Page 26 of See Me

“I will.” He comes closer and leans down outside the window. “I made a salad for you. It’s in the walk-in, back left corner.”

“You’re an angel. I’ll snag it tomorrow.”

He smiles and stands up to leave. His eyes land on my backseat and the smile melts off his face.

“Miss Ella—”

“I’m fine, Omar.” I pick at a stitch on the steering wheel cover and paint a smile on my face.

“You staying in here?” He points to my backseat.

I lift a shoulder but no words come out.

He raps a fist on my car. “You follow me.”

“No,no. I’m okay.”

He motions me to follow him. “You come with me. To my home.”

I wave him off without meeting his eyes. “I’m fine, really.”

“Miss Ella…”

I tuck my hands under my legs as my feet bounce around the floorboards. “Omar, please.”

Don’t make me admit how awful this is.

Don’t make me say it.

Omar sighs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Everyone is gone and I think I left the flat top on inside. I need to go check it. You have a good night.”

I smile and nod, rolling the window up as he walks away and unlocks the back door. He’s inside for a few minutes, walks out, pushes the door shut and without even looking at me, gets in his car and leaves.

My head hits the steering wheel as tears sting my eyes. I allow myself one minute to let my fear, gratitude, and despair leak out. A man I’ve known for two weeks is risking his job to make sure I’m safe. He did more for me tonight, showed more concern for my well-being, than my parents have my entire life.

Wiping my tears with my sleeve, I put the car in drive and move to a parking spot a few doors down, grab a bag, and sneak in the back door, engaging the dead bolt behind me. I creep down the hallway, the soft glow of the Christmas lights guiding me. Snaking my way through the maze of doors in the locker room I find the room in the back of the gym and flip on the light switch.

Welcome home.

TEN

NOTHING WRONG WITH A LITTLE DOWNSTAIRS DJ

I jerkawake and sit straight up, my heart thumping in my chest so hard my body shakes. I push the hair out of my face and swing my legs off the side of the squeaky cot. Shuffling my feet, I feel my way to the door in the dark. My hand goes to my chest and I take a few deep breaths trying to slow my racing heart.

As my hand feels on the wall for the switch, I realize it isn’t my heart that's pounding. It's music, the bass rattling in my chest.

Oh no.

Luca must be in the gym. Afraid to turn the light on, I shuffle back to the cot and feel around until I find my phone.

Five a.m.

Who the heckwakes up this early to work out?

I dig a bottle of water out of my bag and take a few big gulps trying to wake up. The music is very disorienting. It’s so loud I can’t think straight.

I use the flashlight on my phone to find a hoodie in my bag to ward off the chill of these cold, concrete walls. It takes only a few more seconds for my brain to fire up and realize he could find me in here. He could find me and fire me, and have me arrested for breaking and entering. My name will be plastered all over the internet, on the news.

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