I do have nothing to lose. Frankie already seems annoyed with me, and there’s no point trying to improve my relationship with him. Not even for Scarlett, who will have no issues confronting him when he’s out of line. I only feel guilty about disturbing his family, but this is an emergency. My whole day is an emergency, and I need to treat it as such.
I go to the intercom, pausing because I’ll never see my own name listed here. I press the buzzer for Frankie’s apartment. Then after a minute of nothing, Orion buzzes, holding down the button three times as long.
“He’s going to kill you,” I say. “More likely me.”
“He’s not going to do shit.”
There’s static on the intercom before Frankie’s voice comes through: “Who is it?”
“Hi, Frankie. It’s Valentino Prince. I’m so sorry. I’m locked out.”
“Where the hell are your keys?!” Frankie shouts.
I’m regretting this. “I lost them.”
We hear what sounds like the intercom phone slamming.
“Okay, maybe he will kill you,” Orion mutters.
Judging by Frankie’s face as he comes down the stairs, I’d say we’re right. It’s not too late to turn around and run. Frankie opens the lobby door and stares at my bloody forehead. I’m stupid for thinking that would buy me any sympathy points. He simply glares at me and Orion.
“I’m so sorry to wake you up,” I say.
Frankie blocks the doorway. “You lost your keys on your first night. Who does that?”
I’m not walking him through everything I’ve been through since discovering I’m a Decker. It’s not his business, and I doubt he’d care.
“I’m sorry,” I say again.
Frankie tightens his bathrobe. “Did you lose both sets of keys?”
“No, the other set is at home. I didn’t carry both. . . .”
“Oh, good, you have some common sense.”
“Wow,” Orion says. “This is how you treat your tenants?”
Frankie looks Orion up and down, then me. “It’s three in the morning. You’re lucky I came down at all.”
“Can you please let us in?” I ask.
“Only because I already cashed your rent check.” Frankie steps aside. “Don’t bleed on my floors.”
I can only imagine how much more dehumanizing he would be if he knew I was a Decker.
The building is still warm, but the air feels different. This won’t be the hall where I go into my mailbox for letters and birthday cards and bills. These stairs I’m climbing won’t be my daily leg workout. And as Frankie unlocks my apartment door, I understand this is both the first time I’ll ever return here and possibly the last.
Before I can thank Frankie and apologize again, he goes straight into his apartment.
“Nice guy,” Orion says, closing the door behind him.
I turn on the lights, regretting it immediately. This place is so bare-bones. “Feel free to sit on any box you want.”
“After we clean you up,” Orion says, setting his cap down on the counter. He runs the water in the kitchen sink, testing it. “Paper towels?”
I go into my suitcase and toss Orion the roll of toilet paper I packed because I wasn’t sure what stores were going to be open with my late arrival. Not to mention all the reports of people hoarding toilet paper across the country in anticipation of the world ending. I’ll do some shopping with Scarlett in the morning and make sure she’s set up with the basics.