No clue why anyone would decide to crash here, but honestly, I’ve got bigger problems—like needing caffeine ASAP.
It’s 6:12 a.m., the streets are dead, and while anyone with any semblance of common sense is still snoozing, I swing by the corner store for coffee. Sami’s always open, no idea if the guy ever sleeps. I grab a bag, pay, and head back to the apartment, clutching it to my chest like it’s my firstborn.
Back on the third floor, I hesitate. The squatter still hasn’t moved. Curiosity wins, and I stand in front of them, but that goddamn hood means I still can’t see a thing.
“Hey! Hello?”
Nothing. I try all sorts of noises to get their attention, but still nothing works—no reaction at all.
“You really shouldn’t hang around here…”
I can’t help myself. I step closer, peering at the figure swaddled in all those baggy clothes. I crouch, careful to still keep my distance. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know how the story goes: weirdos making a sudden lunge for your throat, and all that. No way I’m letting my carotid get chomped.
“Is everything okay?” I poke their shoulder.
That does it. The person jerks up at least six inches off the ground, letting out a hoarse yell packed with a solid string of curse words.
Then a slender hand emerges from the front pocket of her hoodie, and I blink, puzzled, as polished nails disappear under the hood to yank out a pair of earbuds. A second later, the hood slips back, and I’m staring at a wild mess of dark brown hair falling across a tired face. A girl’s face.
“What time is it?” she croaks. Her brown eyes are squinting.
“Six thirty.”
“Jesus.”
I take in her blotchy skin and puffy eyelids.
“Did something happen to you?”
She shoots me a look that seems to waver between dislike and despair, and I shudder despite myself.
“Did somebody hurt you?”
She parts her lips but doesn’t answer right away.
She frowns. “Yeah…”
I start to straighten up. “Want me to call the cops?”
“For what?” She sneers. “I just got dumped. I doubt they’ll give a shit.Dumped.” She repeats the word as if it’s the first time she’s ever said it.
I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. “Oh my fucking God! I thought it was something way worse.”
“Worse?” She spits it out, like nothing in the world could be worse than being dumped.
“Did you spend the night here?”
I immediately regret asking. Obviously, she did.
“Looks that way.” She shrugs.
She shifts, wincing, and cracks her neck on both sides.
“You planning on hanging around for much longer?”
“How about you mind your own fucking business, for starters?”
“Whoa, easy!” I hold up my hands. “I couldn’t care less about what you do, as a matter of fact. But the super will definitely be calling the cops if she sees you here. She’s always roaming the building, looking for wild tenants to take down.”
