Dianne didn’t sleep again that night.
Not because of fear this time…
But because of the way Roy looked at her before leaving.
Like she was something precious.
Like he was memorizing her.
Like walking away was the hardest thing he’d done all day.
She lay in her dark room, staring at the ceiling while Maya slept down the hall, replaying the evening over and over.
The tension.
The clash.
The way Roy didn’t raise his voice—not once.
The way he endured Maya’s interrogation like he deserved it.
And maybe he did, she thought.
But it didn’t make anything easier.
By morning, her thoughts were tangled, her emotions a confusing blur. She expected things to settle once Maya left the house for errands, but instead, her sister lingered in the kitchen, watching her with narrowed eyes.
“You’
