Author's Note: vickiwaitingx
===
2003
Nathan Lorenzo
"If you insist on using surveillance, why let me leave the apartment?" I paced back and forth with my cell phone while unpacking the suitcase at the apartment.
"You're not two years old, Nate. I'm no babysitter, either. Captain even wanted me to stay with you at the apartment at all costs, but I negotiated differently. You're smarter than he thinks." Reece sighed out loud on the other line.
"Thanks for clarifying. I'm sure we would've lost our minds by staying together like that, even if things might be dangerous." I nodded in that moment.
"Yeah, but remember something for me. Don't live in fear. Ever. Our dreams would never come true otherwise." Reece offered her advice
"Of course. Anyways, what are you doing now? I'm unpacking to kill time around here in the apartment." I still paced while hanging up clothes at the time.
"Paperwork for another case. It's confidential, though." Reece probably shook her head while sitting behind a wooden desk that piled with folders and documents.
"I understand. Can we change the subject? You seem a little stressed out." I responded, hopefully distracting her by now.
"Sure. I've been working all day anyway. What's on your mind, Nate?" Reece questioned soon enough.
"Well..." Out of nowhere, I needed to trail off my words at the moment. My eyes widened.
"Sorry, can't talk right now! Stay at the apartment. There's a robbery downtown and officers called me in. I can't keep tabs on you in any other way. Goodbye, Nathan." Reece scrambled to explain herself quickly before hanging up.
I stared down at my cell phone. My heart just pounded with absolute fear and confusion instead. Silence filled the bedroom otherwise
I couldn't even distract myself by unpacking anymore. With every passing moment, I'd probably never see her again.
__
Later that day, my cell phone finally buzzed. I'd allowed myself to doze off after unpacking again and immediately recognized the number.
"Reece?!" I almost yelled into the receiver for obvious reasons. My heart pounded with fear all over again.
"Yeah, it's me. Wanted to call back and say that I'm all right, Nate. My partner was shot in the arm, though." Reece just sighed once more.
"I'm so sorry! What happened?" I questioned out of absolute concern. Silence fell in the bedroom again.
"Two teenagers thought it was a good idea to steal Air Jordans from a popular shoe store. When I couldn't calm things down, my partner aimed to interfere and one of the punks just shot his arm to retaliate." Reece explained the moment of crime.
"Where is your partner? Have medical examiners seen damage yet?" I questioned once more.
"Andre may need to step off from duty for a while depending on this injury, but he's tough. We'll see what happens." Reece predicted conclusions.
"Praying for both of you. Is there any chance that I could meet him?" I calmed down before long.
"Andre's already at the hospital and I'm heading back to the police station to question those punks myself. Not a good time. I'll come by the apartment to check in with you later, though." Reece detailed a plan for the upcoming night.
"All right. Stay safe. I'll see you later." I sighed out loud this time. There was no other choice at this moment.
___
That night, three knocks on the front door turned me away from the decent television.
I quickly jogged over in this small apartment and noticed Reece standing beyond the tiny peephole. A relived smile crept onto my face in that moment.
"Hey!" I welcome her inside for obvious reasons and she already glanced around to notice possible issues. Just in case someone wanted to bring me trouble.
"Hi. I owe you food, even though I'm a cop first and foremost, Nathan." Reece wouldn't even calm down her overprotective nature while actually carrying Chinese takeout boxes.
"Are you serious? You didn't have to do this." I watched the wooden floor, shocked by her gesture.
"Look, I'd be foolish to make you wait any longer for food. Let me be selfless for a little bit." Reece laughed to herself despite previous circumstances.
"Thanks." I repeated myself and walked over to kitchen table for now.
"No problem. Let's just hope that we can eat together or something before someone calls me out of here." Reece still organized those takeout boxes in one way or another.
__
She was wrong. Lo and behold, Reece ended up leaving me alone once again within an hour.
Back downtown, someone apparently threatened to steal other merchandise from the mall. I shook my head, feeling disappointed out of habit.
By the time Reece called me back to assure clearance of that hefty situation, my eyes could barely wake up again. No other feeling.
"No guns. Kids just don't care about rules anymore." Reece lowered her voice on the other line. Silence fell between us.
"Damn. Well, good night. See you in the morning hopefully." I rubbed down my face.
"Call me after you wake up. Captain cleared my morning shift and I want you to meet someone." Reece suddenly uttered details I hadn't expected.
"Who?" I questioned her and scrunched up my face in that moment. Silence fell once more.
"Andre. Visiting him in that hospital would probably be the least traumatic thing I could do tomorrow." Reece smiled before hanging up one last time.
I only went to sleep and anticipated the next day.
