PART 9

Zoë had been stewing the whole night over the identity of Michael’s captain. She’d never known him by name, but she remembered every word that was spoken between them, and she couldn’t believe her little brother had been traveling more than a year with this man, and she wanted Michael to know that he was safer than he’d ever realized.

Tipping open the door to Michael’s room, she saw him lying in his bed next to Courtney. Michael was fast asleep, and Zoë thought she’d never seen him sleeping so soundly. He and Courtney were laying side-by-side on top of the blankets, holding hands, but not touching anywhere else. It looked like they’d fallen asleep gazing into each other’s eyes, and Zoë figured that was the reason no one else had disturbed them. With a devious grin, she snuck across the hallway to her own room, found her camera, and went back to take a picture.

Michael stirred and rolled over, blinking his eyes irritably when he saw her with the capture.

“Zoë?” He mouthed the word more than he said it, and then cleared his throat. “Are you drunk?”

“A little,” she confessed, setting down the capture. “We’re still cleaning up downstairs.”

“That’s why I volunteered for set-up,” he grumbled, then rolled back to face Courtney and go to sleep. He scooted closer to Courtney, making space on the bed, in case Zoë wanted to bunk with them for the night. Given the number of people here, it was likely someone would end up on the floor. Zoë sat next to Michael, and poked his shoulder again.

“I wanted to talk to you,” she whispered insistently. Maybe she was more drunk than she realized. She didn’t know if she was being quiet enough.

“It’s three in the morning,” Michael complained, lifting his head enough to glare at her. “Can’t it wait?”

Zoë made a face as she thought about it, but then shrugged and left. There really was no urgent need to have this conversation now. She was half-way down the hall before Michael got curious enough to chase her.

“Jie jie, wait,” he said, jogging to catch up