The night ended earlier than it should have.
Elly slowly walked up the dark stairwell to her apartment, humming happily to herself, visions of pink rose petals dancing in her head. She couldn’t believe this was really happening. Chubby little Elly from Peachtree, Georgia might be appearing on BlissBride, on national television! She couldn’t wait to call Keith when she got in. Something about her conversation with Kim made her long to press her lips against his. Maybe he could come over for tea and kissing. That sounded pretty fabulous. At the top of the stairs, Elly fumbled with her keys in the dark, dropping them on the ground. Groaning, she bent over to pick them up and stopped short, her breath catching in her throat. There was something in the doorway. Had Keith left her something? Man, he was impressive. Elly grabbed the keys and flipped on the hallway light, the sterile light washing over her. Then she stood frozen, cold fingers trailing up her arm and rippling up her suddenly tight spine. In front of her door was a dirty backpack. It was neon orange, covered with stains, and a ripped zipper showed the frayed seaming on the inside. It wasn’t the backpack itself that made her hyperventilate and lean against the door. It was that she had seen that backpack earlier that day—on the strange teenager who had so unnerved her and forgotten his flowers. The one who had stared at her with such fervent, deep curiosity. He had been here, at her door, at her home. Was he watching her right now? From inside her apartment, Cadbury began to bark frantically and adrenaline mixed with fear shot through her veins. She silently reached for the phone inside her pocket and began dialing Keith’s number.
Chapter Six
Elly woke up the next morning, tangled in her sheets. Her eyes were sore, and she felt them sinking back into her skull with a lack of sleep. After pulling on her comfy reindeer PJ pants and checking her appearance in the mirror (which brought a thoroughly disappointed sigh), she wandered into the living room, Cadbury trotting at her heels. Elly paused in the living room, a half smile on her face. Keith slept on the floor near the door, a bright-red baseball bat clutched loosely in his hand. Elly found herself delighted at the loud snoring that shook his entire body, and eyed the way his shoulders stretched out his thin white T-shirt. As she watched him, lying there on her hard, chilly floor, her heart clutched and released. Just the sight of him, of his gentle and chivalrous soul, touched Elly somewhere deep and vulnerable. She felt an “I love you” dance lightly on her tongue. Then, for no discernible reason, she swallowed it quickly. Cadbury took a running jump and landed with his heavy paws square on Keith’s chest, covering his face with wet kisses, his drool intermingling with Keith’s.
“Gaaaahhhh!” Keith leapt up from the floor, flinging Cadbury off his chest. “Why is the dog molesting me?” He wiped his mouth. “Ugh, he tastes like fish biscuits….”
Elly made her way into the kitchen, picking up her stainless steel kettle and filling it with water. “What can I say? You’re pretty good-looking. Very molestable. Tea?”
Keith brushed off his shirt and soothed Cadbury by scratching his ears before kissing Elly lightly on the forehead. “Did I tell you that you look gorgeous this morning?”
Elly nuzzled his cold nose. “I know that’s a lie, but thank you. So, would you like tea?”
“I would love nothing more than to sit and have tea with you, but I actually have to run. I have to meet a man at nine to talk about sausage.”
Elly smiled. “Coming from anyone else, that would sound very strange.”
Keith sank down slowly on Elly’s couch with a groan. “Remind me to get an air mattress for the next time you get a creepy backpack left in front of your door. No offense, but your floor is not very comfortable.”
Without a word, Elly pointed to her empty couch. Keith shrugged. “Being in front of the door felt more natural. My protective instincts might not be my most logical ones. How are you feeling?”
Elly pondered it for a minute. While her hysteria had been slept off, her paranoia and unease had remained. The morning light was helping, though, and she could see that perhaps her fears had been exacerbated by the late hour. “I’m okay, I think. I still feel a little nervous, but I think I overreacted about the backpack. I can get … a little anxious sometimes.”
Keith tucked a piece of her crazy morning hair behind her ear. “Elly. You are the most important thing in the world to me right now. If you are feeling apprehensive, I will be here for you in a heartbeat. Besides, I don’t like this, either. There is just something peculiar about the whole thing.”
Elly quickly interrupted him. “I think we should look in the backpack.”