Page 78 of My Rock Star Neighbor
The first floor is clear.But then we hear heavy footsteps above us.He’s coming down the stairs.
We scoot around the staircase to the bookcase in the back.I pull out Shakespeare’s Sonnets from the middle shelf, and the door unlatches.Maddie pulls it open, and we both slip through the opening.I bolt it behind us.We’re safe.This door is made of metal.We jump down the short cement stairs, and we’re in a cavernous, brick-walled basement.A basket of unclaimed clean laundry sits on the dryer, like it’s a normal night.
Sherlock meows.Maddie takes him from me and puts him down on top of the washer.He shakes himself out and licks his paw.
We both slump against the washing machine and dryer and take a moment to breathe.My heart is still pounding.That was close.That was fricking close.
“Are you okay?”I ask.
She looks pale.It could be the fluorescent lighting down here.I move the basket of laundry to the center.“Here, sit.”I pick her up and stick her on top of the dryer.She protests at first but folds when she feels the solid metal beneath her.She closes her eyes.Finally, I take a moment to really look at her.She’s still pale and looks shaky, but she’s still beautiful.I can’t believe she wears spaghetti strap lingerie to bed.I quickly look away.
She was so calm and collected when I woke her.
“I’m okay,” she finally says.“Are you?”She gestures to the clothes I had forgotten I was holding, as I stand here in only my boxers.
“That was scary.”That guy could have killed Maddie.
I slip on my shirt and sweatpants and then pull her close to me and hug her.“Maddie.”My heart is racing.That was too much.
She squeezes me back.“I’m okay, really.”
Sherlock butts in.Sonota good wingman.
“Sherlock and I are both okay,” she says.
“If we hadn’t installed that sensor device…”
“Did you see him?”
“I saw him on the monitor.”I pull the camera monitor back up on the phone to show her.
Maddie dials the police again to tell them.“How long does that app save the footage?”
“For a week.But we can download it.”I do that.
“We should meet the police at the front door so they don’t break the door in or anything.”
“Right.”I hand Maddie the sweatshirt.“Put that on before you meet them.”
Maddie looks down at her silky and revealing lingerie and blanches.She quickly covers herself in her sweatshirt.
“Why didn’t you say anything before?”she asks.
“That wasn’t a priority,” I say.
“Right.”Maddie nods.“You probably didn’t even notice.”
Women.I’ll never understand them.She looks upset about this—when she just survived some crazy dude breaking into her apartment.
Here I thought I was supposed to be a gentleman.But at least I can lighten the mood.
I tilt her chin up.“I very much noticed, Maddie.And now I regret that all those times you told me I was keeping you up and threatened to come over and throw out my guitar picks, I didn’t take you up on the offer.”I smile.
She sniffles but looks away, a small smile playing around her lips.
“Maybe you should wear my sweatpants,” I say.
“You’re going to greet them in boxer shorts?”she asks.“No.What if the press gets a picture of that?”
