CIAN
I couldn't sleep. The ceiling above me had become familiar in the worst way. Every crack in the plaster. Every shadow cast by the moonlight bleeding through the curtains. I'd memorized them all in the hours I'd spent staring up.
My phone sat on the nightstand. Dark. Silent. Mocking me with its lack of response.
The house settled around me. Creaked and groaned like it was alive. Like it was judging me for every mistake I'd made. For calling Valentine. For leaving that pathetic message. For pushing away the one person who might have actually been able to help.
A sound cut through the quiet. Distant but sharp. Footsteps. Running.
I sat up. My heart kicked against my ribs.
Then I heard more footsteps. They sounded urgent . Like multiple people moving fast. Voices shouted but I couldn't make out the words.
My feet hit the floor before I'd made a conscious decision to move. I crossed the room in three strides. My hand found the doorknob. Turned it and pulled.
