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I drove down Davis Road well over the speed limit, hoping I wouldn’t run into any trouble on the way. I kept my eyes glued to the road, only briefly glancing in the rearview mirror, making sure no one was following me. Every now and then, a pair of headlights would pop up, then turn right onto one of the side streets and disappear. For most of the drive, I was alone.
I rushed past the STOP sign on Maple Road, again ignoring all traffic rules in favor of getting to Andy as quickly as possible. I reached for my phone, thinking it best to call him and let him know I was coming. For all I knew, he might not even be home. My hand searched my pockets, and I began to panic when I found nothing. I slammed my fists against the steering wheel, realizing that I had forgotten the phone back in my bedroom.
You’re already making stupid mistakes. This should be a sign. Turn the car around and drive back home.
No. A hiccup, that’s all this was. I didn’t need the phone. Andy would be home. Where else could he be? Of course, he was home.
I turned onto Silo Road, entering Juniper Hill and resting a little easier now that I was closer to my destination. I glanced up at the rearview mirror, saw nothing, and eased my foot off the gas pedal. I wasn’t in a rush anymore. I turned left into Silo Circle, cruising the car around until I found a parking space close to Andy’s
apartment complex. I caught sight of his Nissan parked a few plots away and let out a relieved sigh.
See? He’s home. There was no reason to worry after all.
I stayed in the car for a few seconds, resting against the headrest and scanning the parking lot. I turned around, looking at the entrance into Silo Circle, waiting to see if any other cars would be driving in behind me. When I was sure I was alone, I turned the engine off and climbed out of my car. I gave the parking lot another quick scan, and then hurried towards Andy’s complex.
I climbed up the stairs, moving quickly and forcing myself not to look back, as if doing that would somehow make Dennis materialize out of thin air and come after me. I reached the third floor, hurried down the hall, and rang Andy’s doorbell. The graffiti ‘asshole’ had been painted over, the fresh coat still glistening in the fluorescent light. I waited for a few more seconds before ringing the bell again.
A woman opened the door, and I took a surprised step back. She was naked except for a pair of lace panties, and my eyes dropped to her breasts before I quickly looked away and up. She was leaning against the door, obviously very comfortable in her nudity.
“I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I must have gotten the wrong apartment.”
“Who are you looking for?” the woman asked.
I forced an uncomfortable smile. “No one, I’m sorry,” I said quickly, glancing up and down the hall, trying to understand how I had missed Andy’s apartment. “Definitely the wrong address.”
Only, I wasn’t convinced. None of the other apartment doors looked recognizable.
“You’re Andrea, right?” the woman asked.
I froze, looking at her in confusion. How the hell does she know me? I nodded.
“Are you looking for Andy?” she asked with a smile. My heart immediately skipped a beat.
“Andy Stetson, yeah,” I said, my voice barely audible.
“Oh, then you’ve got the right place,” she said, opening the door to let me in. “He’s inside. Sorry, you caught us at a bad time.”
I felt my heart drop, and my stomach twisted and turned, bile rushing up into my throat. I felt like gagging, my eyes wide and my jaw dropping. “I –”
“Don’t worry, I think I can wake him up,” the woman said. “Come in, please. Don’t stand outside in the cold.”
I took a step back, slowly shaking my head.
The woman frowned, but her smile never left her face. And there was something in her eyes. Something insane and unpredictable. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head with more vigor, fighting back the tears that were stinging my eyes.
“Oh, sweetheart,” the woman cooed, but I could tell there was nothing warm about the gesture. “Did you think he was alone? I’m so sorry.” She didn’t sound sorry. Quite the opposite, actually. “But Andy’s rarely alone, you know? And most of the time, he’s with me.”
A tear raced down my cheek, and I could tell that she noticed, because her smile widened. “You still want to come in?” she asked, her tone a little more challenging.
I bit my lip. I couldn’t stop shaking my head, my mind spinning in disbelief. How could he? How the fuck could he?
I raced down the hall as fast as I could, away from the apartment and the naked woman, away from the bastard I had snuck out of the house to check up on because I actually cared. That son of a bitch! Bobby was right about him!
“Bye!” the woman called after me. “I’ll let him know you passed by.”
There was this undertone to her words, as if she were letting me know that she had the upper hand; that she had gotten the grand prize and I had come in close second. It made me want to scream out in anger, but I bit my tongue and rushed down the stairs, crying freely now, longing for the comfort of my car. I suddenly wished I had stayed home, locked behind my bedroom door where I was safe, and the world was a little less cruel.
