She nodded, murmuring something that sounded a lot like smart-ass.
“Okay.” I sighed, deciding to ignore that. “Three… Two… One… Push!”
And… the thing didn’t budge an inch.
Mostly because Adele had pulled.
“It’s all right,” I said, keeping my frustration off my voice. “We can give it another try. Make sure to push, yeah? Push it back inside.”
Adele shot me a dirty look. “Don’t use that tone with me, missy. I know what I’m doing.”
Oh dear God. I really didn’t have time for this.
I gave her a big, toothy smile. “Just trying to help, Adele.”
“Trying with those spaghetti arms,” she muttered under her breath.
I winced, looking down at my arms.
Something occurred to me. “Adele, are we moving this in or—”
“Let’s give it another try.” She ignored me. “Now.”
Battling whether I should question her further, I braced both hands on the edge.
I looked over at her, waiting for instructions, but Adele’s expression had changed. The blood had drained from her face, her skin paling and her eyes going glassy.
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Adele? Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”
The woman stared into space for what seemed like a full minute, not responding to any of my attempts at moving her or making her return to herself.
Alarm pounded through me.
I couldn’t get her back into her apartment because the entrance was blocked by the loveseat. Calling for help felt like a waste when she wasn’t hurt. She was just… not here. As if her mind had left her.
Small beads of sweat formed in the back of my neck.
I called her name one last time with no response.
Right as I was pulling my phone out to dial for help, though, Adele’s eyes zeroed back in on me, confusion knitting her brows. Her eyes jumped to the stuck loveseat. Then down, right where my hand gripped her shoulder. What couldn’t be anything but alarm flickered in her expression.
“Adele?” I tried again, taking my hand back slowly. “Are you okay?”
But the lady in front of me had nothing to do with the snappy Adele from a few minutes ago. This woman was disoriented, looking as lost as someone who had just woken up from a dream.
Crap. Now I was feeling pretty panicky myself. “I—”
“Rosie?” A deep and musical voice filled the hallway.
Lucas.
He was here.
The relief at hearing his voice was so sudden and unexpected that it almost felt like too much. Like I had to close my eyes and take a breath.
I heard his steps approaching us. “What’s going on here?” A pause. “What’s that sofa doing there?”
I turned in his direction, finding him standing only a few feet away from us. “We’re trying to move it out.” Our gazes met, and that bright grin he seemed to brandish so easily fell the moment he took a good look at me. “Or in. I… don’t really know, if I’m being honest.”
Lucas frowned, processing my words, his eyes scanning my face.
“Mateo?” Adele said, disbelief and joy loud in that one single word.
I blinked, my gaze jumping between the woman, who had her hands clasped under her chin, and Lucas, whose expression remained as calm as a millpond.
Mateo?
“Adele, this is Lucas,” I told her as sweetly as I managed. “The Lucas I was telling you about earlier? My Lucas, remem—” I stopped myself, paling the moment I realized what had come out of my mouth. I made sure to look only at the woman. “He’s Catalina’s cousin.”
Adele glanced at me with a small frown. “But this can’t be your Lucas. He’s my Mateo.”
I smiled tightly, not knowing how the heck we had gotten here or how to veer the conversation far, far away.
After what seemed an eternity, Lucas said, “How about I get that thing out of the way, and get you back inside, Adele? I’m all about feminism, but I’m willing to take this one for the team.”
I finally dared to glance at him, just in time to meet his gaze briefly before he started in our direction.
He set a palm on Adele’s back and ushered her out of the way, then he returned to my side. Slowly, he leaned down and said only so I could hear, “Your Lucas to the rescue.”
Your Lucas.
A strange sound left my mouth.
Thankfully, Lucas got to work and a few minutes later, the loveseat was unstuck and back inside Adele’s apartment and my temporary roommate was guiding the frail woman back inside.