Zoe's POV
I slipped through the front door like air — silent, careful, like the wrong sound might draw attention. The hinges gave the faintest creak, but I caught the door before it could close too loudly, easing it shut with a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.
I didn't wait for Seth. Didn't even glance toward the living room where the muted sound of the TV hummed. My eyes were locked on the stairs, and my body moved on instinct.
The steps groaned under my weight as I climbed them, each one quicker than the last. My pulse was still racing from earlier, thudding against my ribs like it was trying to escape.
By the time I reached my bedroom, my lungs burned. I shut the door quickly, pressing my back against it as if I could seal myself off from the rest of the world. I let the weight of the day crush down on me all at once. Four walls. No questions. No eyes watching.
That was all I needed.
