Twenty-One #2
Frustration and humiliation make me back away from the window. I walk down the drive and stop at the tall stone pillar and pull my phone out to call Gravity. I’m practically hysterical when he answers.
“They won’t let me in. They called me a squatter,” I say, half shouting and half sobbing.
“Woah, take a breath, Zak. Who won’t let you in?” Gravity asks.
I sniff and try to inhale. “Owen’s condo guard.
He says I don’t have an ID, so he won’t let me in.
Before he left, Owen listed me as a resident and they assured me I could get in without an ID because I don’t have one yet.
I’m working on it; I just got my social security card, but my birth certificate isn’t here yet and I need both to get an official ID. I?—”
“Okay,” Gravity says, his voice soothing. “Take another breath, Zaky.”
I do. I breathe deeply, trying to stop my hands from trembling.
“Where are you?”
I glance back at the guard building. “Standing outside the condo property like a squatter,” I mutter.
“Call Owen.”
“I can’t call Owen,” I say, almost panicking all over again, like when the food arrived. It would mean admitting that I don’t belong here. Even the guard says so.
“Remember that I love you when I threaten this. If you don’t call him, I will.”
My stomach churns. Taking a breath, I huff. “Fine.” I hang up and brace myself to call Owen. He answers before the first ring completes.
“Zak,” he nearly purrs. I shiver, a smile almost touching my lips.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“What’s wrong?” he asks. I’m pretty sure my voice sounded normal. Maybe not.
Taking a breath, I try to explain the situation without getting overcome with emotion. “I left to visit Clarinda,” I tell him. “And the guy at the guard station won’t let me in because I don’t have an ID. He said there’s no exception.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he hisses. I shiver at the anger in his voice. “I’m sorry, Zak. Where are you right now?”
My cheeks heat when I answer. “I’m outside the condo walls.” Shame runs through me. I feel so stupid. There are people watching me, aren’t there? Judging me.
“Don’t move, Zak.” He’s still spitting fire when he hangs up.
I crouch down, biting my lip as I stare at my phone. Minutes tick by. One. Three. Seven. I’m startled when a truck pulls alongside the curb in front of me. The name of the condo is on the side, followed by ‘security’ in big, bright letters.
Ohmygod, they’re going to arrest me. I’m almost hyperventilating again when the man steps out.
“Mr. Ashland?” he asks.
My breath is shaking when I nod.
He offers me his hand. “I’m so very sorry for the misunderstanding. Please accept my humblest apologies. I’ll escort you inside.”
Swallowing, I take his hand and let him pull me to my feet. He leads me to the other side of his truck and helps me to climb in. I watch as the man in the booth looks startled and then slightly sick. His eyes pierce me with a glare so nasty I can feel it in my gut.
I turn away, giving him the back of my head. The gate opens and the truck drives in, driving me through the property until we’re right outside the building that Owen lives in.
“Here we are,” the man says. He offers me a card when I face him. “My direct line, in case you have any issues in the future. I assure you, this won’t happen again, Mr. Ashland.”
“Thank you,” I say, still feeling two feet tall.
“I’m very sorry you weren’t treated with the respect you deserve. I promise, this is not how I run my team.”
I nod. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not and it will be taken care of.”
Since I’m really not sure what else to say, I give him a weak smile and slip from his truck onto the sidewalk.
The code Owen gave me to access the front of the building works easily enough, and I take the elevator to his floor.
I don’t meet anyone, thankfully. I’m sure there’s a banner over my head that screams I don’t belong here.
The last thing I want is for Owen to be embarrassed because someone called the cops for a squatter in his condo.
I also have no issue with the code to let me into his condo. Locking the door behind me, I lean against it. I’m not leaving this place without Owen again. Never, ever again!
My phone ringing makes me jump. I’ll never get used to that. Owen’s name flashes up at me and I answer.
“You okay? Are you inside yet?”
“Yes. I’m okay and inside.”
He sighs. “Good. I’m sorry, Zak. Don’t you dare run, baby.”
My stomach somersaults. That’s exactly what I want to do right now. Run somewhere I belong. Like on that park bench where he found me. Instead, I take a deep breath. “I won’t. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“And all the days up until then and after,” he says.
I smile and nod, though he can’t see it. “Yeah, Owen. I’ll be here.”
“That won’t happen again. I promise.”
I want to ask how he can be sure, but I don’t. Instead, I internally remind myself that it won’t happen again, because I’m simply not leaving without Owen. At least not until I have an actual ID. Maybe not then, either.
“Okay.”