Chapter 1
Daniel’s Pov
I came in through the front door the same way I always did after one of their fights, quiet, keys in my fist so they would not jingle, hoping the house would already be dead.
Dad and my stepmom had been going at each other in the kitchen when I left for my friend’s place, the kind of fight that starts over nothing and turns into her calling him names and him slamming cabinets.
I stayed out later than I meant to on purpose. When I stepped inside the living room was dark and the TV was off and the only thing left of them was her perfume still sitting in the air like she had walked through five minutes ago.
I put the keys down and stood there listening because the quiet felt wrong. Then I heard it.
It was soft. Almost nothing. A little wet sound from upstairs,
