The house was too quiet.
Mom was working a late shift. Lily had gone out again, claiming she’d be gone all night, though I suspected she’d made that announcement for my benefit. Her voice had been sharp, her eyes knowing, and the tension between us had stretched tight like piano wire.
But she was gone.
Which left just me. And him.
I lingered in my room for half an hour, pacing, trying to convince myself not to move. Not to walk down the hall. Not to make this mistake even bigger than it already was. But the longer I stayed, the stronger the pull became, until it wasn’t even a choice anymore.
The study door was ajar. A sliver of warm light spilled into the hall, calling me like a beacon.
Mark sat at the desk, papers untouched, pen resting in his hand. But his eyes weren’t on the work.
