Page 74 of Make No Mistake

Eighteen

It only tooktwo hours for the guys to get our new security system installed. Brandon, Carter, Jay, Aubrey and I could now see our front door, living room and kitchen from an app on our phones.

We didn’t have to worry about who was knocking on the door anymore since we could see on the camera. It would be something that would have come in handy the past four years. Better late than never, I guess.

This week had been never-ending. The stress of school plus the stress of a possible intruder was too much. I’d barely slept and I made a fool of myself in class today when my professor asked for an example of alternative media.

I sat and stared at him until he finally moved on.

Really? I was a journalism major. Heck, I was qualified enough to call myself a journalist, and I couldn’t think of one thing? Hello, social media or street art. Anything.

I felt like an idiot, but I wasn’t exactly functioning on all cylinders.

That was probably why I wasn’t that concerned when I got home and found the front door unlocked.

I dropped my key back into my bag and pushed the door open with my hip. Glass on the floor caught my attention. What?

My eyes drifted from the spot on the floor to the kitchen.

It was in shambles. Two of the cabinet doors were barely hanging by one hinge, the doors had all been pulled out and some were on the floor and some were missing. It appeared that every dish and glass we owned was shattered on the floor.

I could hear my heart beating in my ears before my mind caught on to what I was seeing.

Someone had broken in.

Someone had destroyed our home.

I looked into the living room and gasped.

Our TV looked like someone had used it for target practice and the sofa had been sliced open on every cushion.

Get out.

The thought hit me, and my feet immediately followed. I ran down the stairs and for the parking garage. My car was the next safest place.

I slid into the driver’s seat and locked the doors. The backseat was empty. I checked before getting in, so I felt safe for a moment. I found my phone in my bag and hit Aubrey’s number.

It rang four times before going to voicemail.

“Aubrey, call me as soon as you can. Don’t go home.”

I sent her a quick text, repeating myself, before calling Jay.

“Hi, Mac.”

“Jay.” My voice cracked and I hated myself for already getting upset.

“What’s wrong?”

“Someone was in the house.” I closed my eyes but the images of our destroyed home forced them open.

“What? I’ve been watching the cameras and haven’t seen anything all day.”

“Did you see me just get home?”

He paused. “No.”

“There’s something wrong with them then.”