“No one will,” he said confidently.
“I don’t like any of this,” I confessed.
“You’re not the only one, but it’s the best plan I could come up with,” he admitted. “You’re really saving my ass.”
I ignored his gratitude. “When do I start?”
He pressed his lips into a thin line and averted his eyes. “Tomorrow morning.” His mannerisms indicated he wasn’t finished, so I arched an eyebrow and waited. “Early tomorrow morning. Around three or four.”
“That’s not tomorrow morning!” I shouted. “That’s in a few hours.”
“Shhh!”
“Don’t you shush me,” I hissed, though I did so quietly. “What the hell, Ben? Do you have everything I’ll need for him? Because I don’t have anything for babies.”
“Yes, I’ll bring everything you’ll need when I bring him over later tonight.” He glanced at the time on his phone. “I need to get going. Can you make sure the gate is unlocked by three?”
“Sure,” I nodded.
“Thanks again. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
With that, he got into his car and drove away, while I stood there staring off into the distance trying to process the past few minutes. And wondering if agreeing to help him was a huge mistake.
I’m not sure how long I had been standing in the same place when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Landon:Are you tied up and stuffed in the trunk of a car being driven away to the gruesome death awaiting you?
Blakely:Uh, no. And that’s weirdly specific. He’s gone, but you can go. I’m going to check the locks on my way back.
Landon:How do I know this is you? Send me a proof of life picture.
I half sighed and half laughed at his response. Instead of snapping a selfie and sending it to him, I drove back to the front of the property.
Blakely:Look outside.
Landon appeared moments later and took the passenger’s seat after locking the front door. “I’ll help you check the locks if you’ll give me a ride home.”
I laughed and pointed to the apartment complex beside Stuff It. “You live right there.”
“I know, but if I walk home, I’ll be all sweaty. And you know what the humidity does to my hair,” he paused and lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “I have a date tonight.”
“With who?”
“This guy I matched with on a dating app…” Landon started and went on to tell me about the plans for his date while we rode through the rows of buildings to make sure each door had a secured lock in place, even the available units.
“But I don’t know. What do you think?” he asked, pulling me back to the present.
“I think I wasn’t listening,” I admitted sheepishly.
He gave me a pointed look. “I know you weren’t. What’s going on?”
I shook my head and lied to my best friend. “Nothing. I didn’t get much sleep last night, and I guess it’s catching up with me. I’m sorry. What were you saying?” I asked and came to a stop in front of his apartment building.
“I was asking what you thought about what I’m wearing tonight, but girl, don’t worry about me. Go home and get some rest. We’ll talk later,” he said and kissed me on the cheek.
“Have fun tonight!” I called out and blew him a kiss before I drove myself home.
Flopping down onto the couch, I tried to decide if I should stay up and wait for Ben or set an alarm to wake me in the middle of the night. Neither one sounded pleasant, but ultimately, my body made the choice for me when I fell asleep while watching videos on my phone about how to take care of babies.
