Maeve nods, but she’s uneasy: is everything going to be okay in the morning or not? She gives Anna a last smile, picks up her discarded jeans, and heads to bed on her own, looking for a little quiet. Her phone flashlight illuminates the back stairwell as she goes.

She’s halfway to her floor when she hears the creak and thud of the steel door below. Another light blinks on. And then footsteps following her up.

At first, she assumes it must be Anna. The sound stops on the landing below. Maeve turns to look down.

“Hey—”

But it’s not Anna who’s following her up. It’s Sim.

Maeve hesitates, startled. It’s not that she’s unhappy to see him. Not exactly.

“I thought about taking the other set of stairs,” he says. “Double time, to surprise you at the top.”

“Ah.” Maeve leans on the rail. “To scare me?”

“Not to scare you,” he says.

For a moment, neither of them moves. Then she steps back on her heel, and he takes it as an invitation and climbs the remaining stairs between them.

Maeve turns to keep going, thinking they can walk up together. But instead, he reaches out to hold her there. His hand on her wrist, pulling her in closer. His other hand at her waist, on her back.

She twists away and moves up to the next step. Then one higher, putting space between them again. It’s not that she wouldn’t be interested. It’s just—timing, maybe?

“Where do you think you’re going,” he says mildly. As though this is a game and they are both playing.

Maeve shines her light up to the next landing, to the door that leads out to her level. Then down beyond him, the stairs winding back toward the main floor. Anna, she remembers, is curled up by the fire next to Sadie. Justin and Dan and Karolina still trading gibes, well used to one another’s company. No one else is coming.

She stops, firm. Two steps below her, he looks up, his mouth curving as though he’s trying not to laugh. Like he’s allowing her to be taller, and it’s funny to see her there, above him.

“Look,” she says. “I’m going to bed. Alone.”

“So, what, then—” He’s still smiling. “We’re just going to pretend nothing happened?” He comes up a step, shaking his head thoughtfully. “No,” he says. Answering his own question. “No, I’m not doing that.”

Maeve backs up toward the landing.