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Leon and Ward both lifted their hands in a silent goodbye, too engrossed in their game.
With a little shake of my head, I left Lakers House and headed to Sam’s place.
“Sam? It’s me,” I called, slipping into her apartment.
“Noah, thank God.” She ran into my arms, trembling as she wrapped herself around me like a koala. “I was so scared.”
“Come on, let’s sit, and you can tell me what happened?”
We got comfortable on her couch, and I waited.
“I got home from my shift at the bar, and the front door was ajar. I thought maybe I’d left it unlocked or something, but when I came inside, I got this feeling… I checked the whole apartment, and the only thing missing was my favorite scarf. You know the one you got me for my birthday? The black one with the daisies on it.”
My brows pinched. “You think someone broke into your place and stole a scarf?”
“I’m just telling you what I found. What if it was some creep who’s seen me at the bar and followed me home?”
“Like a stalker?”
“Noah, this is serious.” She inhaled a shuddering breath. “Someone was in my apartment.”
“You’re right, sorry.” I pulled out my cell phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling the police.”
“I already called campus security. They’re going to review the security footage and send someone to get a statement. They’ll decide if we need to report it to the police. God, I’m just so relieved you’re here, Noah.”
She burrowed into my side, sliding her arm over my stomach. Shit. This felt all kinds of uncomfortable. But what could I do? Sam didn’t have many friends, and she’d escaped a shitty life too.
It’s one of the reasons we hit it off. We’d bonded one night over drinks and stories from our miserable childhoods. It was an alcoholic father with a mean temper for her. Timothy Holden wasn’t a drunk, but he did have a mean temper and a clear-cut view of how my life should go.
“You sure we shouldn’t call the police? What if he comes back?” I asked, unease sliding down my spine. I wasn’t interested in starting something with Sam, but she was the closest thing I had to a female friend.
“Campus security will handle it. I’m okay, Noah.” She smiled up at me. “I promise. I just freaked out for a second.”
“I know things have been weird between us lately,” I said. “But I’ll always have your back, Sam, you know that.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for making things weird. You’ve always been upfront about where we stand. I shouldn’t have cornered you like that. Forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive.”
She nodded. “Will you stay a little? We could watch a movie? And I think I have a pizza in the refrigerator.”
“Sure, whatever you need.”
“Great.” Sam leaped up and threw me the remote. “You pick a movie. I’ll sort the pizza.”
“Uh, sure.”
I watched her go, unable to shake the feeling that I was missing something.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Connor asked when I finally got home.
It was past eleven. But Sam had freaked out when I’d tried to leave. So, I stayed. I’d waited until she’d fallen asleep, and then locked up behind me and slid her key under the door.
“Don’t ask.”
