Taking one final glance around, I consider making myself a coffee, but decide I don't want to overstay my welcome, nor make a gigantic mess of his kitchen more than I already have. I slip out the front door and latch the thing behind me, the sense of security I once felt dissipating with each step I take away from his apartment.
The hallway is quiet, not a soul in sight, and it makes me wonder what his neighbors are like, and if they know what he does for a living.
My phone vibrates, and I tense as I scan the screen to see who it is. Some generic message from a game on my phone I haven't played in a while offering me free coins to come back soon. I swipe away and pull up the map to see how far away my house is from here. It's within walking distance, but once I step outside and look around, I dislike how exposed I feel. Usually, I'd be down for the extra steps and fresh air, but not when danger lurks in the shadows, waiting and watching.
Ricardo is a fucking creep, and there's no telling how many eyes he has on me, and from his voicemail, he's definitely keeping them busy in maintaining my whereabouts. The whole arrangement is fucking weird, and he has to take it even further by stalking me like a complete psycho.
I order a ride and walk to the next intersection to wait for it, hugging my arms across my chest and smiling politely to the people who pass me by. It's strangely comforting to be on a busy street, but I wouldn't put it past Ricardo to snatch me up in front of all of them without a care in the world. He seems like the type of man who gives zero fucks.
"Morning," a middle-aged man says as he walks by me, nodding his head.
"Morning," I reply and step closer to the curb to get out of people’s way, glancing at the description of the vehicle I'm waiting for and keeping an eye out for it.
It appears two minutes later, a brown-ish Toyota Corolla with a matching license plate to the one stated on the app.
"Cora?" the older woman greets me.
"Yeah." I smile and wave as I slide into the back seat. "How are you today?"
She turns, watching me buckle up. "Doing well, how about yourself?"
"I'm well, too," I lie.
"That's great." She puts the car into gear, checking her mirrors before taking off.
The woman doesn't say anything else the rest of the drive, but glances in the rear-view mirror at me every so often. There's a sort of soft feminine energy about her that reminds me of my grandma. My heart aches at the memory of losing her. I was just a kid, but the pain feels like it was just yesterday. One minute, we were putting a puzzle together in the dining room, and the next I was watching the paramedics load her onto a stretcher. At the time, I had no idea that would be my last moment with her alive, but still, it's etched into my mind and pushes its way to the front when I think of her.
Seven-year-old me had no idea what an aortic aneurysm was, but it sounded scary, and that’s what took her away from me.
My grandma was my safe space, the one person I could count on and know would always be there. I didn't know how much I took that for granted until I was without it. I was never as close with my parents as I was with my grandma, and that was another thing I learned wasn'tnormaluntil I saw the interactions of my friends while growing up.
We didn't have bad relationships, and they weren't abusive, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think I lacked something fundamental that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
My driver pulls up in front of my house and puts the car in park. "Is this fine, dear?"
I blink in my surroundings and reply, "Yeah. Thank you," and leave the car.
Thankfully, my dad’s car isn't in the driveway, but neither is my mom's, which only adds to the growing question ofwhere the fuck is she?How can I be certain that she's even still alive if no one will tell me where she is or why she hasn't been home since I made this deal with Ricardo?
I tried to ask my dad, but he lacks the answers I seek and the rage that builds within me when I look at him overpowers any other desire to have him near. How could he let this happen? How could he be so foolish?
My time at home is short as I make quick work of rinsing off and changing my clothes to something a bit more presentable for work. I stand in the mirror for far too long, gawking and applying concealer to my neck to hide the bruises Joshua left behind. I don't need anyone else wondering what the fuck happened and potentially uncovering the truth about what really went down.
I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to say if questioned, but I do know one thing: I'm going to play dumb and act like I have no idea what happened.
10
CORA
The office is filled with everyone who is normally here, minus Joshua, not that his schedule is ever regular anyway.
I go straight to my cubical, smiling politely at the few people I pass, and sigh as I settle into my chair.
"This is fine," I whisper. "Everything is fine."
Hitting the button on the side of my monitor, I wait for my computer to start up by grabbing the booklet of fabric swatches I was browsing the last time I was here.
Jamie, the girl who sits behind me, shoves her feet against the floor and scoots her chair over to mine. "Cora, hey, did you hear the news?"
