Page 62 of See Me

I pull on a hoodie and step into the shoes by the door, lock up behind me and head for the elevators. I pause outside Ella’s door.

No.

When I turn to leave, Tuesday’s meow echoes through the door. I stop and smile.

Soon, babygirl.

I walk halfway down the hall and she lets out a loud cry.

What the…

I go back to the door and crouch down. Her little nails claw at the door with loud cries mixed in.

“What’s wrong, little one?”

She goes on a tirade, scratching and yelling at the door.

What did she do to my cat?

I jog back to my apartment and go straight to the drawer full of spare keys I have for emergencies. I pull out the one for Ella’s apartment and leave without even closing my door.

If she hurt my baby...

She doesn’t seem like a kitty beater but,oh godmy brain flashes with images from earlier.

No, no, no.

Not now. Notever.

I jam the key in the door. This is so wrong. I can only imagine the thrashing I’m going to get for busting in here. When the door swings open, Tuesday circles my legs, crying, tail straight up and flicking around. I bend down and scoop her up.

“What’s wrong? Are you that hungry, you little stinker?”

She leaps out of my arms and darts over the couch and down the hall. I take a step forward and pause. She’s gonna killme. I already barged in here without her permission, no way I’m following the cat back to her room.

Tuesday comes out of the hall practically screaming and pacing a circle.

“Shhh, you’re gonna get me in trouble.” I walk a little closer and Tuesday darts out of sight. “You little shit.” I walk further into the apartment. “First, you abandon me the first chance you get, and now you’re trying to get me strangled for breaking and entering. Come back out here. She seems nice but you don’t know what she’s like when she doesn’t like you because you’re a cute little furball.” I crouch down at the end of the darkened hallway. “Tuesday,” I whisper. “Get out here so we can leave.”

She moves in and out of the doorway to the bedroom, teasing and taunting me to come get her. Then I realize the bedroom light shining into the hallway.

Oh shit.

If she’s awake, I’m dead.

I start crawling, filled with shame at what my life has come to. Breaking into a tenant’s apartment and crawling around to retrieve a cat that has already proven she’ll ditch me when someone new comes along.

“Tuesday,” I grit through my teeth. I put on my best angry cat dad face. “Get over here, now.”

She goes off on me, right there in the hallway. Screaming and crying, pacing and running in and out of the bedroom. If Ella wasn’t awake before, she sure as shit is now. I stand up, hang my head, and brace for impact.

Nothing.

A solid minute goes by and, nothing.

Okay, this is weird. Something isn’t right.

I ninja down the hall and sneakily peek one eye into the open doorway. Tuesday circles a rumpled-up blanket piled on the end of the bed. I step further into the room and Ella layscurled up in a ball shivering but completely uncovered. Her eyes are closed, her mouth open, and her cheeks a deep red. She thrashes around a bit and then settles again, never opening her eyes. Her wet hair plasters the sides of her face and neck.

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