Page 40 of Forced Into Your Arms
“You don’t care?”
“Should I?”
Nia studied me for a minute before shaking her head. “You really are new to Atlanta.”
“I grew up here.”
“You’ve been gone too long.”
I picked up the tablet I’d left on the desk and returned to my charting before she could turn Vice’s visit into something it wasn’t. He’d come because of his cousin. Whatever Nia thought she saw between us existed only in her imagination.
The rest of my shift passed without anything else worth talking about. Nia brought Vice up twice, and I ignored her both times until she finally got bored and moved on to gossiping about one of the doctors. By the time morning came around, my feet hurt, my back was stiff, and all I wanted was a shower and a bed.
“Text me when you get home,” Nia said as we stepped into the elevator.
“I did last time.”
“Keep the streak going.”
“You know you’re nosy, right?”
“I prefer concerned.”
“You can prefer whatever you want. You’re still nosy.”
She laughed as the elevator doors opened onto the parking level. “Drive safe.”
“You too, boo.”
We headed in opposite directions, and I found myself scanning the rows of cars before I could stop myself. There was no black SUV waiting with its lights off, no strange man watching me, and nothing that should’ve made me feel uneasy.
Vice had gotten inside my head.
That was all.
I climbed into my SUV and pulled out of the garage, turning on my playlist to keep myself awake during the drive home. Morning traffic was already picking up, but it didn’t take long to reach my apartment building. The security guard at the front desk greeted me by name as I walkedinside, andseeing him there helped settle the small bit of uneasiness Vice had stirred up.
My building was secure.
Visitors couldn’t get upstairs without checking in, and cameras covered every entrance. Nobody could simply walkin off the street and reach my apartment without being noticed.
I stepped onto the elevator, pressed my floor, and leaned against the wall while it carried me up. The only thing on my mind was getting out of my scrubs and sleeping for as long as my body allowed.
The hallway was empty when I reached my floor. I dug my keys from my bag and walked toward my apartment, but something made me slow down before I reached the door.
It wasn’t open.
The lock didn’t look damaged.
Nothing appeared out of place.
Still, a strange feeling settled over me as I slid the key inside.
I stood here for a second, telling myself I was being ridiculous. Vice had spent five minutes questioning whether I was safe, and now I was letting every normal sound and shadow feel like a threat.
“Get it together, Milan,” I muttered before unlocking the door.
The apartment looked the same as it had when I left. The boxes were still stacked near the wall, the blanket I’d usedthe day before was draped across the couch, and the kitchen light was off.
