Charli

I braced myself, steeling my shoulders as I prepared to open the door. With my hand near the knob, I heard voices. The wooden barrier did little to muffle their words as the small peephole became my only view of the scene on the other side.

"May I help you?" Deloris's voice was sharp yet professional.

"No," Bryce dismissed her as he turned back, rapping his knuckles again against the solid door.

"Son." Her demeaning title made me smile. "You're ...