Not Until You: Part V by Roni Loren Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Roni Loren
you doing here?”
“Hey, uh, I’m sure your friend told you about my . . . past. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. It’s just—that was a much younger, much stupider version of myself. Mistakes I wish I could undo. And I liked hanging out with you—with someone who didn’t just see that creep from back then.”
I shifted in my heels and glanced over his shoulder at the empty hallway. “Gerald, I appreciate the apology, but I think it’s best we leave things as they are.”
“Is it because of your boyfriend?” he asked glumly.
I saw the out and took it. “Yes. He’s very . . . protective.”
“Right,” he said with a frown.
“Well, I understand. I only wanted to tell you that I was sorry and that I found a dog walker for Sammi. She’s doing well with her.”
I managed a small smile. “That’s good to hear.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I’ll be seeing you then.” After one last look, which strangely mimicked how Sammi had looked at me when I wouldn’t throw the ball again, he turned on his heel to head back toward the stairs. But before he made it all the way there, Foster’s door opened. Foster stepped out, looking like a
GQ
model in a sharp dark gray suit and a tie that coordinated with my dress.
Simultaneously, relief and fear rushed through me. Relief that I wasn’t alone with Gerald anymore, but also fear, because when Foster turned his head to the right to see Gerald’s retreating back, every bit of him bristled. I rushed over to Foster, heels clicking on the floor, to grab his arm before he launched himself forward. “Hey, hold up.”
His gaze snapped to me, eyes fierce. “What the fuck is he doing up here? Is he bothering you?”
“It’s all right,” I said, thankful Gerald had already disappeared around the second set of stairs, and apparently hadn’t noticed Foster come out. “I took care of it.”
“Took care of what?”
I could feel the anger rumbling through him, my grip on his arm quivering with it. The intensity of it scared me a little. “He came by to apologize. I opened the door, thinking it was you. But I handled it. It’s fine.”
He closed his door behind him with unnecessary force and walked me over to my own, guiding me back into my apartment. When he shut my door, he turned to me with accusing eyes. “What were you thinking? You just
opened
your door? No chain?”
“I forgot.”
“You promised me, Cela,” he said, his jaw clenched as he looked back toward my closed door. “God, do you even realize how dangerous it is for a woman to be that careless?”
I gritted my teeth at his admonishing tone and his firm grip on my shoulder. “I said it was an
accident
. I was expecting you.”
“An accident?” That only seemed to heighten the furor in his eyes. “What if he had pushed his way in here, huh? He could have attacked you without anyone seeing a damn thing. Locked both of you in here together.”
“Back off, okay?” I said as I slipped from beneath his hand. “It wasn’t anything. I’m fine. If he wanted to attack me, he could have done it during one of the countless times I was alone with him.”
Foster stared at me for a long moment, then swiped a hand through his hair, more agitated than I’d ever seen him. “You will never open your door without checking again.”
“Foster.”
“Swear to me, Cela. And mean it this time.”
I shook my head, confused by the desperate edge in his voice. “Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
“Because you don’t even know how fucking vulnerable you make yourself sometimes,” he said, his volume rising. “One second. That’s all it takes. Yesterday, when I got home from my trip, I saw you running in the goddamned dark with your iPod cranked up. A guy on the corner was catcalling you and took a photo with his phone, and you didn’t even notice.”
“
What
?”
“That phone is no longer in working order, believe me. But it took everything I had not to haul you right
“Hey, uh, I’m sure your friend told you about my . . . past. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. It’s just—that was a much younger, much stupider version of myself. Mistakes I wish I could undo. And I liked hanging out with you—with someone who didn’t just see that creep from back then.”
I shifted in my heels and glanced over his shoulder at the empty hallway. “Gerald, I appreciate the apology, but I think it’s best we leave things as they are.”
“Is it because of your boyfriend?” he asked glumly.
I saw the out and took it. “Yes. He’s very . . . protective.”
“Right,” he said with a frown.
“Well, I understand. I only wanted to tell you that I was sorry and that I found a dog walker for Sammi. She’s doing well with her.”
I managed a small smile. “That’s good to hear.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I’ll be seeing you then.” After one last look, which strangely mimicked how Sammi had looked at me when I wouldn’t throw the ball again, he turned on his heel to head back toward the stairs. But before he made it all the way there, Foster’s door opened. Foster stepped out, looking like a
GQ
model in a sharp dark gray suit and a tie that coordinated with my dress.
Simultaneously, relief and fear rushed through me. Relief that I wasn’t alone with Gerald anymore, but also fear, because when Foster turned his head to the right to see Gerald’s retreating back, every bit of him bristled. I rushed over to Foster, heels clicking on the floor, to grab his arm before he launched himself forward. “Hey, hold up.”
His gaze snapped to me, eyes fierce. “What the fuck is he doing up here? Is he bothering you?”
“It’s all right,” I said, thankful Gerald had already disappeared around the second set of stairs, and apparently hadn’t noticed Foster come out. “I took care of it.”
“Took care of what?”
I could feel the anger rumbling through him, my grip on his arm quivering with it. The intensity of it scared me a little. “He came by to apologize. I opened the door, thinking it was you. But I handled it. It’s fine.”
He closed his door behind him with unnecessary force and walked me over to my own, guiding me back into my apartment. When he shut my door, he turned to me with accusing eyes. “What were you thinking? You just
opened
your door? No chain?”
“I forgot.”
“You promised me, Cela,” he said, his jaw clenched as he looked back toward my closed door. “God, do you even realize how dangerous it is for a woman to be that careless?”
I gritted my teeth at his admonishing tone and his firm grip on my shoulder. “I said it was an
accident
. I was expecting you.”
“An accident?” That only seemed to heighten the furor in his eyes. “What if he had pushed his way in here, huh? He could have attacked you without anyone seeing a damn thing. Locked both of you in here together.”
“Back off, okay?” I said as I slipped from beneath his hand. “It wasn’t anything. I’m fine. If he wanted to attack me, he could have done it during one of the countless times I was alone with him.”
Foster stared at me for a long moment, then swiped a hand through his hair, more agitated than I’d ever seen him. “You will never open your door without checking again.”
“Foster.”
“Swear to me, Cela. And mean it this time.”
I shook my head, confused by the desperate edge in his voice. “Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
“Because you don’t even know how fucking vulnerable you make yourself sometimes,” he said, his volume rising. “One second. That’s all it takes. Yesterday, when I got home from my trip, I saw you running in the goddamned dark with your iPod cranked up. A guy on the corner was catcalling you and took a photo with his phone, and you didn’t even notice.”
“
What
?”
“That phone is no longer in working order, believe me. But it took everything I had not to haul you right