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“She did what?” I whisper.
Of course, there’s no response, so I turn back to the monitor and reach for the play button with one hand and my cock with the other.
17
SAIGE
Furious banging jerks me awake. I crash off the couch and onto the floor, my ribs screaming at me, but the pain is a distant second to the terror coursing through me.
Nathan.
I’m on my feet, sprinting for the bathroom before I’m fully awake, my heart pounding so hard it’s a wonder I can draw any air into my lungs. Behind me, something crashes. Whimpering, I fight with the window, but it won’t go up.
I shove and shove at it before I notice I didn’t unlatch it.
Shit.
By the time I’ve fumbled the release open, the banging has stopped.
I freeze, hands still gripping the window, head angled back toward the front door, straining hard as I listen. Is he breaking in? Or has he already gotten in?
And then it hits me.
Nathan wouldn’t need to bang on the door. He’s strong enough that one twist of the handle and he’d be in the apartment. I wouldn’t even know he was there until he was standing over me.
But that isn’t the only thing to hit me.
“It isn’t him. Aden said…” My voice trails off as I return to the living room. Even though I’m sure—almost positive—it isn’t Nathan, I creep toward the kitchen.
I pass a tipped-over wooden coffee table with the remains of a pizza, an empty cake box, and a shattered glass spread over the hardwood floors.
Once I reach the kitchen, I peer at the clock on the microwave. Ten.
“Someone will knock at ten,” I whisper to myself as I work up the courage to cross over to the door. “You don’t have to be startled. It’s okay to open the door.”
But I don’t move.
When did I turn into a girl too afraid to open a fucking door?
Tears of frustration—of anger—well because that isn’t me. It wasneverme. Even when Dad chased me around with his belt or shook me awake demanding to know where I was hiding the money, I wasn’t afraid. I hated it, hated my life, but I wasn’t afraid.
A creak in the hallway gets me moving toward the front door. Aden sent me pizza last night and now he’s sent me something else. If I let someone take it, that’s not fair to him. The least I can do is open the door.
After peeking through the peephole, I spot two paper bags filled with groceries sitting just outside. Unbolting the door takes a while because my hands won’t stop shaking, but finally, I get it open and bend down and reach for the bags.
“Good morning.”
I jerk my head to my right. Braced to sprint back inside, I silence my panic when I spot a guy in a smart white shirt and black pants standing three doors down.
He has his key up to his door, but his focus is on me.
Just an ordinary guy, Saige, off to work. You remember how to talk to one of those, right?
I swallow hard before forcing a smile onto my face. “Good morning.” My voice isn’t as steady as I would like, but I say it with a smile that I hope looks genuine.
He smiles back. “Well, work won’t do itself. Have a nice day.”
I watch as he locks his door, picks up the black briefcase on the floor beside him, and waves goodbye as he heads down the hallway.
