Thin Walls

by Lawson, Cassandra

  “Oh, God,” I whispered.

  “I’ll call the police,” Spencer said as he pulled out his phone.

  I continued walking, though I’m not sure why. Maybe I needed to see it up close to believe it, or perhaps there was a part of me that hoped I’d wake up and discover it was all a horrible dream. My ceramic pots lay shattered on my front porch. Someone had spray painted obscenities on my door and the front window. The words whore, slut, and bitch were in red along with vague threats.

  Spencer came up behind me and slipped an arm around my waist. “Hey, love,” he soothed. “I called the police and told them to knock on my door. They’ll be here in the morning. Since there’s no threat, they didn’t see a reason to rush over here. We can take pictures for your insurance then. Do you want to stay at my place?”

  Nodding numbly, I allowed Spencer to lead me away from my condo, grateful that he was with me.

  “I’m so sorry this happened,” Spencer whispered as he guided me into his condo.

  “I know,” I assured him. “What happened isn’t your fault.”

  “Yes, it is,” he insisted. “Mia told me to press charges. I didn’t, and now Suri’s harassing you.”

  “Stop blaming yourself. Let’s get some sleep,” I told him. What annoyed me most was that I was a little scared as a result of Suri’s actions. “You got the locks changed, so she can’t get in here.”

  “That’s right. She can’t get in here,” he assured me.

  “Sorry,” I whispered. “I’m a little shaken.”

  He wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head. “Then you’re doing better than me. I’m a lot shaken. Let’s get you something to sleep in. I’ll take the couch tonight.”

  “All right,” I agreed.

  Chapter 24

  Mercy

  I awoke refreshed and ready to take on the world. After the stress of the previous night, I’d been worried nightmares would haunt me. I didn’t have nightmares about my shooting very often, not like I had in the beginning, but stress and exhaustion sometimes brought back the haunting memories.

  The first thing I did was call my mom to let her know why I’d be late getting to her place. To say my mom was worked up would be an understatement. Gigi Whitier was a sweet-tempered woman until someone she loved was threatened. My mom was seriously pissed and wanted to come over to talk to the police herself. Somehow, I managed to talk her out of it.

  “I’ll fix breakfast while you get dressed,” Spencer offered when we returned from picking up clothes from my place.

  “I can cook,” I told him.

  “Are you offering because you like cooking or because you don’t think I can cook?” he asked.

  “Neither,” I replied. “I’m offering because I saw great omelet ingredients in your kitchen and already know what I want for breakfast.”

  Spencer chuckled. “How about if you let me cook for you this time? I promise to make omelets.”

  “All right,” I agreed after a pause.

  “You really do like controlling everything, don’t you?” he asked.

  “Yes, I do,” I admitted with no shame as I headed to his bedroom. “I’m going to shower before I get dressed, so you have time to wow me with your omelet-making skills.”

  I took longer in the shower than I’d planned. The hot water falling on my back and shoulders felt incredible. I figured the police weren’t in any hurry, so my morning would be spent waiting for them to arrive.

  When I finally emerged from Spencer’s room in jeans, a hoody, and bunny slippers, I almost moaned. He’d cooked the bacon I’d seen in his refrigerator. “That smells incredible.” I walked into the kitchen as he was putting the omelets on plates. “How did you time breakfast so perfectly?”

  “I prepped everything but didn’t start cooking until I heard the shower turn off,” he explained.

  “Brilliant,” I praised as I sat at the table. “I’m starving. Why did we wait so long to eat?”

  “I was wondering the same thing as I was cooking,” he admitted. “I’m a breakfast person, so normally, I get up and start cooking right away.”

  “Me too,” I agreed. “Actually, I start my coffee first. Caffeine is always a priority.”

  He nodded as he sat across from me. “I guessed as much after I saw that fancy espresso machine in your kitchen. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed with my coffee maker.”

  “It’s all about the beans,” I explained as I took a sip of the coffee he’d put in front of me and tried not to make an ugly face. It was awful.

