“Duty calls,” I say while disappointment settles heavily in my gut.
“He needs me to cover a surgery, and I owe him for when he covered for me when I ran out to find you.”
“You don’t need to explain,” I assure him softly. “Trust me. I understand.”
His smile softens and he leans forward, capturing my lips in a slow kiss. “Thank you. Actually…” Xander’s back to rummaging through his clothes once more until he locates his pants and pulls something small from his pocket. “Here.”
He presses a small, cold item into my palm.
“A key?” A shiny gold key sits in my hand, glinting in the daylight. It’s still got that new shine.
“A key to my place,” Xander says warmly. “Take it. Go wait at my place, and when I’m finished with work, maybe we can pick this up later.”
Xander had a key made for me?
Oh, no.
I think I’m falling in love.
23
SNOW
Xander’s key rests in my palm as I stare at his door. This means nothing and yet everything at the same time.
No one’s ever given me their key before.
Not even my stinking ex. I had my own shitty apartment and then my new shitty apartment, but never has someone else trusted me this much.
“Are you alright, dearie?” A trembling, frail voice rises up behind me and when I turn, I’m face to face with Auriela, Xander’s neighbor. While never having met her before, she’s instantly recognizable from the picture Xander has of her in the living room surrounded by his cats.
“I’m okay,” I reply, rushing forward as Auriela reaches the top of the stairs. It’s rather alarming to see someone as frail and gray as her taking the stairs, but she seems less out of breath than I was when I walked up. “Do you need a hand?”
“Oh, if you wouldn’t mind.” She passes me one of her shopping bags and her smile is as shaky as the rest of her, but her eyes are as young and as bright as ever. “Have we met?”
“No,” I say with a smile. “I’m Snow. Xander’s… friend.”
“Oh, yes.” She nods so quickly that her gray curls rock around her head. “He told me he had a friend visiting. About time, I say.”
“Really?” Together, we slowly walk down the short hallway toward her door.
“Mhm. A young man like that shouldn’t be alone. Not these days.”
“I agree completely.”
“Although I will say…” She chuckles throatily. “The busier he is, the more I get to spend time with his darlings. Have you met them?”
“I have, yes. They’re adorable.”
“Aren’t they? I always dreamed of having cats but my poor Albert was allergic. Of course, he waits until I’m too old to finally kick the bucket, and I said to myself, it would be terribly unkind to get a cat now. And then Xander moved in next door with three!”
She chuckles again. “The world has such an interesting way of bringing you what you deserve.”
“Doesn’t it just?”
As we approach her door, she reaches for my forearm and her strength is surprising given her slight form. “Do you need anything, dear? You looked a little lost.”
“I was just lost in thought,” I assure her. “Xander gave me his key to uh… to get some rest.”
