Guarding Dior

Chapter 6

Dior put on a movie about a grand heist and soon drifted off to sleep on her couch. She woke around 4 PM, feeling groggy, and decided to do some work until evening. Around 6 PM, she made herself a frozen pizza in the oven. Her apartment wasn't too big, just about 700 square feet, but she was content with it. She didn't let herself think about what Noel had told her until she was finished showering and ready for her usual pre-bedtime scrolling session.

Stepping into her bedroom, she stared at the perfectly made bed. Fear gripped her at the thought of the bald man finding her. She walked to her closet, two sets of fold-open doors concealing a two-foot-deep space. To the left was a small, hidden opening, essentially invisible even with the closet doors open, where she stored a few boxes of old shoes. She moved the boxes to her hallway closet, shoving them behind her winter coat. Retrieving three blankets and an extra pillow, she set up a makeshift bed in the small space. Each time she entered, she had to push her hanging clothes aside, mentally scolding herself for having too many. She left the closet doors slightly open to let air in and felt grateful for her still-functioning A/C, making her want to curl up in the blankets. She knew she'd have a backache tomorrow, but it was worth a bit of peace of mind. Spending too long watching funny videos on her phone, she eventually fell asleep.

In her dream, Charles lay on his hospital bed, staring at her. She moved closer, and his eyes never left hers as he opened his mouth to say something.

"Dior, wake up."

She woke suddenly, hearing the familiar squeak of her front door. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Remembering where she had fallen asleep, she realized she was in complete darkness. She sat up and located her phone, immediately texting Noel. She hoped the squeak was her imagination but sent the SOS text anyway. Sitting there, barely breathing, she waited for the familiar creak of the floorboards leading to her bedroom. Her heart raced, and she held her phone to her chest to hide the brightness.

Her phone started to vibrate, a call from Noel. She immediately declined it, thankful it was on silent mode. She quickly texted that there might be someone in her apartment. The "typing" bubble appeared just as she heard the floorboard creak. Her heart sank, and she turned off her phone. It felt even more real now, and she stopped breathing, covering her mouth with her free hand. She sat silent in the pitch blackness, too scared to cry, feeling like hours had passed before she heard a siren in the distance.

Time seemed to blur until someone announced their presence as police. A light turned on outside her closet, but she remained frozen with fear, thinking it could still be the intruder.

"The apartment is clear, no signs of forced entry," she heard a man say, possibly into a radio. A few minutes later, she heard another voice she recognized—it was Noel. His footsteps grew closer, and he instructed the other officer to look again in case they missed anything. Noel entered her bedroom and called out.

"Dior, are you here?"

She finally moved, emerging from the closet. Noel looked at her with immediate relief, putting down the gun he was holding. She walked toward him, still shaken.

"There was someone in here. I'm not crazy, I swear," she said.

"Did you lock your front door?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied immediately.

"Shit. Okay, pack a bag. You can't stay here," he said. She nodded, slowly realizing the gravity of the situation. She grabbed a carry-on bag, packed some clothes and toiletries, and met Noel at her bedroom door, where he was thanking the officer for arriving quickly. She glanced at her phone and saw it was 4 AM. Almost feeling embarrassed for waking everyone up, she then remembered Levi.

"Wait, what about Levi? Do you think he's okay? I'm gonna call him," she said, her hands starting to shake.

The first call went to voicemail, and her heart felt like it was in her throat. She dialed again, feeling Noel's eyes on her.

"Hello?" a groggy voice answered, and she sighed with relief.

"Levi? Sorry to wake you. I wanted to make sure you were okay," she said, leaning against the wall of her small hallway.

"Yeah, I'm at my parents' for a few days. I just needed to get away a little bit. Are you okay? What happened?" he sounded more awake and worried.

"I—" she started, looking at Noel, who shook his head, signaling her to stay quiet. "I just had a bad dream, but I'm okay now. Sorry for waking you up."

Levi assured her she could always call, and she thanked him, expressing relief that he was getting away for a while. They hung up, and Levi promised to text her tomorrow to check on her.

As soon as she hung up, Noel grabbed her bag, and they headed out of her apartment. Dior also grabbed her laptop and chargers, shoving them into her backpack before locking the door behind her. She got inside Noel's car, noticing the cop who had arrived first was now looking around the perimeter. Noel put her bag in the back and said goodbye to the cop before getting in.

"I could probably stay with a friend. I just have to—" she started before he interrupted.

"No, tonight was too close. You can stay with me until we find him."

She was surprised but didn't argue, knowing she could be putting her friends in danger by staying with them. She sat silently in the passenger seat as they drove along the lit road toward wherever Noel lived.