  Spencer laughed at my expression. “It seems I don’t have the knack for selecting the right beans.”

  “This coffee is horrible,” I agreed before taking a bite of my omelet and moaning. He’d added bacon, at least two types of cheese, avocado, and tomato. It was wonderful. After swallowing, I motioned with my fork to my omelet. “You’re forgiven for the coffee after making this omelet. It’s perfect.

  “High praise coming from you,” Spencer replied with a grin. “I may not be an expert baker, but I can cook.”

  “So, you’ll make the main courses, and I’ll bring the dessert and coffee,” I replied.

  “Does this mean you plan to eat with me more often?” he asked with a grin.

  “Only if you promise to never make coffee for me again,” I replied. “Do you have any tea?”

  “I don’t drink tea,” he replied.

  “But you're British.” Surely, he drank tea.

  “It’s not a national requirement,” he pointed out. “There are plenty of people in the UK who don’t drink tea.”

  “So, you normally drink this coffee?” I eyed my cup with disdain. He had to be joking. No one could drink that coffee on a regular basis. Granted, Spencer had added a lot of sugar and cream to his cup to make it more palatable.

  “I usually grab coffee when I’m out,” he admitted. “This coffee’s been in my freezer for quite some time.”

  I nodded. “Luckily, my place is close. After breakfast, I can make coffee there.” I hated going back over to look at what Suri had done again, but I felt much less freaked out about it than I had when I’d gotten home the night before.

  “With any luck, the police will arrive soon.” Spencer glanced at the time. “They said they’d be here around nine and it’s nearly ten.”

  “Vandalism isn’t exactly a high priority call,” I reminded him.

  “I’m glad you’re handling this so well,” he remarked. “After we got back here, I figured you’d tell me you don’t want to see me anymore, and I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

  “This situation sucks,” I replied. “It’s still not your fault. If you were making excuses for Suri and refusing to call the police on her, I’d have a different opinion.”

  “I should have called the police last weekend,” he muttered.

  “That’s been said enough times,” I pointed out. “You see the error of your ways, and you’ll change. You also make a fantastic omelet and had bacon in your refrigerator.”

  We managed to finish our breakfast before the police arrived, and I couldn’t decide if I was glad they hadn’t kept us waiting all day or disappointed that they’d shown up before I could run over to my place to make coffee. At least, the arrival of the police meant I’d probably make it to my parents’ house before my mom got impatient and came over to check on me.

  Chapter 25

  Spencer

  “Well, that was disappointing,” I told Mercy after the police left her condo. They’d asked to go back over to her place to take the report since they needed to photograph the damage. First, they instructed us on the method for filing these types of reports online. It seemed they didn’t like coming out for property damage. Other than talking to Suri, it didn’t sound like they planned to do much as far as investigating the damage.

  Mercy shrugged as she poured her cup of coffee. “I’m not all that surprised. They’re busy, and we were urged to file this online last night.”

  �
�But I figured that once they heard about all the issues with Suri, they’d see how dangerous she could be,” I argued.

  “From their perspective, if you thought she was dangerous, you would have called the police last weekend.” Mercy took a sip of her coffee and moaned. “This coffee is so good. I’m not trying to make you feel bad about not calling the police. You get that it was a mistake, and you can’t change that now. All I’m trying to do is point out how it looks to the police. They’ll talk to her, and they may even find out she did it, but it’s not likely.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair, frustrated that I was causing Mercy so many problems, yet grateful she wasn’t running for the hills. “I’ll hire someone to come over and clean up this mess.”

  “Thank you. I’ll take you up on that offer.” Her phone rang before she could say more, and when she looked at the screen, she sighed. “That’s my mom. I need to get it and let her know I’ll be over soon. Hey, Mom!” She paused and listened, occasionally opening her mouth as if she was about to speak but then closing it. Finally, there seemed to be a pause in the conversation on the other end of the line. “The police just left. After I have my coffee, I’ll change into my painting clothes and head over there. No, you don’t need to come over, Mom. Spencer’s taking care of it. He’s my neighbor. Yes, that is very nice of him. I should be there soon. All right. I’ll be right there.”

