Page 38 of Home Game

“I am. I’m staying with Ryan Parker.”

“I highly doubt that. In fact, Mr. Parker is one of our more illustrious tenants and you’re not the first fan who has tried to sneak her way in.”

“I’m not a fan. He gave me keys.”

“Well, why don’t I call up there and see what he has to say.”

Ryan wasn’t home. I glared at the guy.

He pointed at the door. “Out. Or my next call will be the cops.”

Well shit. I stepped out into the pouring rain. I pulled my hood up and looked up and down the street. My aching shoulder was burning. I wasn’t sure how I would get back up to the apartment. I walked three blocks to a cafe. It was one of those hoity-toity places that charged $4 for a tea, but I needed to order something if I wanted to sit there for the rest of the afternoon.

I didn’t have Ryan’s phone number and the hospital never gave me his card back. He told me he would get back at 5 PM. I decidedmy best course of action would be to wait by the car parkade gates starting at 4:30 and hope to catch him when he drove in.

People in the cafe looked at me. The girl at the counter openly stared at my face. I ordered my tea and found a table near the back. I bent over the table, hiding my face as best as I could with my hood. I was starving, and the pain was making me shaky, but I refused to spend $5 on a scone. That was just insane. I needed this money for emergencies.

Three interminable hours ticked by before I got up to go wait for Ryan. The rain was now cascading down in sweeping stretches and the wind was biting. There was no shelter by the car gate, so within moments, I was soaked. The hoodie got so wet it no longer offered any protection. Cold water trickled down my back. It plastered my hair to my head. I was so cold I was shaking. And my shoulder felt like it was on fire. The only saving grace was that my face was so cold it felt numb.

Finally, Ryan’s SUV pulled into view. He rolled down his window to scan his fob, and I stepped forward.

“Ryan.”

His eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

My teeth chattered so hard, I could barely speak. “I had trouble returning to your place.”

“Get in.”

“I’m all wet.”

“I don’t give a shit. Get in.”

I got in beside him.

He opened the gates and then we drove into the garage. He was looking at me in disbelief. “What happened to you? Did you lose your keys?”

“The doorman wouldn’t let me in.”

“Excuse me?”

“He said I was loitering. But I wasn’t. I was just walking to the elevator.”

“Why didn’t you tell him you were staying with me?”

My teeth clattered. “He didn’t believe me.”

Ryan parked the vehicle and nearly ripped his door off getting out. He stuck his head back in. “Come on.”

He looked dangerous.

I half walked, half ran to keep up with him. He couldn’t even look at me when we got on the elevator. He punched the ground floor button. We rode up in silence.

The door slid open. He dropped his bag in the door and then disappeared from view.

“Mr. Parker.”

“Are you the doorman who refused to let my house guest have access to my apartment?”

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