Chapter 3 THREE

Amara didn't move right away.

The knock still echoed in her mind, steady and soft; almost careful. Like whoever was on the other side wasn't sure they belonged there.

Her heart raced as she inched toward the door, each step hesitant. She reached for the handle, paused, then pulled her hand back. What if it was him? What if it wasn't?

The uncertainty frightened her more than either answer.

Another knock. A little firmer this time.

She backed away. Not now, She whispered to no one.

Her phone buzzed again. She turned to check it, needing something to focus on.

It was her mother.

"Haven't heard from you. Just checking in. Call when you can."

Amara stared at the message. Her mother didn't know. No one in her family did. How do you explain that someone just... disappeared? That the life you were building together simply unraveled without warning?

The knock didn't come again.

Whoever it was had either given up or was waiting.

She sat down on the floor, her back against the wall, the door just a few feet away. The silence crept back in, wrapping around her like a too-familiar blanket. She thought of the last words she said to him. They weren't angry. That made it worse.

A part of her wanted it to be him on the other side.

A bigger part feared it.

Her eyes drifted to the door handle once more.

It remained still.

For now.