Ryan’s fingers dug into my wrist with desperate strength. I stroked his hair, trying to steady him even though my own hand trembled uncontrollably.
The bathroom handle jerked violently.
“Emily,” Ethan called, and the softness he used to fake before was gone. “Open the door.”
I stayed silent.
He rattled the knob harder.
“I know you’re in there.”
The woman spoke again, quieter this time, but I could still hear the fear creeping into her voice.
“I told you we should wait. I told you.”
“Shut up.”
His palm slammed against the door. Once. Then again, harder. Ryan flinched beside me.
“Emily, listen to me. Things got out of control. Just open the door and we’ll talk.”
I leaned closer to the phone, my voice barely steady.
“He’s here. He’s trying to break in.”
The operator didn’t hesitate.
“Officers are already outside. Stay where you are.”
Then everything collided at once.
Sirens screamed in the distance, growing louder by the second. A heavy knock thundered at the front door. A voice shouted, “Police!”
The woman gasped.
Ethan’s footsteps rushed away from the bathroom, back toward the living room.