"Lock the door when you leave in the morning if I'm not up." He started toward his bedroom, then paused. "What time do you work?"
"Opening shift. I have to be there at six."
He frowned slightly. "I'll walk you to your car."
"At five in the morning? I'm a big boy, I can manage."
Cal's jaw tightened. "Humor me."
Something in his tone made me not want to argue. He was fiercely…protectivefor a guy I’d just met. "Fine. Whatever. Five a.m. escort service it is."
He nodded once, seemingly satisfied, and disappeared into his bedroom. The door shut firmly behind him, followed by the distinct sound of a lock clicking into place.
Well, that was reassuring. At least there was a locked door between us for the night. A part of me was glad to have it, but another part of me, the part that hadn’t gotten laid in months, was annoyed he didn’t at leasttryto have his way with me. Oh well though. I only had a few hours until work anyway. Best to get some sleep.
I changed into the t-shirt I had stuffed in my backpack and settled onto the pull-out bed. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the sheets smelled clean, like laundry detergent and something woodsy and pleasant.
Despite the strange circumstances, I felt oddly comfortable there. As I drifted toward sleep, my mind kept returning to those glowing eyes in the darkness. Had I really seen something, orwas I just exhausted and imagining things? And what about Cal? He seemed convinced there was something dangerous lurking outside. Something worse than a coyote, he'd said. Whatever it was though, I knew it wasn’t going to find me on the third floor in the middle of the night, that was certain. And, if there really was a problem, animal control would get it taken care of. Wild animals didn’t last long in the city.
With that reassuring thought, I slipped into unconsciousness, all of my worries locked safely behind doors.
I woke up with a start sometime in the middle of the night, disoriented in the unfamiliar darkness. It took me a moment to remember I was in Cal's apartment, on his pull-out couch. The digital clock on his microwave read 3:17 AM.
What had woken me?
Then I heard it… a low, rumbling sound coming from behind Cal's bedroom door. Not quite a snore, more like... a growl? I sat up, straining to listen. The sound came again, followed by what seemed like scratching against wood.
"Cal?" I called softly, not wanting to wake him if he was just having a nightmare.
The sounds stopped abruptly. Complete silence fell over the apartment.
"You okay in there?" I tried again, my voice barely above a whisper.
No response, but I could have sworn I heard movement. It was something heavy shifting on the other side of the door. I slid out of bed, my feet hitting the cold floor. The rational part of my brain told me to mind my own business and go back to sleep, but curiosity pushed me forward.
I padded quietly across the living room, stopping a few feet from Cal's bedroom door. The moonlight streaming through the window cast long shadows across the floor.
"Cal?" I said again, a little louder this time.
A thump came from inside the room, followed by what sounded like heavy breathing. Then Cal's voice, rough and strained. "Go back to sleep, Evan. I'm fine."
He didn't sound fine. He sounded like he was in pain.
"Are you sick? Do you need anything?"
"I said I'm fine." His voice was sharper now, almost a bark. "Please. Just go back to sleep."
I hesitated, hand halfway to the doorknob. Something told me I shouldn't push this. Whatever was happening behind that door, Cal clearly wanted to handle it alone.
"Okay," I said finally. "But if you need anything?—"
"I won't," he cut me off. Then, softer. "Thank you."
I retreated to the pull-out bed, but sleep wouldn't come. I lay there listening to the occasional sounds from Cal's room—shuffling movements, once a thud like something heavy falling, and that strange rumbling growl again. Every once in a while I thought I heard metal clinking across the floor… almost like…chains?
When my phone alarm buzzed at 4:30 AM, I hadn't slept much. I silenced it quickly and got up, gathering my things. Maybe I could slip out quietly without bothering Cal. He'd sounded like he was having a rough night, and I didn't want to add to whatever he was dealing with. I was just about to pull on my jeans when I heard the low growling from his room again. But this time it was so deep that it rumbled through the walls. Metal scraped across the floor again.
“Cal?” I said, unable to help myself. “Are you alright?”
