“It smells like flowers in here,” I commented.
“What were you expecting? Fish? Give me some credit. I knew I was having guests,” Erik said, bumping me lightly with his elbow. “Want to see the basement.”
“Sure,” I said.
Erik lightly held my arm as we walked down the stairs. “They’re a bit steep.”
And they really were. If I would have any more than two glasses of wine, I’d be tumbling down them. I’d be doing it while giggling, but still, I’d fall.
“Wow!” I said as we stepped down into the wide-open basement. There was a pool table, darts, several TV screens, a bar… it was truly every man’s dream.
“The man cave,” Erik said.
“What did you do for a living?” I asked.
Erik laughed. “Nothing you’d find even the least bit interesting.”
He walked over behind the bar and opened two big doors, and revealed a walk-in pantry stuffed with food, snacks, and of course, alcohol.
“You’re set then, huh?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the most nutritional, but it’s better than nothing.”
“It’s better than soup and beans,” I said.
Erik met my gaze. “You’re more than welcome to stay here.”
“Sam won’t.”
“She doesn’t trust Dorian.”
I nodded. “She kind of doesn’t trust a lot of guys.”
“You don’t say?” Erik said, raising a brow.
“She’s a really good friend,” I said, snapping my mouth shut at the sounds of giggling coming from the stairs.
Erik gestured to the door, and I stepped out. He closed them as Sam and Dorian erupted from the stairwell.
“There you two are all hiding and sneaky,” Sam said.
“How much wine have you had?” I asked, both curious and finding Sam’s red cheeks and lack of balance amusing.
“Let’s just say I opened the second bottle,” Sam said with wide eyes as she tapped her finger to her lips.
Dorian cleared his throat and straightened his spine. His cheeks were just as rosy as Sam’s and his eyes even glassier.
“Fish is done,” Dorian announced. “No thanks to either of you.”
We started up the stairs, but I suddenly stopped. “Wait. Why do you have lights down here?”
“Are they restoring power?” Sam asked, suddenly sobering.
“I wish I could say that they were. I have a generator,” Erik said, letting out a heavy exhale. “And not a lot of gas, so I need to conserve what I do have.”
“Aw, bummer,” Sam said.
Dorian turned toward us when he reached the top of the stairs. “I didn’t even know he had it until today.”
We ate our meal outside, talking and laughing about stories from before. After Sam finished all the wine, she started in on some of Erik’s fancy beverages from the shelf in the basement.
Erik had placed several candles on the bar. The dim lighting gave the feel of being in a real bar. The only thing missing was music so loud I wouldn’t be able to hear anything.
Dorian was outside throwing up, unable to keep up with Sam. Erik had nursed the same drink since we’d arrived.
He leaned forward across the counter and smiled. “I think you two should probably stay the night.”
14
“No thanksss!” Sam said, dancing to music only she could hear.
“I could walk you back, but I’d feel better if you both just stayed here. You know, just in case what you saw the other night was something,” Erik said.
My stomach twisted. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
“I’ve got plenty of room. The doors all lock,” Erik said.
“What if you have a key and sneak into our room when we’re sleeping?” Sam asked.
Erik’s jaw muscles tensed. “I know you don’t know me well, but that’s not something I’m going to do.”
“What about creeper?” Sam asked.
“Sam,” I said, frowning. “Don’t call him that.”
“Shh!” Sam said, sloppily pressing her finger to her lips.
Erik sighed. “He’s not going to do anything either, and he doesn’t have a key.”
“Wish we would have brought your bat with us, Mel,” Sam said, holding up both hands. “Whatever. We’re probably all going to die anyway.”
I groaned. “We’re not going to die. People survived with electricity.”
“Yeah, but they weren’t used to it like we were. Everything in our world depends on it.” Sam set down her drink and crossed her arms. “Grocery stores will shut down. Where are we going to get food? Medical care. I mean, like, seriously. I didn’t want to scare you before, but this shit is serious.”
“Which is why you two should consider staying,” Erik said. “We call all watch each other’s backs.”
Sam pointed at him. “I’ll stay the night, but that’s the best you’ll get out of me for now. I’m still going to find a way to get back to my daughter.”
The door upstairs opened, and Erik placed his hand on the back of his waistband. “I’ll be right back.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Sam asked when he was halfway up the stairs.
“I think it’ll be fine,” I said.
“I’m still not sure that Dorian guy is okay.”
My eyes flicked toward the ceiling. “You seemed to have fun talking with him right up until he turned green and almost threw up on you.”
“I’m trying to learn everything about him,” Sam said, glancing toward the stairs. “But what if I’ve been worried about the wrong guy? Erik is kind of pushy about us staying, don’t you think?”
“Not really,” I said, biting my lip. “He’s just being smart. Safety in numbers.”
“You know how I am about keeping you safe from monsters,” Sam said, bopping me on the nose.
I smiled, giving her a half hug. “And I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself too.”
Before Sam could say anything, Erik came back down the stairs. “It was just Dorian. We’re all locked up, but if you’d like me to escort you back home, I can do that.”
“We’ll stay,” I said.
