Page 27 of Tell Me Lies

“I’d help you take your bag inside, but I don’t want to leave her in the truck alone,” Logan whispers from the driver’s seat. “I kinda wanted to see my main man, Clyde. Bring him with you when you come by. Amy misses him.”

Unbuckling my seat belt, I smile. “I think I’ll be fine with my one overnight bag.” My hand rests on the door. “Well, I guess I’ll catch you later. You said six, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he drawls in that yummy, thick Southern accent. He grins, popping that dimple out. “You gonna go inside and write?”

“Maybe,” I say slowly, narrowing my eyes in question. “Why?”

“You’re going to use a certain shower scene, aren’t you?” He nods his head proudly. “I gave you some solid material last night. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I am not!” I hush-yell, afraid to wake Amelia up. “Don’t flatter yourself, asshole.”

I push the door open, not wanting him to tease me anymore on this because, if I’m being truthful, I did want to use our little … encounter in my book. But when I tried to write it last night, Icouldn’t. I got too damn flustered. I’m basically a firework that’s been lit, waiting to explode.

“Goodbye, Logan,” I mutter. “See you later.”

He calls something from behind me, but before he finishes, I shut the door and wave through the window before quickly heading inside.

As I make my way toward my door, I’m excited to see Clyde, yet this feeling of dread washes over me. Almost like I’m walking away from the light and heading into the darkness. I just spent the last few days with Logan Sterns and his daughter, feeling better than I had in years. Actual years. But they aren’t my family. I’m just working for him.

The first thing I notice is that my door is cracked open, which is strange, but maybe my neighbor, Nancy, is in there, getting Clyde more food or something.

Walking to the open door, I call her name. “Nancy?”

No answer.

I know I’m being overdramatic, but I can’t help it. This area is typically safe, but sometimes, there’s an occasional break-in.

I stop just outside the open door and lean my head forward. Right away, I know something isn’t right.

I’m excessively neat, and I live alone.

Someone came into my home, and they made a mess.

My heart sinks as I question if they took anything from me. What am I even thinking? Of course they did. They wouldn’t just roll in to trash the place and bounce.

Worried that someone could still be inside, I head toward Nancy’s apartment at the end of the hallway. I’m not surprised she probably didn’t notice my door sitting open. She typically uses the exit on the other side of the building since it’s right next to her own apartment while I use the one on the opposite side of the hallway.

“Nancy, it’s Maci,” I call and hold my fist up to the door.

I knock a few times, and as always, she calls me to come in. My body is trembling. I’m panicked and scared. I need to call the police, yet I feel like I’m overreacting because this doesn’t seem real.

When I push the door open, Clyde immediately gets up and hurries toward me. I’m so thankful he wasn’t home during the break-in though. I wonder what the culprits would have thought if they had kicked open the door and were met with a one-hundred-thirty-pound beast like him. Although he might look scary, I’m not sure he’d actually attack.

“Nancy,” I barely squeak, “someone has been in my apartment. I’m worried they might still be in there.” I pull my phone from my pocket. “I need to call the police to check.”

“Oh my Lord,” rushes from her mouth as she covers it with her hands. “Yes, sweetie, call the police.”

Once I’ve dialed 911, it isn’t seconds before they are on the other end. It seems like they ask me one hundred questions when all I want is for them to get here and see if someone is still in my apartment, touching my things. The thought of that makes my stomach churn.

“Ma’am, I’m going to keep you on the phone until help arrives, okay?” The lady speaks calmly.

“Okay,” I say, nodding slowly. “Okay.”

“What do you mean, her home was broken into?” I bark into the phone. “Fuck, is she … is she okay?”

“Yes, she’s fine, and the police are there now. I’m just letting you know so that you can plan accordingly today. I’m not sure if she’ll be up for watching Amelia or not. I imagine it was scary for her to find her home like that,” Poppy says.

Right as I walked in the door and laid Amelia in her bed, Poppy called, dropping a bomb on me, saying she had gotten a vague message from Maci that her apartment had been broken into and vandalized.

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