Page 12 of Reed

Why the fuck didn’t she lock this when she has a fire escape?

Climbing through the window, I’m careful not to knock her shit over on the table and shut it behind me, making sure to lock it.

I turn the standing lamp on behind the couch, just for a little light. I check the time on my watch, not quite sure how late she’ll be out tonight.

I make a note of the open space. It’s not very big but who needs a huge living space when only one person lives here.

I kill the light in the living room and make my way to her ensuite bathroom. She has beauty products lined up perfectly on the counter, a brush with not a trace of hair in it and the little cap on her toothbrush.

Now that I think about it, not a single thing is out of place in her whole apartment. Everything is squeaky clean, with no clutter in sight and she has plants in almost every corner.

It really makes me think about what kind of anxiety my place would give her.

There’s a green glass bottle on the counter with a silver top adorning it. It catches my attention, so I open the top and inhale.

“Goddamn.” I close my eyes. It’s her fucking perfume.

I tip it over and let a few droplets leak out onto the top of my hand then smear it over the vines and letters on my skin.

Putting the cap back on, I decide to pocket it. I’ll get her a new one.

A lock clicks before I have a chance to go through anything else.

Flipping off the light, I sit on her bed quietly and wait.

Time to play.

CHAPTER 7

LEXIE

Today has been hell.

First thing this morning, I spilled my cereal all over the floor in my living room. Luckily, it was dry, so I could just sweep it up. I don’t like it soggy, so I have a separate bowl of milk to dip my spoon in to get the perfect crunch each time.

Then I decided to walk to the Dark Roast to get my morning coffee and tripped over the concrete, scraping my palms up. After washing my hands in the bathroom at the coffee shop to get all the dirt and grime out, I placed my order. As soon as my name was called, I grabbed my coffee and went to turn around, knocking into another person and spilling it all down my white sweater. At that point I wanted to cry, but decided to order another. Mandy, the barista is a saint and didn’t charge me, so I left a couple dollars in the tip jar.

Later, I decided to get some Pad Thai from the little restaurant around the corner for dinner and they completely messed my order up so I had to wait another forty minutes because they were slammed. The girl at the counter apologized at least twenty times before I left. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and I don’t like confrontation, so I told her it was okay even though I wanted to bite her head off in frustration.

Now I’m starving and all I want to do is smoke, eat and curl up in bed to rewatch the Sopranos for the millionth time until I pass out.

I shut the door behind me, flicking the lights on that illuminate the area. I kick my boots off and put my keys on the hook by the door before dropping my food on the counter.

Opening the fridge, I decide to pour a glass of wine after the day I’ve had. I really need a fucking drink.

After shutting the fridge, that prickly feeling along my spine returns and I get a whiff of him. Turning, my eyes scan the room, but nothing is out of place.

I’m just going fucking crazy. That’s what it is.

I’ve been thinking about him nonstop since we kissed. How he felt against me, his lips soft and demanding, completely devouring me. I find myself obsessing over it, wanting him to do it again. I even went as far as to use my vibrator, closing my eyes thinking about him as I came.

I shake the vision from my head. I need to eat.

Pulling a plate out, I portion out some before putting the rest in the fridge and make my way to the bedroom. I flick the light with the hand holding my wine glass, screaming and dropping everything in my hands.The glass shatters, splashing red liquid all over the hardwood floor and the front of my comforter.

On my bed is Reed, laid back with his feet crossed. With his fucking shoes on my bed smiling like a fucking idiot like I just conjured him here by thinking about him.

“Are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack!?” I yell at him.