“Sounds good,” Erik said. “Dorian and I sleep on the first floor. The second floor is all yours.”
Sam yawned. “I think I’m going to head up. You going to join me, Mel?”
“I’ll be up after I finish my drink.”
“Don’t be too long.” Sam leaned close. She attempted to whisper, but her words came out louder than her normal speaking voice. “Did you bring your medicine?”
I exhaled slowly as Erik wiped up an invisible spill on the bar. “Don’t worry about it. Good night.”
“Good night,” Sam sang, waving her pinky. “Don’t do anything I would do.”
“I never do,” I said, biting back a laugh.
Erik chuckled as Sam wobbled to the stairs. He tapped the top of my hand with his finger.
“Should I help her?” Erik asked.
“She’ll manage,” I said, exhaling. “Sam isn’t afraid to demand help if she needs it.”
“I’m glad you decided to stay,” Erik said.
I sat down on a stool and leaned on the bar. “So, you believe me then.”
“Yeah, I believe you saw something and that it could definitely be a person,” Erik said, wiping the bar again. “I’m worried people are going to start snooping around when they can’t get what they want in town.”
“You haven’t heard anything more about what’s going on, have you?”
Erik shook his head. “Not really. I do think it’s bad out there, and it’s only going to get worse. That’s why I plan to just wait it out here as long as I can.”
“Sam needs to get back to her daughter,” I said, gliding my finger along the rim of my glass. “I’m going to go with her.”
“Walking?”
“Unless we can figure something else out,” I said.
Erik scratched the back
of his neck. “Maybe if you can find an old truck. Something that wouldn’t be all computer chips.”
“That would work?” I asked.
“Yeah, I think so.” Erik hesitated as he took the final sip of his drink. “The problem is going to be finding something, and if you do, acquiring it.”
“Money?”
Erik shook his head. “Money isn’t going to be good anymore.”
“Are you suggesting we steal something?” I asked with a raised brow.
“I’m not suggesting anything,” Erik said with a quick laugh. “If I did suggest something, it would probably be to stay put, but I don’t have kids.”
“Sam is an amazing mom. Her daughter is the most important thing in her life,” I said, looking into my empty glass.
Erik crossed his arms. “Then why did she leave her to come here?”
“She wanted to help me with my mom’s place,” I said without looking up. “You saw it. That place would have needed a lot of work to get it into any kind of condition where I could actually sell it.”
The flames from the candles flickered on the walls. It was so quiet I could hear Erik breathing.
“Anyway, I guess none of that matters now,” I said, sliding off the chair. My legs felt weak, and I giggled.
“You okay?” Erik asked.
“Yes,” I said, biting my lip. “I’m a lightweight, unlike Sam.”
A smile danced on Erik’s lips. “Me too.” Seriousness washed over his face. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
“Why is she so worried about men? Like we’re not all bad. Did something happen?” Erik asked, holding my gaze. His eyes shifted away as he walked around the bar and stood next to me. “I shouldn’t ask that. It’s none of my business.”
I exhaled slowly. “It’s not about anything that happened to her. Something happened to me somewhat recently, so she’s just overprotective. Or maybe it’s just she’s the right amount of protection. I don’t even know.”
“What happened?” Erik asked.
“A crazy ex-boyfriend,” I said, as if that should explain everything. “He stalked me basically, even when we were together. He didn’t trust me, and it ended with me getting locked in a cage in his basement.”
“Seriously?” Erik asked, swallowing hard.
My head bobbed. “One hundred percent. I’d tell you to look it up on the internet, but I guess that’s not an option anymore. You’ll just have to take my word for it.”
“Is the guy in jail?” Erik asked.
“Nope. There was a chance, but he was out on bail and ordered to stay away from me,” I said, picking at my fingernails. “I was more than happy to get out of the city, to be honest.”
“Guess that explains a lot,” Erik said. “I barely know you and feel like protecting you too.”
I smiled as I hugged myself. “Yeah, everyone wants to protect me because I can’t protect myself.”
“I didn’t mean that—”
“I know,” I said softly. “And the truth is, I kind of can’t. I’ve always just let life happen to me. Anyway, I don’t really want to talk about my ex or my life.”
Erik reached over and took my hand in his. “But should you want to, I’ll listen.”
“Thanks,” I said, shaking my head. “But I’ve talked the shit out of all of this more than once. Talking isn’t going to change anything.”
“I’m glad you stayed,” Erik said, still holding my hand. “In fact, I think you and Sam should really give serious thought to staying here until you decide to leave for Massachusetts.”
A tingle ran through my arm, and I became very aware of how close Erik was standing by me. He was so good-looking, and I was so not wanting to see him that way. There was too much going on to let myself feel anything for anyone.
“I’ll talk with her about it, but I’d really hate to be a burden,” I said. “We don’t really have much to contribute.”
“You wouldn’t need to do anything except be here,” Erik said, letting go of my hand and holding up his palms. “I have no expectations.”
I took a step back, where the air felt slightly cooler. “I appreciate the offer.”
“I’m just going to keep asking until you accept,” Erik said.
“Sam would consider that stalker-like behavior,” I said, raising a brow.
