Downstairs seemed too far, too risky, when her hand clutched the pillow so tightly. So I tucked Bailey into the bed right in the middle and watched over them. There was a peace in the dark, in the quiet, where even my thoughts could still.
I didn’t want to be like the alley cats, terrified of everything. They’d rather live wretchedly than take a chance. A leap of faith. I had spent a lot of time fighting men—and fighting myself. I’d managed to hurt myself over and over again, all to prove I didn’t need to trust a man.
Except I did trust a man. Colin.
It came from deep inside, that trust, unexpected and even unwanted. He slipped under my defenses with his quiet solidity. If a man had tried to persuade me, to cajole me into moving in with him, I never could have. It was only his bluntness, his cold and steady regard that could have swayed me.
He said he’d protect me, and for some reason I believed him.
He could protect Bailey, and she deserved that.
I slipped from the bed and called Colin. Then I tucked myself back in beside Bailey and went to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
The only fanfare for my grand dive into trust was a soft knock on Shelly’s door. I opened it and gave him a half smile, uncertain how to treat him.
“Hey,” I said softly.
“Hello,” he said, and I was struck by the formality until Shelly answered from behind me.
“Colin—nice to meet you,” she said.
Bailey burbled a greeting.
“I brought boxes,” Colin said, nodding to the parking lot.
“Boxes?” Shelly asked with a lilt of accusation.
“Yes, well.” I cleared my throat. “Colin asked me to move in with him, and…I agreed.”
I held my breath. If she hated me, if I’d hurt her, I’d never forgive myself.
Shelly smiled. Not the perfect, blinding, fake one she got paid for, but a real, lopsided grin that made her a million times prettier. “That’s great.”
I smiled back, relieved. “You’re not upset?”
She patted my hand. “About time we got out of this rat’s nest.”
Of course. She only lived in this dump because it was all I could afford. She deserved better, and that alone was enough to convince me that I was making the right choice. It felt like giving up control—my apartment, my job, my fight with Andrew—but I’d been treading water on my own for too long. If I could make this better for Bailey, for Shelly, then it was worth the risk.
“Now go on,” she said. “You pack. I’ll watch Bailey.”
Relieved, I gave her a peck on the cheek, which she accepted with the forbearance of a queen. I practically skipped down the steps with Colin at my heels. We each grabbed a handful of flattened boxes from the back of his truck before going to my apartment door.
As I put the key to the lock, the door swung open an inch. The lock itself cocked, exposing the circular hole it occupied in the door. I stood there blankly until Colin shook me.
“Go upstairs,” he said. “Now.”
It registered then—my apartment had been broken into. I ran upstairs and back into Shelly’s place, where I snatched Bailey up. She was safe. She squirmed, but I held her even tighter. Shelly questioned me, and I must have said something. What if Bailey had been there?
Shelly opened the door to Colin.
“They’re gone,” he said.
“Who could have…?” Shelly trailed off. It was better unfinished.
“Pack quickly,” Colin said.
I went cautiously back downstairs, as if I were going to survey the aftermath of a hurricane. But there was no disaster, not outwardly. Nothing had been taken—not that I had anything valuable—and nothing had been destroyed. Just the lock on the door, broken by some faceless person.
A violation. I should be used to them by now.
It was probably just a prank. Or a robbery that ended in disappointment when all they found were dolls and toys.
This place was crappy, but it had been home—mine. It shouldn’t matter because we were going to a place that was so much better—Colin’s. I tried to focus my thoughts on the practical, like throwing clothes into trash bags.
Colin loaded the crib and high chair and other furniture into his truck. That meant leaving behind my bed, my dishes, my dinette. Colin said he would come back later and take whatever was left to Goodwill. We filled up his truck and my car trunk, and I realized just how few material possessions I had.
Shelly brought Bailey down when we were finished.
She paused for another hug as she handed Bailey over. I glanced at Colin. He was strapping down the stuff in his truck.
“The lock—” I started.
“Don’t think about it,” she said.
She was right of course, but… “Am I making a mistake?”
“Of course not.” Her face was perfectly smooth, gaze clear, completely giving herself away, the faker.
“You’re a horrible liar.”
She raised two perfectly groomed eyebrows. “I have a buttload of clients who say otherwise.”
“Yeah, well, I know you too well.” I lowered my voice. “I’m scared.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?” she said.