William let out a tense breath.
Just a hug.
He wrapped his arms loosely around Adathan and mentally planned his escape to the bathroom as soon as Adathan would let go.
Adathan tightened his embrace. He pressed his cheek against William’s, his breath warm on his ear as he whispered, “I know how to send an email.”
———
William’s anxiety weighed heavily on him as he neared his apartment building. His legs burned, and the handles of his overstuffed grocery bags dug into his tense fingers. His body screamed for him to slow down, but his head demanded that he walk faster.
He reached the building and fumbled with his keys. The strong scents of citrus and lavender hit him as he opened the front door—his neighbor had gone on one of her cleaning sprees again.
No smoke. No fire.
William cycled through the same reassuring thoughts he’d had all day as he climbed the stairs. Nothing had happened to Adathan. He hadn’t wandered out and gotten lost. He hadn’t been arrested or abducted. He hadn’t lit the place on fire while trying to cook a meal. He hadn’t gravely injured himself, and William wouldn’t find him dead in a pool of blood.
Adathan had simply lied about knowing how to send an email. That was the most likely explanation.
Once again, the thoughts failed to ease William’s anxiety. By the time he reached the fourth floor, the pressure in his chestwas unbearable. He paused in front of his apartment, key inches from the lock. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
He inserted and turned the key. The door was already unlocked.
William’s vision narrowed. Adathan wasn’t home. It was William’s fault. He should have taken the day off and stayed with him. He should have shown him around the neighborhood, and—
William flinched as the door swung open, and nearly collapsed with relief when a beaming Adathan appeared on the other side.
“Welcome home!” Adathan said. “Did you have a good day?”
William hadn’t, but a wide smile grew on his face all the same. Adathan wasn’t injured. He was safe. Everything was okay. “Yeah. You?”
“I did!” Adathan said as he took one bag from William’s hand. He turned and carried it to the kitchen counter.
William’s brain lagged as his apartment came into view. The place was nothing like when he left this morning—same furniture, but arranged differently, and looking more spacious, somehow.
And a lot cleaner.
Every surface was now clutter-free, including the dining table, which had been moved to the kitchenette area. William’s brow furrowed as he retrieved his set of keys from the lock and closed the door. The scent of citrus and lavender was stronger than in the hallway.
He turned and froze at the sight of a potted plant on the windowsill.
“It’s a gift from Rosanna,” Adathan said, taking the other bag.
“Huh?” William looked at him. “Who’s Rosanna?”
“The kind lady who lives next door.”
William’s frown deepened as he pointed at the wall he shared with his neighbor. He’d never pegged that grumpy old woman as kind, but that was hardly the most confusing part of this conversation. “And, uh, how did you meet her?”
Adathan stored a carton of eggs in the fridge and gave William a bright smile. “You were right about coffee.” He chuckled. “I had so much energy. I decided to clean our home, but I saw we were all out of cleaning products. So I thought—hey, neighbors borrow things from each other all the time, right? Sounds like the perfect opportunity to go and introduce myself!”
William stood in stunned silence while Adathan put the groceries away. From how fast he was talking, he was clearly still hyper from the caffeine. Just how much had he—
“She invited me in for coffee,” Adathan said, storing a box of cookies in the unusually well-organized cupboard. “She makes it with chocolate and whipped cream on top. It was so good! I had another, and then we ate raspberry pie. She said it was her great-grandmother’s recipe. I asked if I could bring back a piece for you, and she said yes.” He bounced on his heels. “It’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks,” William said, a little dizzy from exhaustion, relief, and the overload of information. He dropped his backpack on the floor and gestured for Adathan to hand him the frozen pizza he was holding.
“The poor woman is so lonely,” Adathan said as William turned on the oven. “She said I can come visit whenever I want. Did you know both her kids live abroad? She showed me pictures of when they were babies. Georges had such chubby cheeks”—he patted his own face—“and Fiona had the most endearing eyes I’ve ever seen.”
