Ep 5 — When the Door Opens
681 Words
The knock came again.
Slow. Certain.
“Zara.”
Her name sent a chill down her spine.
She didn’t move.
“I know you’re in there,” Ethan’s voice followed.
Zara’s heart pounded.
“That’s not possible,” she whispered. “I didn’t tell him.”
Liam’s expression hardened.
“He didn’t need you to.”
Before she could ask what that meant, Liam walked to the door.
“Wait,” Zara said, grabbing his arm. “Don’t open it.”
Liam looked back at her briefly.
“Stay behind me,” he said.
Then he opened the door.
Ethan stood there.
Calm. Composed. Like nothing was wrong.
But his eyes moved instantly past Liam.
Straight to Zara.
“There you are,” he said.
Zara felt her stomach drop.
Ethan stepped forward, but Liam blocked the entrance.
“You’re not coming in,” Liam said.
Ethan’s gaze shifted slowly.
“Move.”
“No.”
The tension between them snapped tight.
“This isn’t your business,” Ethan said.
Liam didn’t respond.
Ethan exhaled slowly, then looked back at Zara.
“Come here,” he said.
Zara didn’t move.
“Zara,” he repeated, softer.
But something about it felt off.
Controlled.
“Stop,” she said. “Just answer me first.”
Ethan paused.
“How did you find me?”
A brief silence.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“Check yours,” he said.
Zara frowned but unlocked her phone.
Her fingers moved quickly.
Then stopped.
Her breath caught.
Location sharing.
Active.
Her stomach dropped.
“I didn’t turn this on,” she said.
Ethan’s expression stayed calm.
“You didn’t turn it off either.”
Zara looked up slowly.
“You’ve been tracking me?”
“Making sure you’re safe.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“It is when you need it.”
Zara took a step back.
Everything about this felt wrong now.
“You knew I left,” she said.
“Yes.”
“And you came immediately?”
“Yes.”
Too fast.
Too easy.
Zara shook her head.
“This isn’t normal.”
Ethan studied her face.
Then his eyes flicked briefly to Liam.
“And this is?” he asked.
Zara hesitated.
That question hit harder than she expected.
Ethan stepped closer.
This time Liam didn’t move immediately, but he stayed between them.
“Come with me,” Ethan said.
Zara’s chest tightened.
“Why?”
“Because you’re not safe here.”
The words sounded wrong.
Twisted.
Liam let out a quiet breath.
“That’s enough.”
Ethan ignored him.
“You don’t remember everything,” he said to Zara.
Her pulse spiked.
“What do you think I don’t remember?”
Ethan’s voice dropped slightly.
“Last night.”
Zara froze.
“What about it?”
Ethan held her gaze.
“What almost happened to you.”
Her throat went dry.
“You know about that?”
“I know enough.”
Liam shifted beside her.
Tension rising again.
Zara looked between them.
Both calm.
Both hiding something.
“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.
Neither answered immediately.
Then Ethan spoke.
“You weren’t supposed to leave that place alone.”
The words hit instantly.
The same words from the call.
Zara’s chest tightened.
“You said that before,” she whispered.
Ethan nodded slightly.
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then—
“Because I told you not to.”
Zara stepped back.
Something in her snapped.
“You don’t control me,” she said.
Ethan’s expression changed.
Not anger.
Something colder.
“We’ll talk somewhere else,” he said.
“No.”
Her voice was firmer now.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Ethan’s gaze slowly shifted to Liam.
And this time, there was no mask.
“You should’ve stayed out of this,” he said.
Liam didn’t flinch.
“Too late.”
Zara’s heart pounded harder.
Because whatever this was—
It didn’t start last night.
And it definitely wasn’t ending here.
- Writer
