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And as for Sofia…
Well, she had to be in her room. She couldn’t have gone anywhere. I wondered how she was doing. I closed my eyes and saw her bruised and bloodied face in the darkness of the room where I’d first found her, then illuminated by the bright overhead bulb in the kitchen.
I felt like heaving just from thinking about it. I shook my head as I stood up and yawned, stretching before I went to the bathroom to wash my face. My mornings were always slow and deliberate, a ritual that helped keep me focused regardless of what the day ahead of me looked like.
But I was particularly slow then, brushing my teeth leisurely, running a comb through my hair far too many times, shaving my beard with an electric trimmer despite the fact that it didn’t need trimming.
I knew I had to heed Grayson’s advice. I put on some jeans and a v-neck white shirt from the spare clothes I always had in this closet, then made my way to Sofia’s room. The apartment was quiet, none of the lights were on yet, and the only sound inside was the quiet whir of the air conditioner.
Hesitating for a second, I knocked on her door. There was no answer, so I knocked again, a bit harder this time. When there was still no response, I slowly pushed the door open. For a second, I wondered if she had tried to lock it. She hadn’t.
The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the sunlight peeking through the mostly closed blinds. Sofia was still asleep, tucked into the covers of the bed. I paused for a moment to look at her, feeling a twinge of guilt in my chest.
I really didn’t like hurting people who hadn’t done anything to us. Regardless of my position, it simply wasn’t in my nature. Her breathing was slow and even, and her body was curled up in a fetal position.
I cleared my throat, and she stirred. She turned towards me, rubbing her eyes sleepily. ”Good morning,” I said, trying to sound as friendly as possible.
Her eyes shot open and she sat up.
”Did you sleep well?”
She brought her knees to her chest and hugged herself close, a hint of fear in her gaze. ”I guess so. I must’ve passed out at some point.”
”Can I…can I come in?” I asked. I was still standing by the door, and I could see the outline of her face. She’d washed her face, so there was no blood on it, but I could see dark angry welts on her pretty face, and my heart sank.
She nodded slowly, and I took that as permission to enter. I walked over to her bed and sat down beside her. Sofia was looking at me with a tentative expression, as if she was trying to figure out what I was going to do next.
I tried to offer her a small smile. ”I know it’s not much, but Grayson and I thought you might appreciate some breakfast,” I said, gesturing to the tray I had carried over with me. It had coffee, toast, and scrambled eggs.
”Thank you,” she said quietly, looking down at her lap.
I reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. ”I’m sorry,” I said. ”For what happened to you. We don’t want to hurt you. We just need to know what you know.”
”You made that very clear last night,” she said, then scoffed as she looked at the tray between us. ”You know, people are going to miss me.”
I waited for her to finish.
”My brother is a…”
I raised my eyebrows.
”He’s going to notice I’m gone,” she said. ”We talk every day. He’s going to know something is wrong. If you just drop me off at home, I promise I’ll work with you.”
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. ”No,” I said. ”I don’t know what you’re going to do when you get home. I need you here, Sofia.”
”At least let me talk to him,” she said softly and her voice broke before she spoke again. ”We only have each other…”
I considered that for a second. It was a risk, but this was all a risk, and Grayson was right. We needed her on our side. She didn’t care about breakfast–how could she?--when she was worried about what would happen to her brother.
”Fine,” I said. ”I’ll call him. You can talk to him, on speakerphone, while I’m here. Tell him you’re going to be unavailable or not quite as available for the next few days.”
”What?” she asked.
”I don’t care what you tell him,” I said. ”But don’t try to get smart, Sofia. Things could go very badly for both of you if you do. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She nodded, her face paling as she held my gaze. ”I know,” she said. ”Don’t worry. I understand the situation I’m in perfectly.”
I nodded, satisfied with her response. ”Good,” I said. ”Then let’s make the call.”
