Nobody moved.
The knock didn't come again, just silence from the other side of the door, heavy and deliberate, the kind of silence that wasn't empty but full, full of something waiting, something that already knew we were standing on the other side not breathing.
Adrian's hand found my arm, not grabbing, not pulling, just there, steady, and I hated that I let it stay.
"Step back."
His voice was barely a sound.
I didn't argue, I moved back two steps, my eyes fixed on the door, my heart somewhere in my throat, the letter still folded inside my palm, my mother's handwriting pressed against my skin like it was trying to burn through.
Adrian was already moving, slow and careful, positioning himself between me and the door the way he had been doing all night without being asked, without be
