Noah knocked again.
“Come on, sleepyhead. If you keep dawdling, you won’t get any donuts. I’ll eat them all.”
Grumbling under my breath, I moved to the window. The two-story drop didn’t concern me—I’d jumped from greater heights before. But I did feel like my pride was taking a hit, climbing out the window of a girl’s apartment, in myfucking forties.
With a sigh, I shoved the window open, removed the screen, and looked one last time at Kelsie. She clasped her hands together, chewing her lower lip, bouncing on her toes with impatience.
I wouldn’t be doing this for anyone else. Just her. I should have been concerned that she had me wrapped around her goddamn little finger like this…
Slipping out the window, I gripped the sill with my fingertips and lowered my body over the edge.
Kelsie finally answered the door, letting Noah in.
“There you are, Sleeping Beauty,” he declared. “Latte, as promised. Your favorite—caramel swirl, with two pumps of vanilla and chocolate drizzled over the top. Extra whipped cream. Nice bedhead, by the way.”
“Hey, you’re the one who showed up at my door without texting me first,” Kelsie retorted. “If you gave me advance notice, I could have brushed my hair and put on pants before you arrived.”
“I used to change your diapers, butterbean. Seeing you in your pajamas is an improvement, believe me.”
Kelsie groaned.
“Noah.That was years ago. I’m not a baby anymore—”
“Wait,” he cut in. All humor had vanished from his voice.
A pause hung in the air, thick with dread. I should have released the ledge and made a run for it. Instead, something kept me dangling there, eavesdropping.
“Are you expecting company?” Noah asked.
“No,” Kelsie replied. Too quickly. Too high pitched.
Damn it. That girl needed to learn how to be a better liar.
“Two plates of food at the kitchen table,” Noah said. “Two cups of coffee on the counter. You didn’t know I was coming, so you weren’t making breakfast for me. And you never burn the toast this badly, unless you’re distracted. Is someone else here?”
Fuck.
Kelsie hedged, but I didn’t stick around to hear her answer. There wasn’t anything I could do to help her anyway. She was on her own now.
Releasing my grip on the window sill, I dropped to the ground, landing lightly. Breaking into a slow jog, I rounded the corner and headed for my bike. Thank God I hadn’t parked at the front of the building last night. Otherwise Noah would have recognized my bike on sight.
I felt like shit for sneaking around behind my best friend’s back. Especially when it concerned his sister. At the same time, I knew why Kelsie didn’t want to tell him. Noah was a worry wart and he fuckinghoveredin the most infuriating way sometimes.
If Kelsie stayed with a friend for a few days, and this stalker got bored enough to move on, maybe we could avert the crisis altogether.
That would be too easy though. And in my experience, nothing was ever easy.
For now, I would do what I could to keep an eye on Kelsie and make sure she was safe. I waited on the corner, tucked out of sight until Kelsie’s blueberry-colored Volkswagen Beetle rolled into view. Following at a discreet distance, I tailed her through town on her way to work at the Dandelion Day Care Center.
I lingered just long enough to see that she’d made it inside before I broke off and headed for the clubhouse. After staying awake all night, I needed coffee—strong, bitter, black coffee. And I needed reinforcements. Eventually, exhaustion would catch up to me. I couldn’t be on guard to watch Kelsie around the clock.
At this hour of the morning, the clubhouse was practically deserted. No one saw the sunrise around here if they had a choice in the matter. Especially if they had been drinking each other under the table the night before.
Lingering at the bar, hunched over a cup of coffee, was Hot Shot. His mohawk—usually buzzed short and close to his skull—was getting long and shaggy. And…sparkly.
“Are you wearingglitter?” I asked as I passed.
Shit. Should have kept my mouth shut. I knew better than to let my curiosity take over like that. It tended to invite conversations where people spilled their lives to me in details I didn’t want to hear.
