Page 17 of Dramatic AF
The seconds ticked by, each one stretching into eternity. The beeps continued. The pips sounded louder than before.
I made the call.
It connected on the second ring.“Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Trick, I think someone is trying to get into my apartment.”
A low growl rumbled over the line, followed by the rustle of movement.“Go to your room and lock the door. I’m on my way.”
Though he couldn’t see me, I nodded and hurried to do as he ordered. Inside my bedroom, I locked the door, just as he’d said, and hurried around to the other side of the bed.
“Okay, now what?”
“Are you in your room?”
“Yes.”
“Stay away from the door.”
“Okay.”
“I’m coming, Jay, just hold on.”
“Okay,” I repeated sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. “Please hurry.”
“Breathe for me. Just breathe. I’m coming.”His voice vibrated with exertion, though his own breathing had barely changed.“Tell me what’s going on.”
“I was getting ready for bed, and I heard the keypad on the front door. I thought maybe someone had just gotten the wrong apartment, but something feels off.”
“You have good instincts. Trust them.”He paused before asking,“Are they still there?”
Pulling my knees to my chest, I tilted my head, straining to hear. “I don’t think so. Maybe it was a drunk neighbor?”
“Hold tight,”he answered.“I’m almost there.”
Neither of us spoke again after that. I didn’t know how long I sat there, phone clutched to my ear, just listening to the sound of his breath. I tried to match it, inhaling when he did, then releasing it through trembling lips.
“Which floor?”he asked after what felt like years.
Though he had dropped me off in front of the building on several occasions, he had never actually been inside. “The sixteenth. Unit 1609.”
Less than a minute later, he said,“I’m here, Jay. Open the door.”
Dropping my phone to the carpeted floor, I shoved to my feet, rushing out of my room and down the hall. I skidded to a stop in the entryway, my hands fumbling with the locks in my haste to open them.
Relief flooded me and tears pricked my eyes when I jerked the door open to find Trick standing there, his massive frame blocking out the light from the corridor behind him. I breathed his name like a prayer as I launched myself into his arms.
He caught me easily and lifted me from the ground, leaving me no choice but to wrap my limbs around him, clinging to him like crawling ivy. My arms encircled his neck, and I buried my face against the side of his throat, breathing in his warm musky scent and letting it calm me.
“You’re okay,” he said, nuzzling his cheek against the top of my head as he carried me into the apartment and kicked the door closed behind him. “I’ve got you.”
“How did you get inside the building?” I asked, my frazzled nerves latching onto the one question that might actually have an answer. “I didn’t buzz you in. Did you use magic?”
“I teleported,” he deadpanned as he made his way into the living room.
“Really?” I popped my head up, my eyes big, round. “You can do that?”
“No, not really.” Chuckling, he settled down on the sofa, repositioning me so that my legs straddled his muscular thighs. “If I could teleport, I wouldn’t have run six blocks to get here.”
