[156 Days Left to Live]
Zephany's eyes fluttered open at the sudden shrill ring of her phone. Her brows knitted, and she groped blindly across the bedside table, knocking over a pen and her small notepad before her fingers finally wrapped around the vibrating device. Still groggy, she squinted at the screen.
Her breath caught.
Reynold.
Her heart gave a thud. She blinked hard, making sure she wasn't imagining it. But it was there, clear as day. Her brother's name flashing across the screen. Her thumb hovered for a second, hesitant and nervous. Then she took a breath and answered the call.
"Hello?" Her voice came out soft, a little shaky.
There was a moment of silence before a familiar voice spoke. Calm, deep, steady.
"Zeph… How are you?"
The sound of her brother's voice was enough to make her chest tighten. She sat up slowly, back resting against the headboard. Her grip on the phone loosened just a little.
