“I’m so sorry. I should have been a lot more sensitive to that. I regret saying ‘you’ and ‘contractor’ in the same sentence. Which, there, look, I did it again.” There was a look of apology on her face, but even if some of her expression was hidden by the darkness of the hallway, the inflection of her voice played off the relief in Sydney’s.
“I’m glad that it was you that I caught climbing the wall.” There was a warmth in her tone that hinted the switch from playfulness to sincerity. Zoe was genuine. There were a lot of people that she’d met through the support community that she’d been looking forward to seeing on the island, and people that her mother had told her about who she hadn’t had the chance to meet at all, yet. As hard as it was, there was a solace in facing an incomprehensible tragedy together. In their way, they were their own island. But Max and Blaze had a bond. Zoe had seen Sydney’s name written in Blaze’s handwriting in a letter sent to her brother. She’d thought that they would get along if they met. She’d hoped so, at least. In that moment, there was a recognizable kinship that Zoe was grateful for.
Especially now, facing a narrow path filled with melancholy and memories that weren’t even really her own. Max and Zoe had so many plans for so many adventures. When Zoe had pictured them, as much as she’d imagined exploring tucked away corners in faraway places, she’d imagined sunshine. Or somewhere well lit, at least. Made a little brighter, as always, by Max and the way that he reflected the world back out onto itself in a better light. In the last three years, Zoe had explored on her own and followed abandoned alleys and hallways that were off limits to most people so as to preserve their history; she’d faced shadows. But right now, she was really glad that she had a friend with her.
The quickness of Sydney’s agreement painted her next breath with a laugh, but it didn’t undercut the strangeness of the situation or her curiosity. She could understand closing the wing altogether; Waithe seemed like he had enough money to expand the hotel to make up for the loss. But this was odd. Her light flashed over the walls, but she cut a quick glance to Sydney at her theory. “What do you mean by unsettled? And why do you think that’s why they stopped the renovations?”
Zoe’s Texas twang was more of a drawl when she questioned Sydney, but her wording was the glue that put some things together. Bits and pieces of things that Max had told her. Sydney’s words from before.
When they reached her brother’s old hotel room, Zoe raised an eyebrow when Sydney produced a lock picking kit from her bag. Looking up and down the hall, like there was really a reason for a lookout, she asked, “What else do you have in that bag?”
She was really questioning her use of the word vaguely.