Page 31 of Aperture

“Yes.”

“Then he took off in the middle of the night?”

“Yes.”

“Well, fuck,” Gwen says defeated. “I’m just as confused as you are. Maybe he had to go to work?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. But I sent him a few texts early this morning, and he read them but didn’t respond.” I exhale a shaky breath.

“It could be because he’s busy, Honey. Give it a few more hours before you assume the worst.”

I nod silently. My gut is telling me something is off.

In the time I have known Wyatt, he has been considerate and attentive. I don’t think his leaving without saying goodbye was an oversight. It feels very intentional.

“Did you talk about anything?” she asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re not a one-night stand kind of girl, Mouse. You never have been. Did you talk about that?”

I shake my head. “We didn’t talk about anything. I was hoping we would get to that this morning.”

We look at each other, and I start to cry. I know it’s silly, but I’ve been feeling horrible since I woke up alone this morning. I got up, stripped my bedsheets, threw them in the laundry and then snuggled up with my dog on the couch.

“It’s not like I’m heartbroken,” I tell her. “We’ve only known each other for a few weeks.”

I think we both know that I’m not being entirely truthful. I am a little heart broken. A few weeks or not, I’ve spent enough time with Wyatt to know that I have developed feelings for him. I don’t give my body to just anyone. Last night meant something to me. Waking up alone without a note, a text, or a call felt like a kick in the stomach. Any rejection is tough, especially when the person doesn’t give you the exact reason why. That’s when my brain likes to fill in the gaps with all of the things I don’t like about myself, so those must be the hidden reasons he doesn’t like me as well. While I know Wyatt didn’t outright reject me, the later it gets into the morning, the more it really feels that way.

“I don’t know what’s going through this guy’s head, Sweetie, but you need to talk to him.”

“I know,” I nod.

“Not to make things more difficult, but what about Theo?”

Fuckity fuck fuck shit balls. I forgot I’m supposed to see Theo today.

“I can’t even think about that right now,” I say honestly.

“Great. Then let’s take this beast of a dog of yours to the park. It’s supposed to rain later.”

I don’t want to go but I know it would be good for me mentally to get out of the house. Plus, my dog had to listen to my sex noises all night. He deserves a walk.

I go and grab Milo’s leash and other necessities and get my shoes on. I’m about to shut the door when I remember that I never set the alarm. Stupid, Millie, I chastise myself. That’s the entire reason I leave my shoes by the door. I really need to get over this Wyatt thing and focus. I punch in my code and shut the door, ready for our adventure at the dog park.

◆◆◆

I watch as the three of them leave her house. The two women and one damn big dog. I parked nearby and waited behind a tall tree across the street for about twenty minutes.

This neighborhood has so many dark crevices it is not even a challenge to find a hiding space. These older craftsman-style homes are landscaped with tall bushes and trees. The ones that don’t have tall trees have tall fences around the perimeters.

Millie has a small white picket fence surrounding her little home. Cute. Not exactly a fortress.

I walk over to the fence and unlatch it like I have done 100 times before. I look like a delivery guy or even a friend visiting to anyone watching. I quickly slip around the right side of the house, as if I’m going to the garage, but instead go around to the back of the house where the window doesn’t entirely seal in the second bedroom. It takes two seconds to pry off the screen and lift the window. No alarm sounds. Her alarm is only tied to the front door, so it’s not surprising.

Once inside, I look around to see what's changed since the last time I was here. There are two empty to-go coffee containers on the counter, and a dog food bowl and bed off to the right of the kitchen. Her laptop is on the coffee table in the living room. I open it and start it up, but it’s PIN protected. I can take a few guesses before it locks down and alerts her to my presence.

I am just about to guess something trivial, like her birthday, when I hear voices and footsteps outside. I quickly shut the computer and slip out the window in the back room, just barely getting the screen back in place before I hear the dog barking and Millie asking him what’s wrong. Good thing that fucking dog can’t talk because I am all over that house. I can come and go as I please, and there is nothing that can stop me. Millie is mine. If she has not realized it, she will soon enough.