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The doorbell rings three more times before I pull the front door open.
“What on earth?!” I snap angrily before I lay eyes on who is standing on my front stoop. “Oh my god, Sonya?! What are you doing here?”
“Eden!” Sonya cries out and throws herself at me. Wrapping her free arm around me, she hugs me hard. “They told me you were safe but I didn’t believe them!”
Stunned speechless, it’s all I can do to hug her back as she goes on, babbling her feelings out. “After you disappeared, I was terrified something bad happened to you! All these men showed up at your place and there was a biohazard cleaning crew. There was this rolled up carpet covered in blood! And I swear I saw them moving a body out!”
I pull back a little to look at her tearstained face, my own going pale. “They pulled a body out?”
Kyle’s body?
“Well, I thought it was a body… I thought it was you! And I was scared to fucking death that man, Jude, killed you. He looked like total a serial killer. He had serial killer eyes... But you’re okay…” Sonya sniffles.
“Yes, like I told you a million times, she’s fine! See!” a man snaps angrily.
I look over Sonya’s shoulder to see James, one of the men Jude knows, glaring daggers at us.
“What is going on?” I ask, beyond confused.
James laughs in disgusted anger. “What is going on? Your friend here has the entire neighborhood up in arms. More than half my tenants are threatening to not pay rent!”
He rakes his fingers angrily through his hair then points his finger accusingly at Sonya. “She’s been calling my management office all day, every day about you. Threatening to report us to the police, news, and housing authority over your disappearance.”
I look back to Sonya, shocked. “You did?”
Sonya nods slowly, her tears drying. “I did.”
I choke up, my chest tightening with emotion, and squeeze her harder.
I thought no one cared about Abel and me besides Jude…
But of course she does.
She’s cared since the day we first moved in. She’s always been there for me when I needed her and never asked anything in return.
And I left her without a word.
Some friend I am.
I’ve been so caught up with Jude and my own problems, I didn’t even think of trying to contact her…
“I’m sorry. Oh god, Sonya, I’m so sorry. I should have called…” I croak.
“Yes, you should have!” Sonya cries and squeezes me harder. “I’ve been going crazy with worry. But I’m happy you’re both safe.”
James growls, “As touching as your little reunion is, I’ve—"
A loudboomdrowns out the rest of his words.
Sonya and I seem to jump at the same time.
Pulling away from each other, we turn towards the source of the sound.
“What the fuck…” James growls and takes a protective stance in front of us.
Craning my neck to look around the brick exterior, I peer down the road and see three black cars approaching fast. Tires squealing and engines roaring.
The doors to the black SUV parked in my driveway pop open and the men inside start to get out.
