Page 29 of Aching for His Discretion

“Did you eat today?” Levi asked, and I bit my lip.

“I… had a banana while I was studying this morning,” I whispered truthfully, and he hummed as he pulled out his phone.

“Does Italian sound good?” he asked teasingly, and I squeezed his hand in mine as a smile came to my face.

“Sounds great.”

Sitting on the couch, I turned the page of the book I was reading as the sun began to set. Levi had spent around five hours with me today, yet sadly he had some business to take care of and left around thirty minutes ago. Grayson was lying on the couch beside me as my candle burned, and eventually, I grew bored with reading about the female anatomy.

Standing up, I slipped on my slippers and picked Grayson up. Pulling my white cardigan on over my beige long-sleeve and black leggings, I made my way out of my apartment to pick up any mail that came to spare Mr. John the trip to my flat.

As I exited, I noticed a man down the hall by Mitchel’s door taking notes on a notepad with a camera around his neck. His hair was disheveled, his white buttoned-up had a few buttons undone, and he was quite handsome, to say the least. He didn’t notice me as I stepped out slowly, but I assumed he did once he heard me walk away from my door and over to the steps.

Upon reaching the first floor, I went over to my mailbox and picked up my packages and bills as Grayson rested on my shoulders like a scarf. Going back upstairs, I reached my apartment door and was surprised when I felt someone pick up a few of my boxes from my hand. Looking over, I noticed it was the same man who was at Mitchel’s door, and I smiled.

“Thanks…” I said softly, and he nodded his head.

“Not a problem.”

After unlocking the door, I placed the mail on the floor inside. I grabbed the remaining boxes from his hands before I placed them on the ground as Grayson jumped off my shoulders and ran inside somewhere. Standing back up, I looked to see the man still standing by my side, but he was simply staring at me silently.

“That’s a lot of packages...” he muttered, and I nodded sheepishly.

“Yeah... I like to shop quite a bit online.”

“I can tell,” he replied, his eyes taking a quick glance inside my apartment before he looked back over to me. He licked his bottom lip for a moment before holding his hand out for me to shake. “Theodore Hale,” he introduced himself, and I smiled as I shook his hand.

“Teegan Monroe… Not to be rude or anything, but can I ask why you are out here in the hallway?” I began, and he chuckled as he looked down at his notepad.

“Although this defeats the purpose of my job title by telling you, I am a private investigator, and I was… uh… called in by your landlord, Mr. Madison. He was concerned about the whereabouts of your neighbor down the hall, and I’m doing a bit of investigating before my partner, Detective Felix, starts a case,” he mentioned, and I nodded as my hands began to feel a bit clammy. He looked down at my fidgeting fingers for a moment before looking back into my eyes. “He’s been missing for quite some time… would you mind telling me when the last time you saw him was?” he asked nonchalantly, and I bit my lip as I knew he had other intentions than just “talking” about Mitchel. I’d seen enoughCriminal Mindsand true crime episodes to know how this sort of questioning was anything but casual.

“It’s probably been about two weeks? Before then, he was either not home, or locked himself inside. He never really gave me the time of day.”

Theodore nodded, and his next question caused my stomach to turn slightly.

“And you haven’t seen anyone around him or his apartment that you probably have never seen on a regular basis?” he asked, tilting his head casually; however, my brain was going a hundred miles per hour trying to come up with an answer.

Levi, Elliot, Micah, Nico.

I told Mr. Madison that no one had been up here. Why did I lie?

Levi, Elliot, Micah, Nico.

Elliot and Levi said to be quiet.

Levi, Elliot, Micah, Nico.

TEEGAN.

“Teegan?” he asked, and I shook myself out of my thoughts.

“No. I haven’t really seen anyone. I just knew he was in the process of moving,” I responded swiftly, shrugging my shoulders as if the lie didn’t burn my mouth as I spoke.

Theodore’s jaw clenched slightly before he nodded his head.

“Good to know.”

Chapter thirteen

---