There was a creaking noise, like someone had just walked into my kitchen.
It couldn’tbe…
My thoughts were cut off by more footsteps.
This was the exact situation I feared. I winced and covered my mouth to stop myself from crying.
Why?
Why the hell did TJ tell the whole freaking world where Chelsea Hamilton was?
I tried to slow my breathing and not allow intrusive thoughts to run amuck in my brain.
It was probably just Nikki, I reasoned. But I mentally went through Nikki’s schedule and knew she wasn’t supposed to be home until7pm.
I finished pulling my shirt on and leaned to the door to listencloser.
I hadn’t misheard. There was definitely someone with a heavy step walking around. I closed my eyes and thought through potentialsolutions.
I could crawl through my window, but it would probably beloud…
I could arm myself with the baseball bat, but would he be able to just strip it from me and use it against me?
I was transported back five years and saw his face flash in my mind and almost cried out.
I wiped a tear from my eye.
Not again. Not this time. I was older, I was stronger. I swore I would never let this happen again.
The perfect idea formed in my mind then.
I tip-toed out of my walk-in closet and grabbed the small, circular keychain from my bedside table and crept to the entrance of my room.
I stood by the door and covered my mouth with my freehand to keep myself quiet.
There was one chance to make itcount.
I listened for the footsteps that were coming down the hallway toward my room, and I geared myself up.
When the intruder was at my door, I slammed it open, sprayed the pepper spray directly into their eyes like I’d been told to do and yelled out while I kicked him hard right in the balls.
53. Ellie
It was only when the intruder was on the ground that I realized the huge mistake that I justmade.
“Ow, Ellie! Son of a bitch!” he cried, holding his eyes and balls. He doubled over and leaned against my doorframe. “Nikki gave me the key! I was going to surprise you!” He dropped something he was holding to the floor, and my heart beat faster when I saw it was a tiny box from Venti’s… My mind ran through a million potential scenarios for why he could possibly be in my apartment.
“Oh my God, did you get cut because of one bad game?!” I asked frantically, feeling horrible for him at the prospect of losing his position he worked so hard for.
“No!” he shouted aghast at the idea, and I felt myself breathe a sigh of relief for him.
He slowly started to get up to a standing position, and I just watched, almost in a trance as he sniffled and continued to cover his face from me. I spotted a black band on his wrist… aponytail…
“Is that a ponytail on your wrist?” I questioned. What I didn’t ask aloud, but wanted to demand, was who gave it to him. My heart plummeted through the floor as I panicked that he’d come here to tell me he’d moved on.
“Yeah,” was all he said.
I felt my eyes bug out. “Who-”
