Esther woke to the ache of hunger curling in her stomach. She turned her head and found Gaara’s eyes fixed on her, dark and intense. She had fallen asleep in the middle of everything, and somehow Gaara’s bed had become her favorite place in the world. She did not want to leave it.

“Hey,” she greeted softly, a shy smile on her lips.

“Hey,” Gaara replied, returning her smile. “You’re hungry, huh?”

Esther nodded.

“I warmed up some soup. There’s a bit of bread too. It ...