PART 6 — After the Sirens
I closed the door.
The lock clicked.
And somehow, that sound felt louder than the sirens.
Ryan exhaled slowly. “That was… intense.”
I leaned my forehead briefly against the door.
“I didn’t think he’d actually come with police,” I said.
Ryan nodded. “He didn’t expect you to say no.”
That sat in the room between us.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Just truth.
I turned to him. “Did I go too far?”
He shook his head immediately. “No. You finally went far enough.”
For a moment, I just stood there.
Then my phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
A message preview:
We need to talk. It’s about your mother.
My chest tightened slightly.
Ryan noticed. “What is it?”
I showed him.
His expression darkened—but steadied again.
“Whatever it is,” he said, “you’re not facing it alone this time.”
And for the first time in my life…
I believed him.
PART 7 — The Beginning of Something Else
The most important part is just ahead — click NEXT »»
