Valerie had no clue where to go. People always talk about “going home,” but for her, that word felt like a cruel joke. Was her apartment supposed to be home? Honestly, ever since that night Arthur stayed up watching over her, the place had lost its comfort. She hated being there alone. Instead, she’d bury herself in work until midnight, sometimes crashing at the office, even stashing a few changes of clothes in her desk drawer like it was her second closet.

She let out a long, heavy ...