Just as l’m about to examine the picture more closely, I hear footsteps coming down the hallway. My heart stops, and panic sets in. I can’t get caught here.
I quickly shove the picture into my pocket and glance around for a place to hide. I spot a large closet at the back of the room. I rush to it, pushing the door open and slipping inside just as the footsteps grow louder.
Inside the closet, it’s dark and cramped. I hold my breath, straining to listen. I can barely see through the small crack in the door, but I can hear everything.
The footsteps stop just outside the room, and the door creaks open. My stomach churns as I try to stay quiet.
The door creaks open wider, and I hear Logan’s voice, low and serious. My breath catches as I try to stay perfectly still.
“Yeah, I know,” Logan says quietly, the tone of his voice different from how he usually sounds. “But we don’t have much time.”
He’s on the phone.
I press myself further into the corner of the closet, my body tense as l listen to him pace the room.
“No, I haven’t told her yet,” he continues, his voice clipped. “She’s not ready. I don’t think she even knows what’s really going on.”
Is he talking about me?
My heart races faster. I strain to catch every word.
Logan sighs, sounding frustrated. “Look, I’ll handle it. She doesn’t need to know the details. Not yet.”
Who is he talking to? What doesn’t he want me to know?
Logan ends the call with a sharp click, and I can hear him muttering under his breath. “This doesn’t make any sense,” he says quietly, more to himself than anyone else. I freeze, holding my breath, hoping he doesn’t notice anything out of place.
Suddenly, his footsteps stop, and I hear the sound of him fiddling with the door handle. “I thought this door was locked,” Logan murmurs, suspicion creeping into his voice. “How did it open?”
My heart sinks. I’m trapped.
I hear the click of the door locking from the outside, and my blood runs cold. Logan leaves the room, his footsteps fading down the hallway, but I don’t dare move.
I’m stuck in his father’s room. Locked inside.
“Oh no!! What do I do now? I can’t bang on the door and let him know I am inside his father’s room. How stupid was I to leave the key outside now I have to find a way out.
I glance around the room again, my eyes darting from the locked door to the window.
It’s a small window, and I’ve already seen the drop. It’s risky, but I don’t have much of a choice. I can’t stay trapped here, not with all the secrets swirling in my head.
I push myself off the floor and rush toward the window, my heart pounding in my ears.
As I reach for the latch, I stop for a second, taking a deep breath.
I can do this.
The latch is stiff, but after a moment of struggling, it finally gives way with a small pop. I slide the window open, cold air rushing in, brushing against my face. My stomach flips as I peer outside. The drop isn’t that high, but the uneven ground and bushes make it tricky.
I take one more deep breath, swinging my leg over the windowsill and bracing myself for the fall. Just as I’m about to jump, I hear footsteps again-this time louder, closer.
Logan?
No, it’s heavier than Logan’s steps. My eyes widen as I freeze, my body halfway out the window. Whoever it is sounds like they’re heading straight for this room. I don’t have time to think. I push off the windowsill and let myself fall, landing with a hard thud in the bushes below.
I land awkwardly in the bushes, the branches scratching my arms and legs. I lie still for a moment, catching my breath, my body sore from the fall. It wasn’t as bad as I thought, but everything aches.
I lie there for a second, trying to steady my breath, my heart still pounding in my chest.
The pain from the scratches and the fall is dull compared to the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I force myself to sit up, pushing away the sharp branches of the bushes.
That’s when I hear him-footsteps. They’re closer now, and I look up, my stomach twisting.
Logan.
He’s standing near the side of the house, his back turned toward me, scanning the area as if he’s looking for something-or someone.
The sight of him makes my pulse quicken. If he turns around, he’ll see me. There’s no way I can explain why I’m outside his father’s room, or why I jumped out of the window like a thief.
Without wasting another second, I scramble to my feet, ignoring the throb in my legs, and take off running. I stay low, ducking behind a tall hedge, my breath coming out in shallow bursts. I make a wide arc around the house, sticking close to the shadows, praying Logan doesn’t hear me.
I glance back, and for a terrifying second, I think he’s spotted me, his head turning slightly in my direction. My heart leaps into my throat, but then he walks the other way, heading back toward the house.
I let out a shaky breath and keep moving, my legs carrying me as far away as possible.
There’s no time to stop, no time to think. I don’t know what Logan’s hiding, but I need to figure it out.
But first, I have to make sure I’m not caught.
I run until my legs burn, rounding the far side of the house and slipping into the woods behind it.
Finally, I found my way into the house through the back door. Once inside I took to my heels into my room and slammed the door shut behind me.