In My Skin

CH 41 || The Quiet Before The Storm

The news of the drug raid spread like wildfire and the whole school was flipped inside out. Since the police kept a tight lock on any information, the rumor mill exploded. Overall, it was one big mess.

It was Thursday night, and Jules and I were still holed up inside the library.

By nine, I'd reached the cap of my mental capacity. We had sort of rushed this report, but it was our last lab. After this, we'd have some free time.

With one last click the mail was out and we both slumped back in our seats. I gave Jules a tired look. "Gaming tonight?"

He pushed up his glasses to rub his eyes. "Not tonight. After this, I'm going to crash. We can play tomorrow though."

"All right. I'll let Sam know."

We packed up and trudged toward the parking lot. The fresh air helped me chase the fatigue away. When I put the car in reverse, my phone lit up with an incoming call. My heart skipped a beat when I saw who it was.

Killian.

The last time I'd seen him was on Saturday. Jules and I had spent the whole week locked away in the lab and I'd barely talked to anyone. I was about to accept when the phone slipped out of my grasp and landed on the floorboard. Shit. I would call him back when I was home.

I arrived in front of my apartment, gathered my stuff, and made my way toward the slightly hidden staircase. My foot hit the first step when somewhere above me the sound of a door being shut rang out. I paused. Was Sofia back? A quick look towards the parking lot showed that her car wasn't there.

Maybe I was too tired.

Halfway up the staircase, I froze again. The lights flickered between a weak dim and the usual brightness just to completely die a second later.

Well, that was just great.

I put my hand on the left wall to keep my bearing and turned on the flashlight app. I was about to reach my door when the lights sprung back to life.

I came to an abrupt halt.

The lock was broken. Splintered wood ran along the right side of the door that was slightly caved in.

An icy feeling slid down my spine. I forced myself to be very still. Our apartments, tucked away in a secluded annex, stood apart from the main complex. With Sofia absent, nobody would notice if anyone attacked me here.

My fingers fumbled over my screen. Last caller Sherlock Holmes. Without thinking I pressed call back.

"She lives." Killian's soft voice sounded through the phone.

What if they were still here? What if they heard me?

Sheets rustled in the background. "Tay? Are you there?"

"I think somebody broke into my apartment," I whispered so quietly I wondered if he'd heard me at all.

There was a sharp intake of breath. "I'm on my way. Stay put. And don't hang up. I'll notify the police."

Hyperaware of any sound, any movement, I waited, my muscles locked in place. The only thing I could hear was my own rapid heartbeat.

I heard Killian moving on his end and a car door was being shut. No more than ten minutes later, the clang of footsteps rang out from the bottom of the stairs. He arrived at my side shortly after, his eyes wild.

He scanned me up and down. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I-I heard something when I came up," I said in a hushed voice.