AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I can feel Vargas’s eyes on me, but I pretend not to notice. The door dings on my floor. I never noticed how short the elevator ride is. I don’t want this to be over.
“Do you want to come in for coffee or something?” I rush to say when Vargas gives my back a small push so that I walk beside him.
“I do want to tell Sassy goodbye.”
I stop in the middle of the hallway. Lie.
“You don’t have to come in,” I tell him, feeling silly. “It’s been a long day. So I get it.”
“I want to come in.” He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. That time it wasn’t a lie.
“You don’t like Sassy?”
“I thought we established how I feel about her.”
“That’s not an answer.” I stand up straighter. “You don’t want to tell her goodbye.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Why are you answering a question with a question?”
“I like Sassy.”
True.
“Oh,” Great, now I really am silly. “You don’t want to say good night to her.”
“Because I’m not looking forward to leaving.” Vargas searches my face. His expression is curious.
“Right! No one wants to say goodbye to her.” I start walking again so he can stop trying to read me. “Just need my keys here.” I dig through my bag. “I hope you like root beer. That's all I’ve got.” I start to ramble, trying to steer the conversation away from the weirdness I made.
“Stop,” Vargas whispers in my ear. His arm wraps around my waist to pull me back and against him. Before I can ask, he puts his fingers to his mouth then points toward my door.
It’s open. Barely, but you can see someone pried it open. The second everything connects, all I can think about is Sassy. I try to bolt toward my door. Vargas doesn’t even let me make it half a foot before he’s stopping me.
“I’ll check on her. Stay here,” he orders. There’s a serious tone to his voice. I nod in agreement, my heart pounding away.
It feels like an eternity has passed once Vargas slips through my door and out of my line of sight. When the door opens again, relief fills me. He’s got Sassy in his arms.
“Oh God.” I rush over to take her.
“She was under the bed.”
I smother her in kisses.
“You need to pack a bag. You’re not staying here tonight. I’ll see about getting the door fixed.”
“Crap,” I mutter. “My dad is going to lose it.” I enter my apartment. Everything is where I left it. “Did they do anything?”
“They broke the door.”
“I know that.” I don’t know if it’s a weird mix of adrenaline or what, but I laugh. “I meant I don’t think they did anything in here.” I head toward my bedroom. “Do you?”
“Not sure.” Vargas has gone from asking a question to avoid answering one to giving equivocal answers.
“Okay, I’ll stay at a hotel tonight or until we get the door fixed.” I’m not going to my dad’s. I hold Sassy closer. I’m guessing Vargas is going to have to have another little talk with Garfield to keep this under wraps.
“You’re not going to a hotel. We don’t know who it was or why someone broke in here yet.”
