swear something moves. A shape. Too solid to be shadow, too still to be alive.

My breath catches so sharply it almost hurts.

No.

No, no.

I blink, hard.

The space is empty. I stare at it longer as though it might reveal itself.

“Rheda?” Joe’s voice cuts back in, gentler now. “Sorry—did I catch you at a bad time?”

I swallow.

“No,” I say quickly, too quickly. I force it steadier. “Now is fine.”

Silence presses in again. I drag a hand through my hair, pacing once across the room before I even realise I’ve stood up.

A date.

It’s normal. Safe.

But—

My eyes flick again to the corner.

Empty. Still empty.

“I can do this,” I murmur, barely under my breath.

“Sorry?” Joe asks.