“Hey,” she whispers to him.
“Hey,” he whispers back.
His breath smells like the Corona he’s been drinking. She leans forward and presses her lips against his. He’s surprised for a moment, then relaxes into the kiss. He’s a very good kisser. She’s not sure if she’s a good kisser or not, but he does seem to enjoy kissing her.
“Do you want me to spend the night tonight?” she asks when their lips part for air.
He sucks in a breath. “Yeah. Of course. That would be great.”
“Bookland doesn’t open until ten,” she says. “So I’ll have time to get home and change. Do you have an early shift tomorrow?”
“Eight.” He grins at her. “But I wouldn’t care if it started at five.”
She returns his smile. “Okay, then.”
They’re both slightly tipsy when they hop in an Uber, and they arrive at his apartment fifteen minutes later. His apartment is big, considering it’s just him living here—two bedrooms. Cassie wonders if Francesca ever lived here. One thing she can say for sure is there’s no sign of a woman’s touch in this place. The furniture is bare-bones, the bookcases stuffed with medical books—the only sign of luxury is the large, high-definition television in the living room.
“Drink?” Joel asks her as he flicks on the lights.
She kicks aside some old sneakers abandoned on the ground. She thinks they’re the sneakers he wears at the hospital, and she imagines bacteria and viruses emanating from the laces.
“Sorry.” He smiles sheepishly. “I would have tidied up if I knew I was going to have company.”
“That’s all right,” Cassie says. She likes the slight disorder of his place. Sometimes Joel seems a little too perfect and put-together—it’s nice to see he can be a slob sometimes too.
“So that drink…？”
She smiles. “I’ll pass.”
He hesitates for only a moment before pushing her gently against a wall and kissing her. She had a feeling they wouldn’t make it to the bedroom before things got started. He can’t wait another moment.
As Joel kisses her, Cassie notices the blinds on his window are open. Even though the lights in the living room aren’t particularly bright, they’re much brighter than the darkness outside. Anyone outside could easily see inside their window.
“Joel.” Cassie pulls away from him. “Let’s shut the lights.”
He catches his breath, his face flushed. “What?”
“It’s just…” She reaches for the light switch. “I want to turn the lights off.”
“But I want to look at you…”
“Yes, but…” She glances at the window. “I feel like we’re on display in here…”
He laughs. “You think someone is spying on us?”
She doesn’t crack a smile. How can she explain to him the continued feeling she’s gotten that someone is watching her? He’d think she’s crazy.
But his eyes soften at the look on her face. “I’ll shut the blinds, okay?”
“Okay,” she agrees.
And she doesn’t feel comfortable until all three blinds in the living room have been lowered, the outside world shut off.
Chapter 16: The Ex
They’ve been in there for three hours.
I hate that I know that. I hate that I’ve been sitting at a twenty-four-hour diner right across from Joel’s apartment building—the one with a great view of the front door. I hate that I’ve been sipping coffee, watching the door, waiting to see if she’ll come out.