Chapter 2 - The Key in the Door
"It’s stuck!" Rebecca called out over her shoulder, her voice shrill with annoyance as she jiggled the brass handle violently. "Thomas, did you have the locksmith service this door after the hurricane? The humidity must have swelled the frame."
"Mom, just hurry up, it’s freezing!" Hannah whined from the bottom of the steps, signaling toward two teenage cousins. "Mason, Jayden, take my luggage straight up to the master suite. The corner room with the ocean view is mine this year."
"Nobody is going anywhere near the master bedroom," a voice called out from the darkness of the driveway.
The entire group went quiet. Rebecca paused, key half-inserted, turning around slowly. Her eyes widened in genuine bewilderment as Layla stepped into the light of the porch lantern.
"Layla?" Rebecca stammered, adjusting her collar as her defensive demeanor immediately kicked in. "What on earth are you doing here? How did you even know we were coming down this weekend?"
"I live here," Layla said calmly, walking up the steps until she stood just two feet away from her mother.
May you like
Hannah let out a harsh, sarcastic laugh from the gravel path. "You live here? Layla, this is Grandma Eleanor’s house. Mom organized the whole family getaway. You can’t just crash Christmas because you felt left out."
"I’m not crashing anything," Layla replied. She reached into her coat pocket, pulled out the deed stamped by the Dare County Register of Deeds, and held it out. "The locks were changed three weeks ago. Because this house belongs to me."
