Her face softened, and I saw my friend again, the one who had stood by my side through thick and thin. The one who had let me cry on her shoulder, and cheered me on when I thought I couldn’t last another day. “Try me, Sav. Whatever you tell me isn’t going to be any crazier than you not responding to my texts for three months.”

I laughed, a bitter sound. “You’d be surprised.”

“Are you safe?” I should’ve known Brynn would only stay mad for so long. She knew me well enough to know something else had to be going on–whether she understood it or not. Her hair was blowing every which way, and she was trying to tame it in a ponytail. I was immediately nostalgic for the wind, remembering how it felt when it rushed against my face. The smells it brought with it. All these little things I had taken for granted, I missed terribly, remembering how precious they really were.

I didn’t respond. I turned back to look at the guys, all of them watching me carefully. Theo nodded at me, smiling.

“Sav, you have two point five seconds to tell me you’re safe or I’m busting the door down.” Brynn’s eyes narrowed, and I knew she meant business.

She couldn’t open the door. She couldn’t. I whipped back around to her. “The house is cursed.”

She burst out laughing, bending over at the waist to catch her breath. Then she looked back up at me, and started laughing all over again. When she looked back at my face once more though, she stopped. “Jesus, Sav, you’re serious? You think this house is cursed?”

I nodded slowly. “Once you step inside, you can’t leave. I’ve been trapped in here since the day I moved in.”

“Okay, look.” Brynn met my gaze, showing me her phone. “If you’re okay, blink once. If you need help, blink twice.”

“Brynn.” I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “I’m being completely serious. The house has been cursed since 1907.” I turned towards Felix, waving him over to the window.

He offered her a small wave, glaring at me out of the corner of his eye. But I knew he could explain it better than I could.

Brynn took a step closer to the window, and thankfully a step further away from the door. “What have you done to her? Are you keeping her in there against her will? My boyfriend is a cop, and I’ll have this place swarmed so fucking quick you won’t know what hit you and whatever drug operation you’re running out of your basement.”