Harper
"Vane?"
I twisted the doorknob. Locked.
"Vane, what's going on in there?"
A long pause. Then his voice, low and shredded through clenched teeth.
"I'm fine. Go to sleep."
The red light under the door pulsed again. Uneven. Like a heartbeat that couldn't find its rhythm.
I stood there for a full minute, hand on the knob, brain running through every option I had. Break the door down. Call medical. Yell. None of them ended well for either of us. He'd told me not to come in, and the lock said he meant it.
So I did the only thing left.
I dragged the sofa cushions over. Hauled my blanket from the armrest. Made a sad little nest against the doorframe and sat down with my back to his door.
I didn't know what I thought I was doing. I just knew I wasn't leaving.
The red light pulsed
