“I should call Nadia,” I whispered to myself.
I had to get out of bed and go in search of my phone. It took me a while to find it, as it had been practically thrown from my pants when Bender cast them to the floor last night. I smiled at the memory as I scooped it up. Naked as a fucking jaybird, I walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.
Then, I headed into the bathroom just as my sister picked up.
“Please tell me you’re okay,” she said.
I sat on the edge of the tub. “Yeah, I’m good. Was just… fucking exhausted from last night.”
“I’m sure you were.”
I heard the grin in her voice. “Aaaaanyway, how overburdened is the shelter?”
“Not as much as you would think. We have multiple common rooms, so I gave them their own common room with cots and everything so they didn’t have to be separated from one another.”
“Is there anything you need down there to help?”
“Help? Girl, you’ve done enough.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “And yet, it still doesn’t seem like enough.”
“Do you know what you can do for me, though?”
I yawned. “What’s up?”
“Let yourself be happy, Aria.”
I blinked. “That seems a bit existential.”
“Just go for it. Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you and Bender, but it’s obvious how you feel for him. Just let yourself have it. Let yourself have that in your life, okay?”
I swallowed hard. “I can do that.”
“I love you, girl. We’ll get up together soon.”
“Keep me updated on the girls, please?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I drew in a deep breath as I forced myself to my feet. “Okay, love you.”
“Love you, too.”
And just as I hung up the phone, Bender’s sleep-filled voice sounded just outside the bathroom door.
“I didn’t give you permission to leave the bed.”
I smiled as I stepped out of the small room. “The girls are all set up at the shelter, and for now Nadia doesn't need anything.”
He nodded. “Fangs and the guys are rounding up food and more clothes, so tell her to expect a delivery around lunch time.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I yawned again. “I’ll definitely let her know.”
A knock came at my door and I froze. Who the hell was knocking on my door? The only other person that knew where I lived was my sister, and I knew she was at the shelter. Bender silenced his footsteps and rushed to scoop one of his weapons off the floor. He pointed toward the bed and I tiptoed over to it, wiggling myself beneath the covers. And as he held the gun at his side, he inched his way toward the door.
“Who is it?” he asked, his voice almost barking at the person behind it.
“Jesus Christ, it’s just me,” Fangs said. “Could you open up?”
