Nick and I didn't return to his house that night, after Nigel Crane had been arrested. Brass had one of his men gather some items for Nick and brought it to the Crime Lab. Once we had the bag of Nick's clothing and personal items, we left. Neither one of us would feel safe in his house for a bit, and it needed some repairs – evidenced by the gaping hole in the roof of Nick's resident at the moment.
"Are you sure?" Nick asked me as I drove through the deserted streets of Nevada. It was almost five in the morning, which meant that the traffic would be increasing soon enough.
"Nick, I'm positive," I assured my boyfriend that it was fine he stayed at my place until the repairs were done. This would be one of the first times that Nick would stay over in my apartment. I had too much stuff from my past that I didn't want Nick to see or ask questions about. I could only hope that the majority of the items wouldn't seem blatantly obvious.
Thankfully, the rug in the foyer was covering the major indicator of my past life. I didn't think that I left anything in plain view, but if I did, I'd figure that out once we got to that point. Nick's place was larger – since he owned a house. My apartment was pretty basic but suited my needs – a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, a couple of closets, and a bathroom.
"I'm just saying, I can stay in a hotel tonight," Nick reminded me that he wouldn't have any issue with staying at a motel, but I tutted at him.
"It's fine, I promise!" I sighed, turning into the parking lot of the apartment complex. Nick sank back into his seat, looking up at the rundown apartment building that he had voiced disapproval when he picked me up for one of our first dates.
"I still wish you'd find somewhere better," Nick shook his head as I parked the car; he knew my salary and also that I could afford better. I rolled my eyes at him.
"It's fine for me. Not the worst place, trust me on that," I promised my boyfriend, who got out of the passenger side. I grabbed Nick's duffel bag much to his protestations, but I warned him about lifting. It was the doctor's orders. He groaned, but let me carry his items into the apartment.
I made sure that I found an apartment complex that had individual front doors, rather than a communal front door. I hated that type of building – never made me feel safe. I had the corner apartment – multiple windows, but better lighting than the others. I opened the door, letting Nick go in first.
He pulled off his jacket with a wince, waiting for me to tell him where to store it. I opened the small closet and grabbed a hanger. Nick nodded, looking around the apartment.
I didn't see anything too alarming for the usual person. My arsenal was hidden in the back of my closet, devil's trap hidden beneath the rug. The only thing that might be unusual was the sheer number of books on the supernatural. I had a ton of books for research – things I've acquired, books that Bobby gave me, other hunters had passed down.
"It's nice," Nick nodded, looking around. Even though the complex was rundown, I tried to make the interior look nice and cozy.
"My bedroom is down the hall. It's the last door on your left," I told Nick who nodded. He just stood in the living room looking a little lost.
"Don't want to sleep yet?" I asked him and he shook his head. Nick might have been a Texan, acted tough, but tonight had rattled us both. "Why don't I make us some food, then we can watch a movie? Calm down a little?"
"Sound's good," Nick nodded, sitting down on the leather sofa. I nodded, watching as Nick turned on the television to the morning news.
I went into the kitchen and began to take stock of what food I had. Not much, since I didn't spend a lot of time in my apartment, but I had enough to make breakfast. I grabbed a bowl, cracked about six eggs into the bowl. I added some milk and seasonings, then waited for the pan to heat.
