I got home before him.
The silence inside the house felt fragile. For a moment, I just stood in the entryway listening, there were no footsteps, no voices, no movement from the study.
Good.
My chest loosened slightly.
I walked quickly up the stairs, my fingers brushing the wall for balance even though I didn’t need it. My room door closed behind me with a soft click.
The sound of the lock sliding into place made my shoulders drop.
I crossed the room without turning on the lights and let myself fall backward onto the bed. The mattress dipped beneath me, and I stared up at the ceiling, unmoving.
My heart was beating too fast.
Too loud.
Too aware.
Can I really do this?
The question crept into my mind before I could stop it.
Can I really kill someone again?
My throat tightened. I
