"I don't have any clothes." I sighed, looking down at the clothes I'd borrowed from Mac. I'd shown up at her house in my running gear and she'd been more than happy to lend me something like we'd done almost all our lives. I didn't think to get any extra clothes since I was going home after I left her house.
"You can borrow a shirt of mine to sleep in, or maybe you can sleep in nothing at all," he said, resting his chin on top of my head. He wrapped his arms around my waist, dragging me in closer.
I nodded. "I should call my parents. God forbid they hear what happened on the news," I said, sitting up.
"I'll order us some pizza while you call them," he said, standing up to give me privacy.
With trepidation, I pulled up Mom's cell phone number. It wasn't going to be pretty. Mom answered on the first ring, and the call went pretty much like I expected. She put the call on speaker so Dad could add his two cents to the situation. His reaction was no surprise. He blustered that he knew something like this would happen, followed by telling me I would not be living there any longer. Mom agreed with him, but she was more concerned about my mental state and asked where I currently was. I stretched the truth and told her I was at my new friend's house. I finally hung up after reassuring them I had a safe place to stay tonight and promising I would stay with them until I could move into a new apartment. I silently vowed to make that a sooner than later
action.
"Are they ready to send out the cavalry?" Brian asked once I hung up.
"You know my parents," I sighed. I loved both of them dearly, but their overbearingness was hard to take at times. It was a habit for them to keep me on a tight leash despite the separation I strived for the last two years.
Brian nodded, settling back on the couch with me. "They're a bit intense at times, but they have your best interest at heart."
I cocked an eyebrow at him. "It must be in the water."
He held up his palms in surrender. "I care about you. Sue me," he said.
I tilted my head back and wove my fingers in his hair, dragging him closer just to show him he wasn't the only one in control. "I think I'd rather kiss you," I said, running my tongue along his bottom lip. I loved the fullness of it beneath my tongue.
He shuddered in my arms. I smiled with satisfaction. At least I wasn't the only one affected.
The pizza arrived before we could go too far, but we made up for the wait after we'd consumed every slice. We never made it to his room that night. Instead, we stayed on the couch long into the night talking and cuddling. The circumstances that had driven me to his apartment were forgotten. I suspected that had been his intention all along which only endeared him to me even more.
The next morning we headed to his apartment complex office and within an hour I had a one-room apartment secured for the next twelve months, which left only the packing of my apartment.
Brian had practice, so Mom met me at my apartment so I could pack a bag for my stay with them. It would take a couple days to get all the utilities switched to my new place, and everyone seemed to be in agreement I wouldn't be staying at my old one.
Brian wanted to wait with me until Mom showed up, but I wasn't ready to cross that bridge yet. He didn't look pleased, but he must have sensed it was an issue he couldn't push.
"Promise you'll stay in your car until she gets here at least," he countered after I climbed from his car.
I thought about reminding him he wasn't the boss of me, but looking at the sidewalk leading to my apartment I didn't think I was ready to conquer it on my own yet. "Promise," I said, trying to sound reluctant as I opened my car door.
He gave me a skeptical look but didn't push it. "I'll call you after practice," he said, pulling me into his arms. His lips were possessive and territorial as they settled on mine.
"Be safe and please stay in your car until your mom gets here." He kept his tone passive so it wouldn't sound like an order. I swallowed a smile. He was learning.
"I think I should be telling you to stay safe. Football isn't the safest sport, especially for a quarterback."
He chuckled. "My guys are good at keeping my noggin safe. This is practice anyways. Coach would have anyone's ass in a sling if they hurt me before the season starts. If it makes you feel better, you can come watch me practice tomorrow and give everyone the evil eye," he teased, clearly pleased I cared. He closed my car door and waited until I locked it before climbing into his own car.
I watched him pull out of the parking lot and couldn't help wishing I could follow him. It was the first time since the accident that I wished I wasn't alone. Sitting in the parking lot of the complex, I couldn't help noticing all its flaws and bleakness. I kept my eyes averted from where Carlos' body had been found, but it didn't stop the hairs from standing up on the back of my neck. Everything around me had me on edge. The shadows surrounding the building seemed more ominous. The far corners of the parking lot with its broken-down cars offered hiding spots I'd never given much thought to. Even with it being broad daylight I couldn't help being spooked. I almost wished I'd allowed Brian to wait with me.
I was on the verge of starting my car and leaving the complex when Mom showed up with Dad. Any other time I would have scoffed that he felt it was necessary to tag along, but I was so relieved to see them I practically flew out of the car and into his arms as soon as I saw him. My hug nearly barreled him over, and I could tell it surprised him. He returned it, patting me awkwardly on the back. Affection didn't come easy to him. He showed his love by taking care of things. Mom was the hugger. The one who kissed my boo-boos growing up and smoothed the waters after Dad's endless lectures that were always for my own good, as he liked to claim.
"Honey, did you know the man who died?" Mom asked, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we headed toward my apartment.
I nodded, trying to ignore the yellow tape that still cordoned off Carlos' apartment. Bile rose in my stomach as I recalled him sprawled across the sidewalk. A mental picture filled my head of Carlos making his way to his apartment, oblivious of the person standing behind him with a knife. The assailant took on the face of the man who'd given me a hard time that one night, Antonio. I skipped a step, almost stumbling. I wondered if I should have mentioned him to Officer Morris. He'd asked if I knew anything. Was that something? I shook my head. I was being ridiculous. It was time I admitted that Carlos had a lot of shade on him. It could have been any of his "associates." I failed to mention this to Mom and Dad.
The locks on my front door seemed even flimsier as I slid my key into them and pushed my door open. My apartment was dark. My blackout curtains blocked any sunlight from getting in. Before yesterday I craved the darkness and solitude of my apartment. I'd considered it a sanctuary, a place to hide from all the ugliness of the world. The ugliness had crept into my apartment, though, saturating every inch of it. I now saw it for what it really was, a sad mockery of the person I'd become. Disgust rose through me. I wanted to throw the curtains open and flood the apartment with light.
Mom must have felt the same way since she reached for the edges of the curtains and pulled them open to fill the apartment with light. I shot her a small smile of thanks before heading to my room to pack a bag.
My room was as dark as the living room had been but I didn't bother opening the curtains. Instead, I flipped the light on and grabbed my carry-on suitcase out of my closet. It still had the tags hooked to the handle from when I traveled to Europe. For a brief moment I wished I was once again there. Far away from this apartment and everything else. Brian's face flashed in my mind and the urge passed. Running away was no longer an option.