CHAPTER 31
FRANKIE
∞
“Hello?”
“Hey, Frankie, it’s Alex. I’m outside your apartment…do you need help with anything?”
“Actually, yeah. I don’t have much, but I don’t think I can carry everything down the stairs by myself.”
“Don’t you have an elevator? You’re on the sixth floor.”
“Its…been broken for the last year.”
“Fucking hell. Alright, I’ll be right up.”
“Okay, I’ll buzz you in,”
I say as I walk over to my com panel to push the entry button.
He hangs up the phone and I sigh as I lean against my kitchen counter and glance around the apartment. It didn’t have much in it to begin with, but it still looks barer than it did. Nyx meows from her crate and I crouch down in front of her.
“We’re going someplace nicer, baby. I think you’ll like it…even if it’s temporary.”
A knock comes at my door, and I open it to see Alex out of breath.
“Why are you panting?”
I ask, confused.
His eyes practically bulge out of his head as he grips into the doorframe. “I thought running would make it easier…it did not. Fuck that sucked. I can’t believe you do that shit every day.”
“Clearly you’ve been spoiled with the elevator at the tower, Alex,” I snort.
“I would probably die if I had to take the stairs to my apartment there. Fuck.”
He steps into the apartment and a frown settles on his face. “It’s a shithole,”
he mumbles.
“Thanks,”
I say cheerfully, and he gives me a small smile.
“Oh! You have a cat!”
He crouches down in front of Nyx, and she hisses at him and backs up as far as she can from him in the crate. “Guess she doesn’t like me,”
he chuckles. “It sucks that cats don’t like supernaturals because I really like cats.”
“She likes Wren.”
He glances up at me confused and I’m sort of regretting saying it.
“What do you mean?”
“She was sleeping on his stomach this morning. He…slept on the couch.”
He lifts himself to his feet and gives me a sad smile. “I’m glad you’re okay, Frankie. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“It’s not your fault, Alex.”
“I mean…I’m sorry about everything that’s happened to you. You seem like a great person, and you never deserved any of that.”
I look away embarrassed and fidget with the edge of my shirt. “I wish I could say it’s in the past, but the past has a way of coming back and biting me in the ass.”
“I’m sorry Wren had to be here for you. I’m sure that was difficult.”
“I didn’t remember anything this morning…he had to tell me what happened.”
“Did he hurt you?”
I’m confused by Alex’s comment, and he has a hard look on his face as he stares at me. “What?”
“Wren. Did he hurt you?”
“Do you think I would be moving into the tower if he hurt me?”
His face softens, and he lets out a small sigh of relief. “Just checking.”
“He’s not what I expected. I can’t believe he protected me last night.”
“He was worried about you. He thought you might die.”
“Yeah, he told me.”
“He did?”
“Yeah…”
“I’m surprised he was honest with you. Neither of you have been shy about your hatred for each other,”
he laughs.
“I…I don’t hate him.”
His eyebrow quirks up and he grins at me. “Oh? That’s new,”
he snorts.
“We should get going. Nyx is getting pissed being stuck in there.”
“Yeah, I can see that,”
he laughs. He grabs the few boxes I have, stacking them between his arms. I grab Nyx’s crate and follow him out the door before locking it.
A pick-up truck is parked up front, and he motions for me to drop the tailgate for him to shove my boxes into the back. I set Nyx down between my legs in the front seat while he jogs around to hop in the driver’s seat.
“He’s setting you up on our floor and it’s a really nice room.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you, Alex.”
“No worries. I’m surprised you agreed to this.”
“Wren was very insistent.”
“I’m sure he was,”
he mumbles. His tone has me staring at him and he shakes his head, plastering a smile on his face.
“Is there something going on?”
“Not that I’m aware of,”
he says, pulling away from the curb.
“Alright…if you’re sure.”
“Everything will be fine, Frankie. You can trust us.”