Roland swallows hard and heavy. Just talk to me. he says. Like it's easy. Like I shouldn't go down and apologize to Alain like, I'm allowed to be hurt. By all the beams I love him.

But what a nosy little shit. I should rip him apart. I should open the door and kill him and hang his body down...

There's the sound of a violent shaking before something moves to the door and there's a scratch at the door. And then a thud.

And silence. Seeping silence. Dust motes through the air.

"...Bert. I'm going to open the door. And you have to swear on the things that matter most to you in this life that you won't scream or shoot me. For your father's sake.

For my...father's sake." The word me is growled low in Roland's throat.

There's another sound of frantic pawing at the door.