Page 12 of Instinct & New Identity

“Some lying asshole, like the one across the hall.They’reprobably in on this pizza scheme together,”Valeriasaid, aimed at the other voice in the background before turning her head back to me.

“Buddy, you got three seconds to move your hand and foot from the doorway, orI’mgonna slam this in your face and call the cops,comprende?” she said, increasing her level of animosity and irritation at me.

“Look,Valeria, my name isVince.Yoursister used to write letters to me whileIwas overseas, andIfinally tracked her down and would just like to talk to her,”Isaid, hoping to just put it all out there so she would understand.

The look on her face changed, full of apprehension, andIknew she’d picked up on my using her original name.

“What did you call me?” she asked in a whisper.

“Close the door but please give her this.I’llwait right here,”Itold her, handing her one of the letters her sister had written me thatI’dbrought.

She snatched the letter out of my hands and quickly closed the door.Iheard her click multiple locks into place, andIwasn’t even offended becauseIwas happy to know they were safe.

I stood there, waiting, hoping she would see the letter and come back to the door.Ididn’t really have a backup plan yet, butIwould make it work.

A few minutes later, the door locks clicked and the door opened, albeit still with the chain attached.Aface peered through the side, and she was stunning.ItwasCatalina—but more gorgeous than my mind had assumed she would look after seven years, andIcould only see her face.Therest of her was concealed behind the door.

“Who are you?” she asked, voice steady, but her eyes showed apprehension and a bit of fear.

I decided to give her everything so she wouldn’t be afraid.

“My name isVinceFletcher, though you knew me asV,”Istarted. “Wewrote letters to each other for several months during your senior year, and then right before graduation, you stopped.”

“Where did you get this?” she asked, holding up the letter.

She was paranoid that it wasn’t me.Maybeit was someone pretending to be me to get close to her.Gobig or go home…Timeto whip out the other surpriseIbrought.

“I kept all of those letters, andIalso kept these,”Isaid, pointing to my feet whereIpulled up my pant leg to reveal theTaylorSwiftsocksIwas wearing, even though they were uncomfortable as hell since they had multiple holes and had shrunk a little in the wash.

She gasped and then looked back up at me, no longer with fear in her eyes, but with something elseIcouldn’t quite decipher.

“V?It’sreally you?Howdid you find me?” she asked.

“Do you mind ifIcome in to explain everything?”Iasked, hoping it would be easier to explain while not standing outside. “Yoursister mentioned a creepy neighbor, andI’drather he not hear everything.”

She looked at me for a second, then closed the door.Ifroze, trying to think of whatI’dsaid wrong, but thenIheard the chain move, and the door reopened.

She opened the door slowly, with wariness and anxiety still in her eyes. “Youcan come in.”

Relief washed through me asIstepped through the doorway, but that quickly changed whenIsaw her sister standing to the side, a gun in her hand.Eventhough she had the gun pointed at the ground,Ipaused my movements asIheardCatalinaclose the door and then the locks clicking into place behind me.

“Is it really him?”Valeriaasked her sister, while keeping her eyes trained on me.

“I think so.Lookat his socks,”Catalinasaid toValeria.

I took that as my cue to lift my pant leg again, butIdid it slowly with my eyes trained onValeriajust in case she decided to get trigger-happy.

Valeria looked down at my socks and her jaw dropped.

“Are those theTaylorSwiftsocks you got him as a gag gift?” she asked.

“Yeah,”Catalinasaid in return.

Valeria threw her head back, laughing but still kept the gun in her hand.

“Now that you know whoIam, do you mind putting the gun away?”IaskedValeriawith the nicest smileIcould muster.

“Maybe,” she said, her voice full of attitude again and her brows raised.

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