Even if she'd forgotten, that knock had too much weight behind it. Too much intention. It wasn't her.
My phone pinged in the kitchen. That was the sound I used for the camera alerts.
My hands clenched as I stared at the door. It had to be Marcus.
"Eli, don't."
My gaze shot back to Rowan. That was the first time he'd spoken all day, and those two words were so quiet I almost wasn't sure I heard them. Every bit of colour had drained from his face. His fingers tightened around the blanket, but there was no real strength in the grip.
I didn't want to get him worked up. But I also couldn't just stand here and let this happen again. I marched toward the door before I could stop myself.
His voice rose behind me in a forced whisper, more desperate now. "Eli, don't – please – "
I kept my steps quiet as I crossed the room, then leaned against the frame. I didn't open the door yet or even touch the handle. I just stood close and tilted my head to listen. It had to be Marcus knocking, but I couldn't figure out why he was here when I hadn't left.
At first, nothing. Just a tense, thick silence. Then another knock came, followed by that voice that made me want to eat glass.
"Come on, Rowan, open up. You make it worse for yourself every time you ignore me."
Another pause. Then the voice again, closer now. Smug as ever.
"You can't keep hiding in there. You're wasting everyone's time with these games. Especially his."
My jaw locked, but otherwise, I held back. I wanted to hear exactly the kind of shit he'd been spewing when I wasn't around.
"Look, I get it. You needed someone to swoop in and make you feel like you're not completely falling apart. But be serious. He's not going to stick around for all this. He didn't sign up to babysit a grown man who's scared of his own shadow."
I heard Rowan suck in a breath behind me.
"And when he's finally had enough, who's left?"
You absolute fucking rat.No wonder Rowan was so messed up.
I unlocked the door and yanked it open before I could think better of it. The force made the handle crack hard against the stopper. Marcus jerked back a step, and his smug expression slipped.
For just a second, I saw the surprise flash in his eyes.
I stepped fully into the doorway. "Yeah. It's me."
He recovered fast. The surprise vanished behind that arrogant grin like it was never there. "So you're fighting his battles for him?"
"That's none of your business."
His lips curled in amusement as he sized me up. "Is that what this is now? You're playing house while he falls apart on the sofa?"
"I don't give a shit what you think it is. You don't belong here, so piss off."
He smirked, but I didn't miss the way his shoulders tightened. He didn't like being caught off-script.
Good.
"You don't get to keep circling and pretending he owes you something. You show up here again, I'll make sure it's the last time."
Marcus didn't answer right away. He just stood there with a lazy posture, but I could almost hear the gears working in his head as he recalibrated. Then came the sneer.
"You're just a placeholder. You know that, yeah? Soak it up while it lasts. He'll remember what a mess he is. And you'll realise you can't handle him. You don't have the stomach for it. You'll leave just like everyone else has."
My jaw tightened so much it ached, but I didn't otherwise react to him. That was what he wanted. He was looking for a crack in the wall, some proof he'd hit a nerve. I refused to give him that.
