Motion detected. Living Room. Julie’s heart jumped hard enough to hurt—until she realized it was just her own movement earlier, a delayed alert. She exhaled, shaking.It’s fine, she told herself. This is fine. I’ll check tomorrow. I’ll see nothing. I’ll feel stupid. And then I’ll delete the app and never speak of it again.
She repeated the thought like a prayer until sleep finally took her. The next morning, she left for work with a kiss on Marcus’s cheek and a smile she had to force. “Love you,” she said. “Love you,” he replied, and his eyes lingered on her face for a second too long, like he was memorizing it.