It was nearly two hours later before the car was towed away, the officers had all the information they needed, and they were told to go home. “You look exhausted,” he said, pulling Rose into his arms. “Do you want to go home, or would you like to comehome with me for a late dinner? Hattie always leaves leftovers for anyone who gets home late and there’s always plenty.”
“I don’t know…I mean you and I…I don’t want…” Rose stammered, then shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just so tired, I’m not making any sense.”
He looked down at her, then smoothed the hair back from her face. “We need to talk. I was a jerk the other night, and I owe you an apology,” he said. “But first I think we need to get you some food and rest. I’m going to take you home with me and let Hattie fuss over you for a while.”
***Rose***
Her eyelids drooping, Rose settled a little deeper into the couch, enjoying the warmth of the fire, the murmur of conversation around her a comforting sound. Hattie had fussed over her just like Malcolm had predicted, but it wasn’t just her; his friends had stepped in as well, making her feel safe and protected, something she hadn’t known she needed until it was there. It wasn’t a feeling that she was used to, and she knew that she shouldn’t get accustomed to it. This wasn’t her real life, and when she found out what she was supposed to, she’d have to leave.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Malcolm asked, sitting down next to her. “You look exhausted, but there’s some color in your cheeks again.”
“Eating helped a lot,” she said, then forced herself to sit up. “I should probably be getting home. Could you give me a ride?”
“We’ve all been talking and think it would be for the best if you stayed here for a couple of days,” Malcolm said. “It might be overdoing it, but better safe than sorry, as the saying goes.”
“You think she’s going to try to hurt me, don’t you?” she asked, then shivered. “She can’t be that…lost.”
“We don’t know, that’s the problem,” he said, taking her hand. “I don’t want to scare you, but even the police said that you should take her threats seriously. She took a sledgehammer to your car, Rose. That’s a lot of rage.”
“Maybe I could go stay with Vanessa, I don’t want to be in the way around here,” she said. “You’ve already got a full house, and I don’t want to be a bother. Everyone has been so nice, but they have their own lives, they don’t have time to babysit me.”
“They wouldn’t be here if they didn’t want to be, but they all like you, so it’s settled, you’ll stay here at least for tonight,” he said. “The guest bedrooms are up in the attic. You’ll have the whole place to yourself.”
She was too tired to argue and let him lead her up the main staircase to the third floor, Hattie trailing along behind them, tutting and fussing over her the entire time. By the time Hattie chased Malcolm away and helped her change into a long, flowing nightgown, she was half asleep, and she was out the moment her head hit the pillow.
Bright sunlight woke her the next morning, and for a few minutes she couldn’t remember where she was, only that she was safe, then the night before came rushing back at her. The memory of her car being towed away made her stomach hurt just a little, but she reminded herself that it was only a hunk of metal; she could get a new one. The important thing was that no one had been hurt.
Throwing back the covers, she got out of bed and followed the smell of coffee down a short hallway to a little kitchen where she found a fresh pot brewing. Grabbing a cup off the counter, she poured a cup, then spooned in a generous amount of sugar, deciding she deserved it, then found some milk in the refrigerator and added a splash. After taking a big sip, she let outa groan of appreciation, then looked around, surprised to find it was a snug little apartment, not just a couple of bedrooms.
Noticing her clothes folded neatly on the table, she walked over to them and saw a note. “Good morning, hope you slept well,” it said. “Enjoy the coffee, there are towels and toiletries in the bathroom. Help yourself, then join us downstairs when you’re ready.”
She set the note aside, smiling when she realized that Malcolm had gone to all the trouble of washing her clothes, then she saw her phone. Grabbing it, she turned it on, scrolled through her notifications, and saw a message from Roger. Ignoring everything else she opened up, then called him like he’d asked.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked when he picked up. “I hope you managed to get some sleep.”
“I’m doing fine, better than my car, that’s for sure,” she said, putting more enthusiasm into her voice than she felt. “I might be a few minutes late this morning. I’m not sure how I’m getting there.”
“That’s why I was calling. I think under the circumstances, it might be best if we took the rest of the week off,” Roger said. “I’ve already spoken with all of our customers, and they’ve all been very understanding. I hope by Monday, we’ll have things under control and we can get back to work without any distractions.”
“I hope so, too,” she said, unable to hide the relief in her voice. “Do you need me to help spread the word? I’d be happy to make some phone calls.”
“No, I’m good, I’ve already called everyone,” Roger said. “I’m sorry about all of this, Rose. I wish you weren’t caught up in it, but I’m sure we’ll find Sandra soon.”
“Thanks, Roger, but I’m doing fine,” she said. “Malcolm and his fraternity brothers are taking good care of me.”
“Glad to hear it. Malcolm is a good guy,” he said. “I’ll be sorry to lose him when he graduates.”
She took her time showering and getting dressed, not sure how to spend her day off, but glad that she didn’t have to face the parking lot yet. Malcolm was waiting for her in the kitchen, his computer open in front of him, school books covering the table, and she felt bad for interrupting.
“Did you sleep okay?” he asked, getting to his feet. “Are you hungry?”
“I slept great and I’m starving,” she answered, laughing. “I guess you heard we’ve got the day off. Do you have class?”
“Nope, I’m free all day,” he said, walking over to the stove. “Well, except for some homework, but that can wait for later. How about some eggs?”
“Sounds good, but I can take care of myself,” she said. “You don’t have to bother Hattie.”
“I wasn’t going to bother Hattie, I’m perfectly capable of scrambling a few eggs,” he said, acting insulted. “I’m not some helpless man, you know. Now sit down and I’ll have breakfast ready in a jiffy.”
