Austin got home around one in the morning, his body exhausted and his head heavy from the long business trip. He had not told anyone he was coming back early because he wanted to surprise his wife, Brianna.
Maybe he wanted to fix their marriage, or maybe he just wanted to see if there was still anything left worth saving between them. The moment he turned off the engine in front of the house in Silver Ridge, he felt a strange emptiness in his chest.
Everything was dark and there was not a single light on in the windows. No glow from the television reached the street, and Brianna’s SUV was missing from the driveway.
The garage door stood open like a forgotten mouth while Austin sat still in the driver’s seat with his hands resting on the steering wheel. He tried to convince himself it meant nothing, perhaps a late pharmacy run or an unexpected visit to a friend.
Any explanation would do until he stepped out of the car and felt the heavy silence of the house like a warning. He walked inside without turning on the lights, hearing every step sound too loud on the hardwood floors.
Every shadow seemed to watch him as he pulled out his phone and called her from the hallway. Brianna answered on the second ring, her voice sounding low and thick like someone wrapped in warm sheets.
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