Erik laughed. “I’m just trying to be a good person.”
“I know,” I said. My shoulders dropped as tiredness washed over me. “Thanks so much for everything tonight.”
“Of course,” Erik said, taking a small step in my direction.
I yawned and slowly headed toward the stairs. “I’m going to turn in for the night.”
“Let me blow out the candles, and I’ll follow you up,” Erik said.
It only took a few seconds for him to extinguish all but one of the candles. He carried it as we carefully ascended the stairs.
“Looks like Dorian or Sam lit a candle,” Erik said, gesturing toward the next set of stairs. “If you’d like, I can—”
“It’s okay,” I said with a thin-lipped smile. “Thanks, but I’m sure I can manage.”
“See you in the morning then,” Erik said, his eyes following me.
The way he looked at me heated my entire body. I wanted to slap myself across the face and remind myself that the last thing I wanted was any kind of relationship. Me and relationships didn’t work.
A night of fun, on the other hand, sounded nice. No strings attached. I could do that. In fact, that was probably all I’d ever want. It would be easier.
The door to the second bedroom was wide open, and there was a candle on the dresser. I looked around the room before closing the door.
I dropped down onto the soft bed and hugged a fluffy blanket to my chest. The bed cradled me, and I almost instantly fell asleep.
In the morning, I woke from a dream that had felt far too real. Erik had been kissing down the side of my neck. It was almost as if I could still feel his lips on my skin.
In fact, I could still feel it. I opened my eyes, screaming as I pushed myself back against the headboard.
15
Sam pushed open the door and abruptly stopped several feet from the bed. Her raised fists dropped to her side, and she sighed.
“I see you’ve met Mister Cat,” Sam said, lowering herself down to her knees. She placed her hand on her chest, slowly breathing in and out through her nose. “It’s a cat.”
The cat stared into my eyes without removing itself from my lap. His expression didn’t show it, but I could tell the cat was amused.
“It licked me,” I said.
“He’s a friendly little guy,” Sam said as Erik and Dorian both appeared in the hallway. Sam got to her feet. “She’s fine. She met Mister Cat.”
I swallowed hard as I looked back and forth from Erik to Dorian. “He licked me.”
“I guess he likes you,” Erik said, attempting to suppress his emerging smile.
“He hates me and still licks me all the time,” Dorian said.
“Why does he hate you?” Sam asked over her shoulder.
There was a bounce to her tone that Dorian noticed. Sam had cooled it slightly on how hard she was being on him, and he looked relieved.
“He thinks I’m eating his dinner,” Dorian said, tapping his foot on the floor.
“To be fair, you are,” Erik said. “I always gave Mister Cat my leftover fish.”
“You named this beast Mister Cat?” I asked, gingerly picking him up and dropping him to the floor.
Erik raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m not good at naming stuff. Besides, he’s not really mine.”
“Whose cat is he?” I asked.
“No idea,” Erik said. “An outdoor cat that spends a lot of time here.”
“Because you feed him,” I muttered.
Erik picked up Mister Cat and held him against his chest. He nuzzled him before setting him down in the hallway.
“I should have warn
ed you that he likes to hang out in here sometimes,” Erik said.
“That would have been nice,” I said, placing my fingers on my neck where the cat had been licking me.
“Oh! Mel!” Sam said, clapping her hands together. “We should borrow him so he can take care of that little mouse problem.”
My shoulders dropped with my exhale. “Yep. That’s not embarrassing to tell them about the mice that live in my house.”
“It isn’t your house,” Sam said, shifting her weight.
“A mouse or two has been known to sneak in here,” Erik said. “It comes with living in the woods. I might have some traps in the garage.”
“Thanks,” I said, getting to my feet. I swallowed down a yawn as I pressed my shoulders back. “I think we should get going.”
“You don’t want to stay for lunch?” Dorian asked.
My eyes narrowed. “What happened to breakfast?”
“You slept through it,” Sam said with a gentle smile.
“Oh,” I said, not bothering to mention that I still felt tired. I would have slept longer had I not been woken by the dream… or the cat. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“We could help?” Erik offered.
I shook my head. “No, that’s really not necessary.”
“Okay, well, if I find the traps, I’ll drop them off later, if that okay with you,” Erik said.
“Yeah, sure.” I walked past Mister Cat and weaved between Erik and Sam. I could feel all their eyes on me. “Thanks again for everything.”
“Thank you,” Sam echoed. “It was fun, which sounds absolutely crazy.”
Erik followed us down the stairs. “Maybe we could do it again sometime.”
“I’m out of wine,” Sam said.
“There is plenty to drink,” Erik said with a laugh.
“Yeah, maybe,” I said, wanting to get out of the house.
Anxiety was creeping up my spine, and I wanted to get back to familiar territory. I wanted fresh air. I wanted to breathe.
I didn’t want their questioning eyes on me. I didn’t want to feel their worry.
Waking up abruptly had put me into a strange state. It felt like I needed to get away from something, although I was safe in Erik’s house.
The worst part of my condition was feeling like I needed to get away but couldn’t. That was almost always the source of my panic attacks… not being able to get away.
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