Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Matt
Olivia, the little girl I was working with, was so sweet. I’d met her today, had done an assessment and would start fully with her on Thursday. She lived only a few blocks from Belle’s Beanery, so I stopped in for a coffee pick-me-up.
The bell jingled above the door, and the aroma of fresh-ground goodness filled my nose.
“Good afternoon, Matt.” Beth greeted me with a smile.
“Hey, Beth.”
“What can I get you today?”
She took my order, and I moved to the pickup section. It was a little busy today. It was coming on two, so a lot of people usually needed a lift this time of day.
“Here you are.” She slid my caramel almond latte to me, and I may have moaned as I sipped. “Good?”
“Oh yeah, just what I needed.” I leaned in, and she met me halfway. “I’m seeing one of the Saint brothers and I promised I’d stop by Saintly Sweets next week. I don’t know how to tell them my loyalties lie here.” I winked but she didn’t appear happy; her brows furrowed and she stepped away.
“You’re seeing someone?”
I thought she’d playfully give me a hard time about trying a different place, and her question threw me.
“It’s new.”
“I see.” Her face pinched, and she hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I gotta get back to work.” She turned on her heel and walked away.
“She’s always had a thing for ya. Likely just hurt?” I spun and saw one of the other servers, Tim, I thought.
“I had an inkling, but I thought it was just a silly crush.”
He waved it off. “She’ll be fine.” He rolled his eyes. “She had a thing for some guy last year, a lawyer. And when he told her he was moving she cried in the break room for like an hour.”
“That’s…”
“Crazy?” He chuckled. “Yeah, but she’s harmless. I’m sure she’ll fall for someone else next week.” He shrugged and returned to wiping the tables.
First Nicole going into my apartment, now Beth…was I paranoid now? Seeing things that weren’t there because I didn’t know who was stalking me?
I didn’t stay at the shop, opting to walk to my car and head to my apartment. Nick had texted that he was driving back to his house to make sure everything looked good on his end and would come by tonight if I wanted him to.
Oh, I wanted him to.
My ride home was uneventful. I parked in the garage and as I made my way up to my apartment, there was a sense of ease knowing that Nick was possibly watching me right now. I scanned the elevator, and I couldn’t see a thing that was different, but somehow I knew.
I waved at my Ring camera like a dolt and went inside. Everything was clean. He’d even wiped counters and as I took a breath, I smelled him. I loved that.
I’d just shut my door when there was a knock. I looked in the peephole since my phone was in my back pocket and my hands were full of my coffee and bag.
Nicole.
I opened the door and maybe it was rude but I said, “Oh, you chose knocking this time?”
Her shoulders slumped. “I’m so sorry, Matt. I was absolutely in violation of your lease. I thought someone was?—”
I held up my hand. “Nick explained it all to me. While I appreciate you trying to watch out for me, enough of my privacy has been violated. Don’t do that again, or I’ll find a new place to live.”
I didn’t give her a chance to respond; I shut the door in her face. I was dealing with a lot of crazy right now, and my head was going in a million different directions. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I put my coffee and bag down and answered.
“Hello?”
“Mr. York, it’s Officer Mendez.”
“Oh, hi, Officer.”
“I wanted to touch base with you. There weren’t any fingerprints on any of the shards of glass from the heart or the note. I’m sorry. We’ve gone through all video footage we can on any time they entered the apartment building, or accosted you, but we can’t get a facial on anything. I will continue to have patrol driving around your building. I wish I had better news, I’m sorry.”
Damn . The Saint brothers were right—the police wouldn’t be able to do anything.
“Thank you, Officer.”
“Have a good night, Mr. York.”
Dejection weighed heavy on my shoulders. I meandered to my room and stripped. A shower was the only thing I wanted right then. Washing off this day seemed like the best plan.
I slid the glass door open and there was a Post-it note on the wall. I panicked for a beat until I read it.
There are no cameras in the bathroom. Some things I don’t need to see.
A smile bloomed on my face. Suddenly, a shower wasn’t the only thing I wanted. I walked back into the bedroom, realizing Nick could probably see me. I pulled out my phone and texted him.
I need you.
I tossed the phone onto the bed and went into the shower. I let the water beat down on my weary bones. Head hanging, I breathed in the steam as if it could force out all the negative shit in my life. I grabbed the shampoo and soaped up. The lemon mint filled the air and mentally, it made me believe it would take it all away.
I was just starting to soap up my body when I heard a noise. Had Nicole come into my apartment again? A second later the bathroom door opened, and Nick sauntered in looking like sin.
“All wet, just how I like you.”
My heart went from beating in fear to arousal. “You scared me.”
“You texted, and I told you I’d be right there and I’d use the key you gave me.”
I leaned against the shower door, knowing he was getting a good view of my hard cock.
“I didn’t wait for your reply.”
The glass was foggy but I saw enough of Nick to know he was drinking me in. He began removing layers, and once he was naked he walked right in and wrapped me in his arms. This was better than a shower any day.
“You said you needed me. What happened?”
I pushed away, and he took my loofah and washed my body while I told him everything Officer Mendez had said.
“You were right.” I sighed.
“About what?” He put his finger under my chin and lifted my head so I was looking into his eyes.
“Cops won’t be able to help me.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips. “It’s going to be okay.”
I hugged him close and rested my cheek against his chest. “When I’m with you, I believe that.”
“Anything else happen today?”
I went through the situation at the coffee shop and he hummed. “I haven’t gotten to Beth yet, but she and Nicole are at the top of my list right now.”
I nodded. “I think I’m just paranoid.”
He gently scratched my scalp. “I rather you be paranoid right now instead of lax.”
After the shower, Nick and I dried off. We ordered Chinese and ate it in front of the television, watching a mindless reality show. When sleep finally came, Nick wrapped himself around me, and for a little while I pretended he was guarding me from my demons.