The silence was suffocating.
Larry sat frozen on the couch, his face drained of color, while Lauren’s heart pounded in her chest.
Margaret’s wide eyes flicked between them, searching for an explanation, her lips slightly parted like she was struggling to find words. Emily, on the other hand, stood rigid, arms crossed, her gaze sharp and demanding.
Lauren swallowed hard.
She could feel Larry tensing beside her, could practically hear his mind racing for a way out of this. She knew him—he’d try to joke it off, brush it aside, tell them they had misheard.
Not this time.
Larry let out a slow, measured breath, forcing a smirk. “Uh, hey, what are you guys doing here?” His voice was light, too light, as if he could pretend this wasn’t happening.
Margaret blinked. “What… did you just say?”
