PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

BONUS CHAPTER 1.4

"That's great, guys."

"How.. about.. You?" Yaz asked slowly, awkwardly, and refusing to look at the camera. Her hair was out of her pony tail, something she did more frequently on check-ins than she ever did on either island. Eva thought she looked stunning as ever, but with her hair down, she was extra pretty.

"What about me?" Eva asked cluelessly. She propped her phone up on Kenji's desk, and sat down in his swivel chair, spinning around in circles.

"Fall in love with anyone recently?" Sammy asked.

Eva stopped spinning. "No...?"

What were they trying to get at?

"How about anyone old?" Yaz tried.

"I don't really like people above the age of forty."

Yaz sighed, and turned her full attention to the camera. "We're talking about Kenji. Are you in love with Kenji or not?"

"Yaz!" Sammy shouted. "We promised we'd make her believe she was initiating the conversation!"

"Well, she can't pick up what we're putting down," she argued back. "So? Do you?"

"Did Darius tell you? Because there's no way you're just randomly asking this," Eva asked, knowingly.

"No..." Sammy trailed off. "Darius told Brooklynn, and Brooklynn told me, and I happened to let it slip to Yaz..."

"Don't you dare let it slip to Kenji," Eva threatened, staring Sammy down.

"I've refused to even call him all week just in case!"

"Good."

"So, do you?" Yaz repeated.

"Maybe..."

"Aha! I knew it!" Sammy cheered. "You still like him! I can't wait to plan your wedding—"

"Sammy," Yaz said, but Sammy kept rambling about Eva's future wedding and how pretty she'd look in an emerald green ball gown wedding dress. Yaz looked at the camera, and Eva felt like this one was for her, as if the two were sharing a secret look.

Sammy finally shut up as she downed her glass of water, and Yaz muttered a "Finally" although she was smiling still.

"Spill everything," Sammy said, breaking their comfortable silence.

"Well..."

~~~

What airport are you taking off in?

Eva stared at her text conversation with Kenji, impatiently waiting for his reply. A moment later, thought bubbles popped up, and then a text came through.

K— LaGuardia, obviously

My flight got delayed. I'm flying out in the morning, now

Eva's heart beat in her chest. She was nervous, and she didn't exactly know why. She stared at her screen, thumb to her mouth, hangnail in between her teeth. It took forever for Kenji to respond, or maybe it was thirty seconds. Eva couldn't tell.

K— What time are you landing?

Eva's thumbs shakily made their way over the keyboard.

215 pm

Typing bubbles popped up, then quickly disappeared. Eva groaned, head rolled back, then gasped as she heard her text tone go off.

K— I start boarding at 3:10.

Eva started typing again: If you miss your flight, I'll buy you a new ticket|

She deleted the text.