I'll Be Seeing You

Four.

Mark cranked the heat up, and I must have gotten a little too relaxed, because I didn't wake up until we pulled into his apartment building. He grabbed my things from the car, and I followed him upstairs. Since I'd slept the whole way, I wasn't entirely sure where we were, but I knew we were still somewhere in town.

"Welcome home," he said, unlocking the door.

"I can't believe you live here by yourself," I said, stepping inside.

"Well, I have a roommate now." He smiled.

"That you do." I laughed, a soft sound I hadn't heard come out of my mouth in days.

I was shocked at how clean everything was. Not that I had pictured Mark as a total slob, but most men weren't this tidy or organized. His apartment was gorgeous and had a lot more space than I'd imagined. It smelled like fresh laundry and cedarwood—just like him.

"I do have two bedrooms, but one's being used as storage right now. So, I'll give you my room and work on clearing out the other one this weekend."

"No, Mark—you don't have to do all that. You've already done more than enough. I don't mind crashing on the couch."

"Absolutely not. You're taking the bed. And I won't take no for an answer."

I smiled, my heart catching in my throat. "Thank you. For all of this. I appreciate you more than you know."

"That's what friends are for. Anything I can do to help."

"You've done more than enough. I'm really grateful for you."

"If you want to hop in the shower, I'll go ahead and order some food. That okay?"

"Yes, please. I am in desperate need of a hot shower."

"Chinese sound good?"

"You know me too well."

I left him to sort out dinner while I grabbed some clean clothes and headed to the bathroom. The moment I closed the door and the steam started to rise, I let out a breath and stood still for a moment. The sound of running water was like a balm.

As the warmth hit my skin, I realized I'd need to go shopping soon—basic stuff like shampoo, lotion, maybe even a toothbrush. For now, I'd just smell like Mark, and honestly, I wasn't mad about that. He always smelled amazing when I passed him in the hall at work—clean, calm, like something safe.

I scrubbed until my skin was nearly raw, as if I could wash away everything Chris had ever said or done. I knew it wasn't that simple, but at least I could start with the outside. I'd take another shower before bed. Maybe two. Maybe ten. Whatever it took.

After brushing out my hair and pulling on clean clothes, I joined Mark on the couch. He'd already placed my things in his room—no argument, no fuss—and was scrolling through movie options.

"Food's on the way," he said, glancing over with that warm, familiar smile.

"Perfect," I said, curling my legs up beside me. "Thank you again, for all of this."

"You're safe here, Alyssa. That's all that matters." And for the first time, I believed it.

We ate our Chinese food and watched a couple of movies. I had to admit, I'd never lived with a guy friend before—it was definitely a new experience. The only other man I'd ever lived with was Chris, and even then, we were already in a relationship by the time I moved in. So, this situation with Mark was different. It would take some getting used to, sure—but in a strange way, I was looking forward to it.