The Incident On The Bed

JD's eyes landed on her bedroom door. Was she still in there?

A dull thud resounded in his chest as unease coiled in his stomach. He lingered by the staircase, debating whether it would be appropriate to check. Joanne wasn't the type to sleep in—she was always up before dawn, running the household like clockwork.

But maybe… maybe last night had exhausted her. That was normal, right? People overslept all the time.

Still, the feeling didn't sit right.

He saw movement on the porch and turned.

Patrick.

The older man stood by the door, brows furrowed in concern. "Jo?" His frown deepened when he saw JD hesitating at the threshold.

JD stiffened.

And then, as if something snapped inside him, he turned on his heels and bolted up the stairs.