MAXINE

I was getting painfully used to Ronan.

I almost started to look forward to his footsteps outside my door. It was different than the others. He wasn't loud but his steps were confident. He wore boots, almost all the time.

I anticipated the door unlocking and the soft shuffle of boots against the stone floor as he slipped inside my room. This time was no different, so I thought. I heard the familiar sounds. But when he stepped inside, I knew something was off.

Ronan didn’t greet ...