Page 12 of His Reward
June wakes as I’m turning into the parking lot.Her apartment building is an old, squat, two-storey brick house at the top of an incline.A small, grassy area sits to the left surrounded by a tall retaining wall that faces the street.Good thing there’s an iron railing.Falling over that edge would hurt.
I park in one of the spots shaded by trees.June stretches, gathers her things, and gives me a grateful smile.
“Thanks for the ride home.”She glances at the time on the console.“Wow.You got us here sooner than I expected.”
As I intended with my foot on the gas keeping us well over the speed limit when possible.
I shrug.“It’s a Sunday.Traffic was light.”
Relief courses through me as she slings her bag straps over her shoulder and reaches for the passenger door handle.Then she pauses and turns to me.
“Do you want to come in?You can stretch your legs, get a drink, maybe eat something too before the long drive back.I owe you for the ride and helping me with Tyler last night.”
Goddammit.I was so close to being home-free.So fucking close.Stunned by the turn of events, I hold her gaze in the silence, all the right words on the tip of my tongue.
No, you don’t owe me anything.
No, I don’t want to come in.
Have a good evening.
Goodbye.
The wrong ones come out instead.
“Sure, I’d like that.”
7
June
Malcolm follows me to my apartment door, my entire body aware of his presence behind me.
It’s debatable whether inviting him back to my place was a good idea.The way he looked at me last night after I kissed his cheek is still on my mind, but I’m half-convinced I misread the moment.
I was pretty shook up after my confrontation with Tyler.My heightened anxiety must have overreacted and detected danger where there was none.
Itisa fact that I get nervous around Malcolm, especially when we’re alone.He’s kind of a stranger, even though he was a fixture in my life when I was younger.
We haven’t seen each other in a decade, therefore we don’t know much about each other.I’m sure the weirdness between us will go away once we spend more time getting to know one another.
In conclusion, yes, inviting him in was a good idea after all.
I might not know him well yet, but I know with two hundred percent certainty that Malcolm is a good guy.He risked his life to save mine, and he also worked to keep our country safe for years.He’s a protector not a predator.There’s nothing to be afraid of.
I unlock my apartment door and enter.Home sweet home.My parents’ house used to be my home but it hasn’t been in years.This is my space.Returning to it feels like a warm, loving hug.
“I’ll be right back,” I say with a quick smile.Malcolm nods.
I head to my bedroom and come to a hard stop.
What the hell?
My curtains are drawn aside, billowing from the breeze coming through the open window.
I live on the ground floor of a centuries-old brick house that was converted into an apartment building with six units.My bedroom window looks out onto a small, grassy patio that anyone can access.
Summer is record-breaking hot this year and I don’t have an AC.I mostly use my fan to cool down, but I often open the window to let in a breeze as well.Once or twice, I’ve forgotten to close it before I leave my apartment, but I’m sure I did on Friday.
