Nina couldn't help it.
A small laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Lucas glanced over his shoulder at her, his expression caught somewhere between exasperation and curiosity.
"Something funny?"
She tried to suppress her smile, pressing her lips together, but the amusement still danced in her eyes.
"Well…"
She nodded toward the locked bedroom door, her voice softening with a hint of sympathy beneath the humor.
"I'm just saying… that was a pretty clear answer."
Lucas sighed quietly, the sound carrying the weight of a hundred similar standoffs, and walked toward the hallway. His shoulders held a tension that spoke of patience wearing thin, though his movements remained measured and deliberate.
The wooden floor creaked softly beneath his steps, each board announcing his approach.
He stopped in front of the door and knocked once—a single, purposeful rap of his knuckles against the wood.
Firm, but not angry.
"Ethan."
Silence answered him, thick and stubborn.
