Elena?” Ryan sounded confused, not scared yet. “Let us in. The key isn’t working.”
“I know,” I said. “I changed it.”
“What?” His voice pitched up. “Why? Is this a joke? Open the door, Mom needs to use the bathroom.”
“Go to the lobby,” I said. “Or go to a hotel. But you aren’t coming in here tonight.”
“Elena!” Karen’s voice shrieked. “Have you lost your mind? It’s freezing out here in the hall!”
“This is ridiculous,” Ryan shouted, banging on the door with his fist. “Open this door right now, Elena! It’s my house!”
“Go away, Ryan,” I said. “We’ll talk in the morning. If you bang on that door one more time, I’m calling security to escort you out of the building.”
Silence. Then, a string of profanities from the man who claimed to love me.
I turned off the intercom. I walked to the bedroom, put in earplugs, and lay down.
I knew they wouldn’t leave. They would sleep in the lobby or in the car (if they could get into it). They would stew in their self-righteous anger. They would plan their counter-attack.
Let them.
I closed my eyes. For the first time in years, the bed felt huge. It felt… mine.
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