Of course it is!

CLUNK.

Her breath caught. She pulled again. Harder. Nothing.

It was locked.

Her forehead dropped gently against the cold metal of the door as her whole body slumped forward in disbelief.

“Why. Is. Everything. Always. Locked?” she whispered, each word flat with exhausted incredulity.

For a long moment she stayed there, hands braced on the door, arms still curled strategically across her front, her naked body shivering in the rooftop wind. Then a quiet, helpless laugh escaped her throat—high and hollow and trailing into a low groan.

-

Gina remained leaning against the rooftop door’s unyielding metal. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest—not just for modesty, but to keep in whatever warmth she could. Gravel bit at the soles of her bare feet, reminding her with every subtle shift just how exposed she really was.

She sighed. “Guess it’s ground level or bust…”

Pushing off from the locked door, she padded across the roof, arms still locked protectively over her body. The wind swirled around her, slipping between her fingers and drawing another shiver from her frame. She reached the fire escape railing and looked down, squinting at the dark descent.

Two more levels to the street.

She grabbed hold of the railing, steeled herself, and began her climb downward.

The cold metal stung her fingers, but she gripped it firmly, her body moving with cautious urgency. She didn’t want to stay in one place too long—not when any random window might light up at any moment.

About halfway down, she paused.

Through the dim glow of a television behind a closed window, she recognized the apartment—Maria and Luis’s. The sound was muffled but unmistakable: booming action music, followed by the rumble of an onscreen explosion.

She ducked low, flattening herself to the cold metal grating, her stomach brushing the unyielding surface as she painstakingly inched forward, creeping past the window as quietly as she could, just in case. Her breasts pressed awkwardly against the cold, coarse metal grating with every drag of her body, a constant, uncomfortable reminder of her naked state. The glass was shut tight, curtains mostly drawn, but it still felt too close for comfort.

Just a little further…

She crept beneath it, heart pounding, and didn’t breathe again until she reached the next landing down.

Note: This chapter was initially composed with the help of ChatGPT, and then edited with the help of Gemini.