My heart jumped.
The hallway leading to Emma’s room.
I grabbed Mark’s arm. “He’s going to think we’re inside.”
“That’s why we left,” Mark said grimly.
Moments later, Ethan came back, furious. He grabbed a chair and hurled it across the room.
In the distance, sirens began to wail.
Mark must have called the police earlier.
Ethan froze when he heard them. For a moment, he just stood there, breathing hard.
Then he turned… toward the window.
Toward the yard.
Toward us.
I stopped breathing.
Emma was completely still in my arms. Mark’s hand rested on my shoulder, steady but tense, ready to act.
For one terrifying second…
…I thought he saw us.
But then he looked away.
He staggered toward the front door just as a police car screeched to a stop outside. Red and blue lights flooded the street. Officers rushed up the driveway, grabbing him before he could react.
Even from the bushes, I could hear him shouting.
“She ruined my life!”
“He owes me!”
“He thinks he’s better than me!”
The words cut deeper than I expected.
Because underneath the anger… there was pain.
They cuffed him while another officer checked the house. A few minutes later, one of them spotted us and waved us over.