Neither of us moved for a long moment after the door clicked shut behind her.
The wind picked up across the rooftop, cold enough to sting, but I barely felt it. My mind kept circling back to her voice, calm and certain, like she'd rehearsed every word a hundred times before saying them out loud to me.
"Elena." Dominic's hand touched my shoulder, gentle this time, not urgent. "We can't stay up here."
"I know." I didn't move.
"Elena."
I finally looked at him, and whatever he saw on my face made his jaw tighten. He didn't push. He just guided me toward the door, one hand steady at my back, and we made our way down the stairwell in silence, checking every landing the way he had before, though something in his movements had changed. He was more careful now. More afraid.
We didn't go back
