The door closed behind me with a soft click, and the room fell into silence.
Not the calm kind. This silence felt heavy—like the air itself was pressing down, waiting for me to understand something I hadn't quite grasped yet. I took a few steps forward before stopping, my hand still resting against the door.
"…That worked?"
The words slipped out under my breath, quiet and uncertain. Even as I said them, they didn't feel right. I pushed away from the door and walked further in, my gaze drifting briefly toward the loose floorboard… then away.
Not yet. First, I needed to understand.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with my elbows resting on my knees. Slowly, I lowered my head and let the scene replay in my mind.
Elena. Not just one version of her—but all of them at once. The anger in her voice. The sharp edge of jealousy. The confusion in her eyes. The way her breath hitched when I got too close. The way she couldn't decide whether to look at me… or look away.
