CHAPTER 24: The Call of Rome

The alarm blared as I was already awake. Its ringing told me it was six o'clock. I hadn't slept a wink in the last two days. I silenced the alarm and continued smoking my tobacco pipe.

I sat on my bed, shirtless. During the night, I'd been restless, watching Alice's empty room, waiting for her return. Apparently, she'd chosen to sleep in her former roommate Ashley's room again.

I exhaled the smoke from my pipe. She always spent less time in the room assigned to her.