  Mercy tapped her phone a few times before setting it on the counter. She flashed me an apologetic smile.

  “I take if you need to leave for your parents’ home now,” I deduced.

  “My mom was at the gate. I just buzzed her in, so there’s no time to escape.”

  “Escape?” I asked with a laugh. “I’m not afraid of meeting your mother.”

  “That’s because you haven’t met my mother,” she replied.

  There was a knock on the door, and Mercy went to answer it. Her mom immediately pulled her into her arms. “Oh, my poor baby girl! What kind of monster would say such horrible things about you? This is disgusting!”

  “Come on in, Mom,” Mercy coaxed as she stepped out of her mom’s embrace and into the condo.

  I could see where Mercy got her looks from. Her mom had short blonde hair, pale green eyes, and stood around Mercy’s height. With her unlined skin, I’d never have guessed she was old enough have children in their thirties. She had on jeans and a gray sweatshirt with paint stains.

  “Why would anyone do this to you?” My mom asked.

  “I’m afraid it’s my fault,” I admitted.

  Mercy’s mom’s eyes narrowed as they landed on me. She looked me up and down as if sizing me up before she spoke. “How is this your fault?”

  “It’s not,” Mercy replied for me. “Mom, this is Spencer, my neighbor.”

  “The one you’re working with?” she asked.

  Mercy nodded. “His ex-girlfriend is unstable.”

  Her mom gave me a look filled with sympathy. “Oh, honey, that’s not your fault. You can only take responsibility for your own actions. I’m Gigi, Mercy’s mother. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “From who?” Mercy asked. “All I told you is that Spencer is my neighbor and I’m working with him.”

  Gigi made her way into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee as she replied. “Bennie told me you thought he was watching pornography in his bedroom, and you were avoiding the poor man for months.” She looked at me. “Mercedes isn’t normally one to pass judgment like that. I’m not going to ask what you were really doing in there.”

  “Thank you,” was my hesitant reply.

  “Lexus told me you brought Spencer to his show last night and that the two of you looked like two smitten kittens.”

  Smitten kittens? I’d never heard that one before.

  “Is there anything else my annoying siblings told you?” Mercy asked.

  Gigi thought for a moment before responding. “Nothing major. Delaney mentioned Spencer’s ex-girlfriend breaking into his place and then insulting you. The nerve of some people.” She pointed a finger at me. “You need to be more cautious. What would your mother say if she heard you had someone break into your home? She’d be worried sick.”

  I suddenly felt guilty for not having told my mother. “Mum wouldn’t be happy. She never liked Suri.”

  “She’ll love Mercy,” Gigi insisted.

  In Mercy’s position, I’d have been embarrassed. Mercy laughed and shook her head. “Seriously, Mom? Are you trying to play matchmaker this morning?”

  “I don’t need to play matchmaker,” Gigi insisted. “You’re already dating.”

  “Not officially,” I pointed out. When Gigi’s eyes narrowed, I decided I should make sure she knew it wasn’t my decision. “Mercy isn’t ready to agree to date me. She wanted to avoid the drama Suri brings, not that anyone can blame her.”

  “We’re also working together,” Mercy pointed out.

  “I used to work with your father all the time,” Gigi argued. “And you did go on a date.”

  “Can you let me be in denial a little longer, Mom?” Mercy asked.

  “All right, sweetheart,” her mom agreed. “It has been quite some time since you’ve dated. Mercedes has been working long hours for years, and then she needed time to recover. That was a scary time. We came close to losing her.”

  “I’m going to change so we can head over and start painting,” Mercy announced. “Can you put my coffee in a travel mug, Mom?”

  “Sure, sweetie,” she replied.

