I put the toiletries into her duffle. “What?”
I bend down to read what she’s looking at on her laptop. Fuck that! “Sam, that’s an eleven hour drive. There’s no way you’re doing that alone.”
“I’ll get a motel halfway, okay? You can’t leave town too, we’ve gone over this.”
She shuts down her laptop and stands up to zip her duffle. Now my safety radar is in overdrive.
“Just text me when you have an actual address and yes, I promise I’ll call as soon as I stop,” she says nonchalantly, like I’m not over here freaking the fuck out.
She walks to hug me and I stop myself from locking her away in the closet, she’s literally the only person I have left, I don’t know what I’ll do if anything happens to her.
She pulls away and offers a quick wave and I watch her face change from excited to nervousness. “What if he doesn’t want me there?”
Lewis answers before I have a chance to form words. “That man loves you. If you don’t do this, you’ll never know just how much.”
Say what? Where did that come from? I watch as Sam’s lips split into a grin and she points at him. “Okay, I’m going. You look after her.”
I need out of this awkward moment so I start pushing her toward the door.
“Just go.”
She gives one last wave and my heart constricts, I struggle to keep the anxiety off my face until she disappears down the stairs, but as soon as she does, I flop down onto the sofa.
“She’ll be okay, she’s a big girl,” Lewis says, sitting next to me.
I jump forgetting he’s here for a minute. “I know that, I just…” I blow out a breath. “Never mind.”
I can tell he wants to push but he decides against it and grabs for the TV control, flicking through aimlessly. We sit in silence for the next five minutes until he looks down at his watch.
“Shit! Are you going to be okay on your own? I’ve got to go take over from my mom’s nurse for a while,” he says while standing up.
I smile at him sarcastically. “I’m a big girl too y’know.”
He laughs and I join in. “Yeah, so, I’ll shoot you a text later on?”
“Yeah, sure.” I wave him off but as soon as he leaves, the apartment feels eerily quiet even though the TV is on.
I jump off the sofa and run down the stairs to lock the salon doors after him, which makes me feel a little bit better. On the way back up to the apartment, I have Déjà vu from this morning. I know I locked that door. It gives me shivers and I turn the TV off and head to my room. I spend the rest of the day staring at my cell, wishing for Sam to call.
Around seven, it pings and I reach for it.
Pulling over into a motel, it’s the creepiest I’ve ever seen. If I die, I love you. Oh, and don’t eat my Oreos, if you do, I’ll be watching! S x
I laugh at her non-threatening threat and think about hiding them for a joke, deciding I can’t be bothered to move, I read over the text again. A shiver rolls through me at the thought that she’s in some sleazy motel all by herself. If anything happens to her, so help me.
I can’t promise anything. Actually, now you mention it, I do fancy a snack. Stay safe, I quite like having you as a best friend, love you. K x
I stare at my cell some more, waiting for the reply. I’m rewarded two minutes later.
Hard-ass, my ass. You’re a giant teddy bear and you know it! ;) I’ll text you in the morning, I’m just going to have some food and then I’m going to bed. Love you Kee x
I smile at the message and click reply.
You tell anyone, I’ll kill you myself! ;) stay safe, love ya too x
I jump as the buzzer for downstairs sounds and I tentatively walk across the apartment to pick up the phone.
“Hello?” I say into it, there’s no reply so I hang up and turn to head back to my room, when it buzzes again. I huff and pick the handset back up. “Hello?” Still no answer so I hang up.
The incessant buzz starts up again, this time for longer than the first two times. My skin bristles and goosebumps rise to the surface as I pick up the phone with more bravado than I feel. “Look asshole, if you’re not going to-”
“Keeley, it’s me,” a deep voice says, and I visibly relax.
“Lewis?” I sigh in relief. “I’ll come let you in.”
I hang up and lean my back against the wall to control my breathing. What is wrong with me?
I push off the wall and unlock the apartment door to go downstairs. Lewis is stood there with a curious look on his face and I wave him in and lock up when he steps inside. “What was with the verbal assault there?”
I turn and look at him, scoffing to hide my embarrassment. “Someone buzzed up twice before you did and didn’t say anything, must’ve just been teenagers messing around.”
I try to brush it off but I can’t help still feeling on edge, even with Lewis here.