Page 35 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
“It’s settled, then,” Mia said. “You can go get your things from the hostel and stay here tonight, if you like.”
“I like,” Lauren said softly. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now let’s eat this clearance pasta of yours before it gets cold.”
10
Lauren let herself into her room at the hostel, offering a polite smile to the two women on the bunk across from hers. Beer bottles were scattered around them, and they were huddled together over their phones, talking in snide tones. Was Lauren observing internet trolls in action? She was so grateful to leave this place behind. She emptied her locker and grabbed her duffel bag, waving to the women as she left the room.
She stopped at the front desk to check out, and then she was on her way back to Mia’s apartment. As she walked, she took in the strand of orange lights strung across a nearby awning, reminding her that September was half over. The evening air was cool and crisp. She loved fall, if only it didn’t mean winter was on the way.
Winter meant she’d need to invest in warmer clothes, as she’d had to leave most of her belongings behind when she fled New York last year, and again when she left Rhode Island. She couldn’t afford a storage unit, so she could only bring with her what she could carry. But for now, her jacket would do. She had two steady jobs and an affordable place to sleep for the next few weeks. She was doing okay. She was doing better than okay.
When she reached Mia’s building, she unlocked the door with the key Mia had given her and headed for the stairs. She could hardly fathom the depth of trust Mia had placed in her with this key. Lauren wouldn’t let her down.
She unlocked the door to the apartment and let herself inside. Mia looked up from the couch, paperback in hand. Lauren grinned when she saw that Mia was reading a sapphic romance by one of her favorite authors.
“Liking it so far?” she asked, gesturing to the book.
“Loving it,” Mia replied, her gaze taking in Lauren’s bags. “You checked out of the hostel?”
Lauren nodded. “I did, but if you end up missing your couch, I can go back anytime.”
“You’ll only be on it while I’m asleep in my own bed, so it should be fine.”
But it wasn’t time for bed yet, so Lauren sat beside her and pulled up an e-book on her phone while Mia read her paperback. Later, Mia helped Lauren unfold the couch and make it up as a bed, and then she said good night. Mia went into her room and closed the door while Lauren went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas and wash up.
When she climbed between the sheets a few minutes later, she exhaled into the darkness. Mia’s apartment was quiet and peaceful. Her sheets smelled fresh and vaguely like Mia herself, as if she’d slept on them, when Lauren knew they’d come from the linen closet. Maybe it was the scent of Mia’s laundry detergent.
Smiling, she rolled onto her side, already halfway asleep when she heard a scratching sound. Lauren’s eyes popped open. What was that?Rats, her brain supplied oh-so-helpfully, and she instinctively tucked her feet against her body. She’d lived in enough rat-infested apartments to know the sound, but this was different. Louder? As if a bigger animal was scratching.
She sat up, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the low lighting. The glow from the street provided enough illumination for her to make out the shape of various furniture in the room. Mia’s bedroom door opened with a click, and Lola meowed loudly.
“Sorry,” Mia whispered. She wore a light-colored robe, and Lauren’s brain short-circuited at the thought of what might—or mightnot—be beneath it. “I don’t usually close my bedroom door. Apparently, she doesn’t like it.”
“Oh,” Lauren breathed as she realized Lola had been the source of the scratching sound. She’d been pawing at Mia’s door.
“I’m afraid to shut her in with me, in case she needs her litter box, so I’ll just leave the door cracked.” Mia spoke quietly as Lola twined herself around her legs, her white fur gleaming in the reflection of the window.
“Sure. That’s fine with me,” Lauren said.
“Okay. Good night, Lauren.”
“Night.” She watched as Mia stepped backward, pushing the door so that it was only open a few inches. Lola followed her in. Lucky cat.
As Lauren lay back down, her mind drifted to Mia in her bedroom. Surely she wouldn’t leave her door open if she was sleeping in the nude, so she’d probably had on some sort of pajamas under that robe. Before Lauren could ponder too much about what those pajamas might look like, she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
When she woke, the room around her was bathed in early morning light and Mia was walking through the room in yoga pants and a light jacket.
“Sorry if I woke you,” she said quietly. “I’m on my way to the gym.”
“Have fun,” Lauren murmured, still half asleep as Mia went out the door, and then she rolled her eyes at herself. Have fun? No one had fun at the gym. As Lauren came to her senses, she became aware of something warm pressed against her legs. What in the world? She pushed herself up on one elbow to find Lola curled in a tight ball in the curve of her knees. “Oh. Morning, Lola.”
The cat looked up at her with big amber eyes, and Lauren smiled. She could get used to waking with a cat snuggled against her. It was kind of nice, actually. Since Lauren didn’t have to work until ten—and the clock currently read 6:05—she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.
The sound of the apartment door woke her. Mia stepped inside, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Several strands had escaped to frame her face, damp with sweat, and her jacket was unzipped to reveal an aqua sports bra.Collarbones. Cleavage.Lauren yanked her gaze back to Mia’s face.
“Sleep okay?” Mia asked.
