Page 89 of Hold Him Like Gravity

“Yeah,” I agreed, impressed that he even had window treatments, an accent rug in the living room, and a blanket draped over the couch to get comfortable with.

“I have already heard that the art sucks,” he told me, looking over at one of the frames.

“It doesn’t… suck. It might be a little generic, but it doesn’t suck. Why did you want to spend so much time inmyapartment?” I asked as I looked around.

“Because you were there,” he said as he took the box out of my hands, placing it down on his coffee table, then opening the tucks on the top.

Evander sprang out, making a beeline for the couch, where he sat, glaring at me. Even though Rico was the one to stuff him in the box in the first place.

“Look, I’m sorry. But look how much nicer this place is. No scratching the couch here,” I said, waggling a finger at him.

“Want a tour?” Rico asked, watching me as Evander started grooming his paws.

“Sure,” I agreed, following Rico as he led me down the hall, revealing a full hall bath that had been finished in a similar color scheme as the main area. “Not gonna go in there. That’s Bass’s room,” he said, waving toward the closed door.

Then he led me to the last door in the hallway.

His bedroom.

Which was surprisingly brighter in color scheme than the rest of the apartment. I imagined in the daytime, when the sun was streaming in the oversized windows, that it would feel even more light.

The walls were partially-exposed brick. The bed was king-sized with a leather tufted headboard in a warm camel tone and covered in neutral bedding that looked luxe and expensive.

There was a single leather chair the same color as the headboard sitting near the window facing the bed. And across from the bed was a large framed piece of art. Except, as I watched it, the art changed.

A framed TV then.

A door was opened to a bathroom that seemed bigger than my whole bedroom, featuring an oversized shower niche, a double vanity, and a soaking tub.

“Why do you ever leave here?” I asked, running a hand over the blanket draped over the corner of the bed.

“Spent more time here when I was working on it than I do now,” he admitted. “Make yourself comfortable. You’re still freezing,” he added, reaching over to touch my cold fingers. “Take a hot bath. Make some coffee. Hang out with Evander. I won’t be too long,” he said.

I followed him back out into the living room.

He checked his phone before looking at me.

“I have two of my guys here standing guard. So if you see someone in the hall, that’s who it is. Don’t want you to panic. Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket and dropping a wad of cash onto the coffee table. “Order some food. You couldn’t have had time to eat.”

I hadn’t.

But I was feeling too wobbly.

“Order me something too. The drawer next to the fridge has some menus,” he said.

I expected him just to walk off right then.

But he surprised me by grabbing me, pulling me close, then pressing a quick kiss to my lips.

“Relax, babe,” he said. “Things are gonna be alright.”

With that, he walked to the door and headed out, leaving me alone in his fancy apartment.

“Well, except for you,” I said to Evander as I went over to the cardboard box, producing the litter box that Rico had thrown in there with him, and setting it up in the hall bathroom. I endured some scratches when I picked him up and put him in there, so he knew where to go.

Then I apologized with some food and milk.

Feeling frazzled, and wanting Rico to have something to eat when he came home, I found the menu drawer, ordered food, and waited for it to arrive.

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