"See if your friend messaged you back, and then you can get your own clothes."
After Nick had ordered our burgers the night before, I’d sent a message to Adriane to let her know that I was back in town safe, but I had lost my phone and keys. She had sent me a message asking if I was in the tsunami, and I just gave her the bare minimum of information. I didn't go into detail because I wasn't ready to tell her, especially over social media, about the kidnapping ordeal.
"Yeah, let me go check."
"I'll see what I have in the fridge to make to eat, and also fix us coffee."
"Okay."
Nick kissed my cheek and then went downstairs while I went to his other room where the computer was. After it booted up, I logged into Facebook. There were two messages: one from Adriane, and the other from my sister. I read Adriane's first:
I'm so glad you're home safe. I was so worried about you and, of course, I've missed you! Can't wait to hear about your brains being fucked out of your head! I'll stop by before work and put the key under the teal flower pot on your patio. Call me when you get your new phone.
Adriane was the reason why I’d hired Nick. She'd told me her boss was married to a cop who had male escorts as friends—was that Seth, who had come to rescue us? It had to be, right?
I read my sister's message next:
I called the doorman at my apartment in New York. He said Doug hasn't come home. Do you know how I can find out if the bodies are him and his parents? Call me. Love you!
I sent her a message back, telling her that I didn't have my phone, but I would call her once I had one and asked her for her number. I also told her that I would see if I could find out about the bodies.
"Hey," I said, walking into the kitchen. "My key should be at my place. My friend left it under a flower pot."
"Great. I'm making us coffee. I don't trust my eggs to still be good, so after we drink our coffee, we'll stop by and get you a change of clothes."
"You can just drop me off if you want."
He turned and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms and legs. A coffee cup was behind him, filling with java goodness from his Keurig. "Trying to get rid of me?"
"No." I snorted. "I just don't want you to feel like you need to cart me around town."
"We're in the same situation, Ash. We both need to go to the DMV, and we both need to get new phones. I don't mind going with you. You know we'll be at the DMV for hours, so we might as well go together."
Of course, I wanted to go with him, but I felt as though he was saying goodbye to me earlier, and I didn't want him to feel obligated to still spend time with me. "Okay. Also, I heard from Everleigh."
"What hotel are they at?"
"Actually, she didn't say."
The coffee stopped, and Nick turned around and grabbed the mug before handing it to me. He went to the fridge for creamer. "What did she say then?"
"She said that she contacted her building, and Douglas hadn’t been home. She wants to know how to find out if the bodies are him and his parents."
The jug of creamer halted in his outreached hand for a second. "Do we really think it could be?"
I shrugged as I grabbed the bottle. "We know that they left to go tothatairport."
He went to the Keurig and started a cup of coffee for himself. "Once we get phones, I'll call Paul and see if he or Joss can find out anything."
We drank our coffee and then headed back to my place. I found the key under the flower pot. "Make yourself at home," I said as I opened the door. "I'll be quick."
"I'm in no rush." Nick smiled. I was going to miss that smile.
I went upstairs to my bedroom and threw on shorts and a tank top. I brushed my hair and teeth and put on light makeup, hoping I wasn't going to have to take a new driver's license picture. Just like Nick, I hadn't taken all of my credit cards with me to Fiji. He had used his last night to get us dinner through the delivery service, so I grabbed one and then went back downstairs. Nick had made himself at home by sitting on my couch with his feet on my coffee table and watching TV. I liked seeing him comfortable in my space. I was comfortable in his home, too.
"Ready?" I asked.
"Yep." He clicked off the television and followed me to the front door. "Look at us running errands together like an old married couple."
