Denise didn’t sleep again that night.
Not because of fear this time.
Because Liam didn’t leave.
He stood by the window long after the hallway had gone still, like he was listening to something that wasn’t inside the house anymore.
Something further out.
Denise sat up slowly.
“You’re still doing it,” she said.
Liam didn’t turn.
“I’m monitoring.”
“That sounds like avoidance with extra steps.”
A pause.
Then, quieter:
“It’s not safe for me to stop.”
That made her sit up a little straighter.
“Or for me?” she asked.
That finally got a reaction.
He turned slightly.
Not fully toward her.
Like full attention was dangerous now.
“…especially for you,” he said.
Denise frowned.
The space between them felt different now.
Not distant.
Not close.
Rewritten.
“I can feel it,” she sa
