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“Just so you know, when you’re in the hallway, you can hear everything inside. The doors aren’t soundproof.”
Heat washes over me, climbing up my neck and over my cheeks until my resemblance to a tomato is uncanny. So that means he heard me tell Mia I find him intimidating, dangerous, and purposely avoid him?
“I… um… okay.” My voice is a faint breath of air, hardly qualifying as a response, but I’m in no mental state to reply. What would I even say that could make things better?
His gaze lingers over me for a moment, further intensifying the heat, then he walks away without a backward glance, his footfalls heavy on the concrete.
I can’t move as I watch him stalk into the parking lot and straddle a black motorcycle, the rev of the engine as it kicks on finally startling me into slamming the door.
“Tessa?”
I clue back in, remembering Mia’s still on the line, and race to my bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind me, as if that makes any difference when he’s already gone.
“Did you hear that?” I ask, practically breathless with how hard my heart is beating.
“Yeah… I couldn’t help it. That was your neighbor?”
I nod, then realize she can’t see me. “Yep. Just my luck, right?”
Better to joke about it. Make light of the situation. It doesn’t have to be serious. Just because he overheard me say that doesn’t mean he’s mad. Doesn’t mean I’ve made an enemy. Doesn’t mean he’ll retaliate.
I’m safe here. This apartment is safe. Nothing bad will happen.
“Listen, I have to go,” I tell her before she can say anything. “I’ll talk to you in the Stress Lab later.”
“Yeah, okay. Text me if you need to.”
“Thanks,” I whisper as I end the call, my eyes squeezing shut. Making friends with her last semester in one of our Psych classes had been a stroke of luck. God knows I have hardly anyone else to rely on.
I take deep breaths, consciously slowing down my heart rate, and progressively tense and relax my muscles, going through the familiar routine until I’m calmer. In a way, I guess it’s helpful to go through the process myself before I guide others through it later today during the study.
Heading into the minuscule kitchen area, I rip open a new package of Pop-Tarts, not bothering to heat them this time before stuffing one in my mouth in an attempt to distract myself.
Why would I think it’s a good idea to announce all that stuff right near the door? It’s not like I could even use the excuse of saying I was talking about someone else. I outright saidmy neighbor, and there are only the two of us on the ground floor.
What the hell am I going to say the next time I run into him? Yeah, I’ve successfully avoided him so far, but it’s bound to happen at some point.
No, what I need to focus on right now is getting to class and preparing for my quiz, not run-ins with my neighbor.
No matter how awkward they may be.
* * *
Chocolate melts on my tongue, creamy and sweet, and I quickly grab a second cube of fudge from the container Mia holds out to me, sampling another bite. “I don’t understand what you do to make it so good,” I mutter around a mouthful. “And how you just happened to have a tub of fudge on the day I need it most.”
Her lips tip up at the corners. “Well, I made it to celebrate the first day of your study. It’s a coincidence you need it for… other reasons, too.”
I wave off her enigmatic statement, not wanting to relive my embarrassment for the trillionth time today. It was the only thing running through my mind during my two classes earlier. I probably bombed my quiz.
“Don’t tell anyone. Please. If I don’t talk about it, it’s like it never happened.”
“Right,” she drawls. “Mum’s the word, then.”
I nod, licking the remaining chocolate off my fingers as my lab partner, Joel, arrives and slings his backpack on the floor. His plaid button-up is rumpled as usual, brown hair messy after he rakes a hand through it.
“Whatcha got there, Mia?” he asks, studying the container with curiosity.
“Fudge. Don’t eat too much or you’ll get sick.”
