good look around his apartment. It was very interesting, almost like an apartment you’d see in a movie. It seemed like PC had lived there for years. The floors were scuffed wood, covered with exquisite Persian rugs, the walls were antiqued and adorned with posters of the New York City Ballet, Paris and Bordeaux, and replicated impressionist paintings. The shelves were full of lamps and books and odd collected little objects like a sparkly Eiffel Tower and a little doll with an intricate flowered dress.
“This is a great place,” I told him, still taking in the details.
“It’s my parents’ apartment. They don’t usually live in the city anymore but they keep it for me.”
“It’s a big place for just one guy.”
“Oh, we live here too,” Leila answered, pointing down the hallway they’d come from. I was a little envious. It sounded fun—like a permanent summer camp for the paranormally gifted.
“So what do you need to get away from the Evil Gramps?” PC asked.
* * * *
It was nearly dawn when we stumbled our way into my apartment. PC had set us up with enough weapons to outfit an entire terrorist cell and he promised to not only make Noah’s car disappear but get him a decent amount of money from whatever off-the-book sale he managed to pull. PC and the others had my phone number and promised to keep in touch daily. We’d ditched Noah’s phone back at the lake figuring it was better to be safe than sorry.
After closing and dead-bolting every single place where someone could get in, I led Noah to my bedroom and helped him strip down to boxers before I tucked him into my bed with a kiss to his forehead. Just like when we were kids, he seemed to have energy for days but when he finally slept, nuclear war wouldn’t wake him. I tiptoed around the apartment closing curtains so if he woke during the day he wouldn’t be stuck in my room. Last, I closed the big blackout curtains in my bedroom I’d invested in the previous spring so I didn’t wake up every morning with the sun right in my face. Then I crawled under the light summer blankets and curled up next to my already slumbering boyfriend. He rolled over in his sleep and wound his arm around my waist. I smiled and closed my eyes thinking for the millionth time how happy I was to be with him.
“I love you,” I whispered, not expecting a response.
“Love you too,” was the sleepy reply, mumbled against my neck.
I curled up against Noah and closed my eyes. I fell asleep easily, feeling warm, comfortable, and safe.
Games
That evening I woke to the sound of my cell ringing insistently. At first, I thought it had to be an emergency so I bolted from the bed and picked up the phone immediately, without even checking the id. I realized after I’d done it that it wasn’t good idea to blindly pick up phones or open doors anymore.
“Hey, yo. What are you two doing tonight?”
In my half asleep blur I didn’t recognize the rough but friendly voice at first. “Hi, PC. You scared me. Is everything okay?”
“Of course. Just wanted to see if you and your man were busy or if you could come chill for a while.”
“Oh...” The request seemed so normal in the midst of the strange world I had been dumped in. I was also surprised the invite had been extended to me: I didn’t feel quite cool enough to be included in the Supernatural Squad; but apparently my attachment to Noah was a get-in-free card. “Uh, I don’t know what we’re doing. Nothing probably. Noah’s still asleep.”
PC made a loud snorting noise. “Dude, he’ll sleep forever if you let him. Wake his ass up and come over. It’s game night. The sun will be down in like twenty minutes.”
Game night?
“Is it safe?” I asked. “You know, for us to be over there? I don’t want to put you guys in danger.”
He laughed, the sound echoing in the phone. “Don’t worry about it. I’m already in danger just by existing. So is Leila. Jason chooses to hang out with us so he isn’t in
“This is a great place,” I told him, still taking in the details.
“It’s my parents’ apartment. They don’t usually live in the city anymore but they keep it for me.”
“It’s a big place for just one guy.”
“Oh, we live here too,” Leila answered, pointing down the hallway they’d come from. I was a little envious. It sounded fun—like a permanent summer camp for the paranormally gifted.
“So what do you need to get away from the Evil Gramps?” PC asked.
* * * *
It was nearly dawn when we stumbled our way into my apartment. PC had set us up with enough weapons to outfit an entire terrorist cell and he promised to not only make Noah’s car disappear but get him a decent amount of money from whatever off-the-book sale he managed to pull. PC and the others had my phone number and promised to keep in touch daily. We’d ditched Noah’s phone back at the lake figuring it was better to be safe than sorry.
After closing and dead-bolting every single place where someone could get in, I led Noah to my bedroom and helped him strip down to boxers before I tucked him into my bed with a kiss to his forehead. Just like when we were kids, he seemed to have energy for days but when he finally slept, nuclear war wouldn’t wake him. I tiptoed around the apartment closing curtains so if he woke during the day he wouldn’t be stuck in my room. Last, I closed the big blackout curtains in my bedroom I’d invested in the previous spring so I didn’t wake up every morning with the sun right in my face. Then I crawled under the light summer blankets and curled up next to my already slumbering boyfriend. He rolled over in his sleep and wound his arm around my waist. I smiled and closed my eyes thinking for the millionth time how happy I was to be with him.
“I love you,” I whispered, not expecting a response.
“Love you too,” was the sleepy reply, mumbled against my neck.
I curled up against Noah and closed my eyes. I fell asleep easily, feeling warm, comfortable, and safe.
Games
That evening I woke to the sound of my cell ringing insistently. At first, I thought it had to be an emergency so I bolted from the bed and picked up the phone immediately, without even checking the id. I realized after I’d done it that it wasn’t good idea to blindly pick up phones or open doors anymore.
“Hey, yo. What are you two doing tonight?”
In my half asleep blur I didn’t recognize the rough but friendly voice at first. “Hi, PC. You scared me. Is everything okay?”
“Of course. Just wanted to see if you and your man were busy or if you could come chill for a while.”
“Oh...” The request seemed so normal in the midst of the strange world I had been dumped in. I was also surprised the invite had been extended to me: I didn’t feel quite cool enough to be included in the Supernatural Squad; but apparently my attachment to Noah was a get-in-free card. “Uh, I don’t know what we’re doing. Nothing probably. Noah’s still asleep.”
PC made a loud snorting noise. “Dude, he’ll sleep forever if you let him. Wake his ass up and come over. It’s game night. The sun will be down in like twenty minutes.”
Game night?
“Is it safe?” I asked. “You know, for us to be over there? I don’t want to put you guys in danger.”
He laughed, the sound echoing in the phone. “Don’t worry about it. I’m already in danger just by existing. So is Leila. Jason chooses to hang out with us so he isn’t in
Similar Books
