Jeremy stood frozen at the top of the stairs, his heart hammering so loud he swore it echoed in the quiet house. The only other sound was the faint hum of the TV downstairs, left on in the living room. He was supposed to be at Jeff’s place, crashing for the night, but Jeff had ditched him last minute for some girl, leaving Jeremy to slink back home. Now, he was stuck, caught in the stillness of the house, waiting for what...

Julie woke with the taste of last night still on her tongue, metallic and sharp. The red satin nightie had twisted around her waist while she slept, and the air felt cool against the damp heat between her legs. Mark’s breathing was slow and heavy beside her, one arm flung across the pillow like a barricade. She lay very still, afraid to move, afraid the memory would scatter if she so much as blinked. It didn’t scatter. It...

Julie hummed along with the radio while she chopped onions, the knife thumping steady against the cutting board. It was almost seven, later than she usually started dinner, but Mark had been glued to some game all afternoon and she’d lost track of time scrolling on her phone, trying not to think too hard about everything. She’d thrown on the pale-yellow sundress she usually saved for weekend brunches—light cotton, little...