Behind Closed Doors

PIPER’S POV

The USB drive felt heavier than it should have.

It had been sitting in the back of my drawer for hours, buried beneath folded sweaters and old receipts, but I could feel it anyway, like it was burning through the wood, seeping into the air, poisoning every quiet moment.

I’d tried to distract myself. Cleaned the kitchen twice. Rearranged books that didn’t need rearranging. I even took a