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I watched Colton come out of the bar and wave at us before he headed to his car and drove off as well.
“Got any plans for your evening? I haven’t eaten yet,” Cash said.
“Actually, I do. I’ve got someone I’m meeting in…”
I looked down at my watch and saw it was ten minutes to seven.
“Shit. I’m going to be late. Gotta go. Rain check?” I asked.
“I’m holding you to it!” Cash exclaimed.
I jogged over to my car and quickly slammed myself into it. I needed to get to Andrea’s. We needed to talk about how to proceed with all of this stuff. She wouldn’t be happy with me that I hadn’t made as much headway on this as I originally want, but I had been a little busy since we’d all gotten back from Vegas. I sped out of the parking lot and tore onto the road, then typed her address into my GPS. It still rolled my stomach that she lived where she did. It wasn’t the nicest part of town, especially if she was walking back home from the youth center in the dark by herself. Fuck, I hoped she wasn’t. I hoped she had more brains than that as a single woman living in downtown Charleston.
But I couldn't help it as my eyes scanned the sidewalk.
I looked for her in everyone, making sure she wasn’t running by herself and walking home alone. I rolled by the youth center and saw the parking lot empty, then I took the route my GPS asked me to in order to get to her place. I didn’t see her on the drive, which made me feel a little better. But I still didn’t know what her car looked like. So, it wasn’t as if I could see if she was actually at her place or not.
I felt this urgent need to protect her. And I didn’t know where it was coming from. I blamed it on the paranoia bleeding over from the meeting I just as with Colton, but deep down I knew that wasn’t it.
I didn’t have the time to unpack it, though. I was running five minutes behind due to my paranoid little drive by of the youth center. Hopefully Andrea wasn’t the type of punctual person that would ream me for being five minutes late. Either way, I had arrived at my destination. At the darkened, shoddy apartment complex without a spare light to be seen to light the footpath of anyone during the night. I turned my car off and got out, my eyes scanning the complex before I made my way up the stairs.
One flight. Two flights. Three flights of stairs.
Then I made my way to her door, lifted my fist, and knocked.
NINETEEN
Andrea
I cleaned up my apartment as best as I could, but it still looked like a wreck. Things at the youth center had been insane since we had all gotten back from Las Vegas and I felt as if I didn’t have a second to breathe. Between the budget issues and coming back to an air conditioning system not working and having to fuss with the internet company and realizing I was still down several volunteers for the summer rush? It was mania at my place of work. Granted, it was a good way to lose myself in things and not think about all the insanity from Vegas, but when I heard Everett’s voice on the other end of the line things seemed to get better.
At least, his voice relaxed me.
I made up my bed and busted out the vacuum while the water was boiling. A pasta dish sounded nice for us tonight. Especially since I had gotten home later than I had wished. A nice salad. Some Cajun chicken alfredo. A blackberry cobbler for dessert. Homemade sweet tea. It was a decent-enough dinner for something like this. I wiped down my bathroom and cleaned up the rest of the dishes in my sink, then tossed the pasta in and took the time to clean myself up. I put the lid on the noodles before I took an insanely quick shower, then I drained them while I drip-dried in the kitchen.
I looked like a mess, but I was determined to have everything done before Everett showed up.
I slipped into a nice pair of jeans and a blouse that slid off my shoulder if I tilted at the right angle. My hair was piled high on my head since I didn’t have time to wash it and I sprayed myself down with some body spray. Just in case the quick shower didn’t do it for me. I tossed the noodles in the sauce before tossing the chicken onto it, and right at seven I was setting my compact kitchen table with the food.
We barely had room for our plates, but it was fine. No need to panic.
Yet I couldn't figure out why I was panicking.
A knock came at the door and I froze. Oh my gosh. Everett was here. I cleared my throat and smoothed my hands over my shirt, then I quickly poured the sweet tea over our ice. I set it off to the side as I padded over to the door, and with a flick of my wrist it was unlocked and flung open.
And there he stood, with his messy blonde hair and his dazzling blue eyes.
“Hey there, Everett.”
“Sorry I’m late,” he said.
“It’s fine. I just got done setting the table. Come on in.”
I ushered him into my apartment, and I expected him to look around. Especially since he seemed to have such an opinion on the safety of my place. I closed my door and locked it as he headed straight for the kitchen table and sat down without a second thought. I studied him for a little while. Watched as he mindlessly sipped his tea. His massive form dwarfed the chair it was sitting in and it almost looked like a father sitting at his daughter’s little tea cup set.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I sat down.
He nodded, but his eyes told me otherwise.
