I left the door unlocked.

Sleep came in thin, restless layers. Every small sound in the apartment pulled me back to the surface—the settling of the walls, the faint hum of the refrigerator, the quiet shift of weight somewhere down the hall. I kept my eyes closed and tried to steady my breathing. Part of me hoped he wouldn’t come. A deeper, more treacherous part waited for the soft push of the door.

It came just after 2:00 a.m.

The hinges didn’t creak. Harlan stepped inside and closed the door behind him with a soft click. For a moment he only stood there. I could feel the weight of his...