Instant Connection

5

I rush to inside the house and upstairs, luckily not running into my roommates. I shut my door and pour everything out of my purse and onto the bed. My eyes narrowing in what I received from Marco. I picked it up and examined the contents, about to open it up when there was a knock on my door. 

"Ey, yo, Stella! You home?" Johnny asks. 

I quickly dodge under my bed, taking what Marco gave me. The door swings open and Johnny walks into my room. He walks over to the bed seeing all my stuff scattered across it. I hear him rummaging through the mess. 

"Charlie!" he yells. 

Fuck!

Charlie walks into the room and asks, "What's wrong?" 

"What do you make of this?" 

"Looks like Stella changed her purses out and left what she didn't need." 

"She left her keys, phone, wallet, gun and badge?" he asks, rummaging more. 

"What are you even doing in here, Johnny?" 

"I thought I heard her, wanted to see if she wanted to grab something to eat." 

"Maybe she went back out." Charlie tries to reason with him. 

"Not without her phone." he stresses. 

Damn, he knows me too well...

"Wait til she gets back and talk to her about it, okay? I'm sure she has a good explanation." 

"Alright." he sighs, and two finally leave, shutting the door behind them. 

I wiggle out of my hiding spot and finally open up what's been driving me crazy for weeks. 

I walk downstairs to see Charlie making some sort of liquor concoction and Johnny, Jakes, Paige and Mike sitting on the couch. 

"Well, hello there." I greet them. 

Johnny is immediately up and making his way to me, "We gotta talk." he whispers. 

I follow him outside onto the back porch, and slide the door closed behind me. 

"What happened with you today?" he asks, not wasting any time. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You didn't want to come when Mike and Briggs made the deal and then you came home for two seconds and somehow slipped by me earlier and then you pop up from upstairs, never once coming through the door. I've been down here the whole time." 

"I had errands to run." I shrug. 

"What about earlier today, huh? I heard you go into your room and then I knocked on your door and you were just gone. What the hell, Stella?" 

"I... just went back out, Johnny." 

"And what was with all that stuff on your bed?"

"I changed my purse." deciding to go with Charlie's thoughts, hoping he would believe it. 

"You didn't take your phone." 

"I forgot it, everything was scattered around and I missed it." 

"Is something going on? You can tell me, you know?" he whispers, taking a step closer to me. 

"Nothing is going on, Johnny. I'm fine, everything is fine." I step closer to him and wrap my arms around his waist, "Thank you for caring about me. I promise everything is all right, okay?" I smile up at him.