Page 23 of Love Undecided
"Everything is good; one of my plants blew over again, but that’s it.”
"Don't touch it!"
"I know! I'm not! Wait, why?"
He sighs. "Kat, someone was on your balcony today, I didn’t call the precinct because I wasn’t sure if they were a guest. But, they could still be out there. I’m contacting the precinct and sending someone over to check it out.”
“If someone was on my balcony, I would see them. I’m out here now. No one is in the house or on the balcony,” I say with a confidence that I don’t feel. I can’t be vulnerable with Brad, not now, and especially not tonight.
“Kat, I wouldn’t have called you if I didn’t think it was important.”
“And here I just thought it was a ploy because you missed the sound of my voice."
Now, why did I say that? I know better than to flirt with Brad. I clear my throat and continue before he has a chance to respond.
“Don’t call the precinct. I’ve got Detective Sherman’s cell number, I’ll give him a call and let him know. Does that work?”
"Yes,” Brad says. “Call him now please and then call me back to let me know what happens."
* * *
I wake Detective Sherman with my call, he seems to do about as well when first waking up as I do, which isn’t saying much.
“Sherman,” he near croaks into the phone.
“Detective Sherman, it’s Kat Walker. I’m sorry to call so late, but I may have had an intruder on my balcony earlier today and I’d like to have someone come check it out.”
“Mmm. Now?” He still sounds asleep. I thought detectives were supposed to wake right up when the phone rang. Like they were trained for it or something.
“Yes, right now,” I say, suddenly realizing I won’t be able to sleep unless someone aside from me checks everything out.
Before I know it, I’ve got three police cars in my driveway, with lights flashing and sirens silent. They ask me to stand outside with one of the officers while the others enter the house, knocking first on the door and then loudly announcing their presence.
“There’s no one—” I start to tell the officer as my phone rings.
It’s Bauer. “Cookie, I’m—” he says.
My call waiting beeps, I pull the phone away from my ear to look at the screen. Brad is calling.
“Bauer, can I call you back?” I interrupt.
Before I even hear his answer, Brad and Ethan screech into my driveway in the rescue truck. I hang up the phone.
Brad is out of the truck before it’s even stopped. “Kat? Kat? My God, are you okay?”
He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. A shiver runs through me. He feels so good.
“I am so glad you are okay. God, baby, if anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself. I should have been here. I’m so sorry.”
His words make me feel good. Too good. I need to distance myself.
“I’m right here, I told you on the phone that everything was okay,” I say.
“Dispatch said there was an intruder on your balcony.”
“You know there’s no intruder, I already told you that.”
“Ma’am, did you say there's no intruder? Did you call in a false report?” the officer asks. He pulls out his walkie-talkie to tell the others in the house that there’s no intruder, it was a false report.
