Tethered Hearts | ✓ | Books 1 & 2

Episode 11| Where the Sun Don't Shine

Sophia's P.O.V.

"I love your outfit," Kelsey complimented, exiting out of the elevator after me. I slowed my speed and let her catch up with me so we could walk alongside each other. The hallways were cleared out and we were the only ones that wandered through it—like lost children in a super market. I knew they occupied the two top floors, but I didn't expect for there to be two single doors and nothing else while walking through the lifeless corridors.

"Thanks," I mumbled softly.

If I played my cards right, perhaps Kelsey won't bury me alive. My life might not be at risk like I had predicted earlier this week.

Well, on second thought...

Today, Kelsey wasn't my biggest fear. Brooklyn was. I was crossing my fingers , hoping that she wouldn't find out about me using her clothes. I'd be on the seven o'clock news as a missing person case if she knew I had borrowed her clothes.

"I kind of just put something together." I said. "I let my subconscious take over and decide what to wear."

What am I saying? Stop talking. Stop talking now.

"Well it's really nice," Kelsey continued, grinning. This conversation contrasted to how she was downstairs with the security guys. In this setting with soft lights hitting her dusky colored skin, I caught myself smiling back at her. She looked kind, staggeringly different than her notorious, vicious glare that scared girls off.

We came to a stop at the first door on our left. Kelsey patted down her pockets, looking for the apartment key. "One sec." She brought out a set of keys from her jacket, examining them to see which one would unlock the door.

"Is this your apartment?"

"No, this is Bryce's. Mine is across the hall," she replied. "He should be asleep though. I didn't see him come home last night, but I know he made it safe from Rickey's Bar."

"Rickey's? You mean that creepy dive bar in Downtown?" I scoffed. "I didn't know people actually went in there. I've driven past it a few times."

Kelsey's hands hovered over the door knob. "That's Bryce's uncle's bar. Bryce owns a quarter of it."

I gulped. "Oh. Um, I —"

Kelsey cut me off mid-sentence.

I was hoping she'd say she was kidding. That this was a joke and that she only said that to get a reaction out of me. The crease between her brows told me a separate case scenario. "It's alright. We get that a lot. Bryce is always there though, and so are most of our friends. You should stop by if you ever have time. Have you ever been inside?"

"Uh, no. I haven't." I answered. "I'm still eighteen. I'm turning nineteen next week."

Kelsey's face lit up as she inserted the key in and swung the door open. "Really? Your birthday's next week?"

"Yeah, it's next week. I'm not big on birthday parties though. I'm probably not going to do anything special."

"That's ridiculous. You need to do something for your birthday. You must have something planned."

"My friend Nicolas wants to go to this carnival for my birthday," I divulged. "He bought the tickets in advance. That's all I'd do for my birthday, besides hanging out with my family during the daytime."

I paused in front of the threshold, hesitating a few steps behind Kelsey. She was already ahead of me, walking into the apartment as if she owned the place. My eyes grazed up to the tall ceilings and the accents of deep shades of blue in all the furniture choices.