SAINT NOBODY ── RIO [GOOD GIRLS]

nine ━━ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴏɴꜱ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ'ʀᴇ ᴘᴜꜱʜᴇᴅ.

"Am I allowed to hang up now?"

"Yeah."Came Annie's hesitant whisper. Her car door slammed shut a moment later."Wait a second."

Faye complied with a low, reassuring hum as she began to trudge up the staircase that led to her floor, passing the elevator. She counted each step with a forced focus—hoping that maybe, just maybe, it would coax her mind to stop lingering on the feel of the muzzle of the gun under her chin.

"I appreciate all of this, Annie,"Faye slowed her already snail-like pace as she came to the top of the staircase."but I don't see how it would help if someone came out of nowhere and attacked you. Or me."

Faye caught herself just as she was about to touch where the gun had been pressing. The momentarily indent it had left was long gone, had been since the fifth time her fingers had pressed and felt nothing, but she still felt it.

She glared at her hand and, instead, stretched out and wound her fingers around the railing of the stairs.

"Fine, yes, point taken."Faye blinked away from her hand as Annie sighed in her ear."But it makes me feel a little less scared out of my mind, you know?"

Faye's lips pressed together and she hung her head with a self-reproachful flinch. She pulled back to look at her phone, shut her eyes to gather herself, then put it back to her ear.

"I know."She breathed, fingers compressing from where they were wound around the railing."I'm sorry, I just..."

"It's fine. It's fine. Riiiiight,"Annie drew out with feigned gusto. It was accompanied with the shrill scrape of the door chain."Fee, that's me inside with the door locked."

"Good."Faye's mouth lifted when she noted the relief in Annie's voice."You gonna be okay?"

She felt a lump in her throat when her eyes were drawn to her own front door. Her legs began moving of their own accord, leading her to the warmth of her home while her mind began to, against her will, prompting her to recall the cool, ominous press of the gun.

"I'll try my best."

"I'm proud of you."Faye enunciated steadily."But just call me if you need to, okay?"

"Same goes for you."Annie softly intoned. There was a beat before spoke again, a gentle murmur."I'll text you later or in the morning. Love you."

Faye's hand clutched the phone when her fingers twitched. 

"Love you. Bye."

Faye stayed rooted where she was even after Annie hung up, and pulled her hand back to look at her phone screen. She dragged her eyes up to her front door when the screen eventually dimmed.

"I can do this."Faye exhaled through her nose. She rummaged around her pocket for her keys."Managed to escape being shot, so..."

She took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face and, after unlocking her door, turned the handle.