  “I should start making calls to see if I can get someone out here to deal with your porch today,” I added. “It was very nice meeting you, Mrs. Whitier.”

  She frowned in response. “Didn’t I tell you my name is Gigi?”

  “Sorry,” I replied. “I’ll try to remember next time.” Without thinking about how her mother would interpret it, I walked over until I stood directly in front of Mercy and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’ll call you later.”

  Chapter 26

  Mercy

  My mom exercised great restraint after Spencer left my condo. I’d expected her to immediately start talking about him kissing me. A lot of people would view a kiss on the cheek as completely innocent. Not my mom. In her defense, she’d gone a number of years thinking that none of her children would ever date again. I know this because she’d told me that several times.

  Since my sister had started dating again, my mom had newfound hope that all three of her children would find true love and give her grandchildren. She really wanted grandchildren, so I’d expected her to ask me questions the minute we were alone. I think my mom enjoys proving my theories regarding her behavior wrong.

  For the next few hours, we discussed Lex’s show, my temporary job, new recipes we’d each tried, and my dad’s desire to sell his business and retire. I’d begun to believe I’d make it out of her home without any questions about Spencer.

  “How long is your contract with Spencer’s company?” she asked.

  “Four weeks,” I replied. “It could be extended.”

  “I don’t think you’ll last that long,” she remarked as she sealed the paint can.

  “You think I’ll quit before then?” I asked.

  She laughed and shook her head. “You? Quit? I think not. What I meant was that I don’t think you’ll be able to keep things platonic with Spencer that long. He’s already kissed you, hasn’t he?”

  “You saw him kiss me today,” I reminded her. I wasn’t surprised when she quirked an eyebrow and waited for my response. “I kissed him the other night. After that, we both agreed to keep it platonic until after the contract is up.”

  “What was your agreement before then?” she asked.

  “I’d told him I didn’t want to deal with the drama of Suri,” I explained. “After all I’ve been through this last year, I was worried I’d end up with some crazy bitch coming after me the way Laney did when she was first dating Sebastian.”

  My mom
nodded. “Yes, that’s a situation I’d like to see you avoid. I’m more than a little worried with what that woman did to your porch. A sane person doesn’t vandalize someone’s home like that.”

  “If I could think of anyone else who might do something like this, I’d say it wasn’t Suri,” I remarked as I helped my mom carry the painting supplies to my dad’s work shed to clean them.

  “Why is that?” she asked.

  I told her about my encounter with Suri from the previous day.

  “It does seem strange that she’d come after you if she’d decided you prefer women,” my mom remarked. “Of course, if she’s stalking Spencer, she probably saw you leave together and drew her own conclusions.”

  “I guess,” I agreed, though it seemed a little farfetched that she’d have seen us leave and assumed we were dating. We hadn’t touched or done anything suspicious. Then again, she wasn’t right in the head, so maybe we didn’t need to do anything questionable to reignite her jealousy.

  “It has to be her,” my mom insisted. “Who else would have vandalized your home?”

  “You’re right,” I agreed. “I can’t think of anyone else who would have done this.”

  “It’s nice that Spencer is handling the cleanup,” my mom remarked with a smile. “I know his guilt is part of the reason he offered, but that’s not all of it.”

  “He’s a nice guy,” I agreed with a smile.

  My mom laughed softly. “I’m definitely right. You’re not going to wait until after your contract is up to start dating him.”

  I’d have argued with my mom if I didn’t suspect she was right.

  Chapter 27

  Spencer

  I was annoyed that I couldn’t find anyone to handle cleanup on Mercy’s front porch until Monday. After a quick trip to the lawn and garden section at the store, I’d at least been able to repot her plants and clean up the dirt and broken ceramic pieces. My mum was an avid gardener, and I’d consulted her. She seemed certain some of the plants would survive, and she hadn’t even grilled me on Mercy. I’d hear all her questions later, but she’d had a flight to catch and a lot to get done first.