CHAPTER 8

MIA

Looking back, I really should’ve known.

How could I have not heard anything?

Was I really that knocked out?

Whatever it is that people say about “good sex causing deep sleep” must be true for masturbation as well because I had never slept harder.

With closed eyes, I could feel the sheets clinging to my skin, but I didn’t care to move an inch.

Looking back, I definitely should have.

Maybe everything would’ve been different if, instead of turning over and sleeping longer, I had just opened my eyes and gotten up. Maybe if I hadn’t been so caught up in Griffon’s games, I wouldn’t have woken up two hours later than usual—panicked, naked, and scrambling to chase the sound of a waterfall pouring through my walls.

My feet are racing faster than my mind can keep up, and before I realize it, I’m slipping. In an instant, I feel my feet fly out from under me, and my body hits the floor with a loud thud.

“Ahhh!” I scream as a sharp pain shoots through my spine. I quickly roll onto my side, trying to relieve the pressure.

But just as I begin to turn, I freeze, forgetting the throbbing ache in my back. I am drawn to a puddle rapidly spreading down the hallway, heading straight for my living room.

As my brain starts to process what’s happening, I trace the trail back to its source…

The fucking bathroom.

“OH FUCK!” I yell as the realization hits me. Adrenaline surges through me, and my body springs up to rip open the bathroom door. But I immediately regret it when I see water pouring over the sides of my toilet like a fountain.

Fortunately, the water is crystal clear, resembling a birdbath more than a sewer. Still, my face scrunches up in disgust as I start running around, grabbing every towel in sight. I hear someone banging on my front door when I think it can’t get any worse.

“MIA?!!”

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK

“ARE YOU OKAY?!!”

Even though I’m silent, paralyzed by shock at the state of my apartment, it only takes a second for me to realize it’s Griffon.

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK

“MIA?!!! I have a key! I’m gonna come in, okay?!”

My eyes practically pop out of their sockets as I realize I’m completely nude.

“N-NO!! I’M OKAY, THANKS!” I screamed, rushed, and panicked.

My eyes are locked on the front door as I hear her pulling out her keys.

“Mia! I can hear the water through my walls! And I heard you fall! I’m coming in!” The frustration in her voice rips through the front door, and if I were in any other situation, I’d probably want to hear that on repeat. But all I can think about right now is Griffon seeing me completely naked.

I’ve never had better motivation to run fast in my life. As soon as I shut the door to my bedroom, I heard my front door unlocking and swinging open.

“Holy SHIT!” I hear as I tear through my closet, searching for my robe. When I finally find it, I don’t waste a second slipping it on and tying the strap around my waist. I let out a tiny sigh, feeling slightly less exposed after tackling this first problem.

But when I reopen the door to my bedroom and don’t see Griffon, my red flags shoot straight up. I start tiptoeing through the flooded hallway, gripping the walls to maintain my balance.

“Griffon?” I call out, not directing my voice anywhere specific since I have no idea where she is. It isn’t until I try to listen for her response that I realize the sound of the water flowing has stopped.

“In here!” Griffon shouts from the bathroom.

I'm in the doorway in seconds, fully prepared to confront her. But I’m not ready for the sight of Griffon in a navy blue short-sleeve button-down, completely open, with a partially drenched white tee underneath. Her black carpenter pants end perfectly above a pair of scuffed-up white high-tops. Most importantly, I can’t decide whether to focus on the thin gold necklace dangling against her chest or the trucker hat that, on anyone else, I would probably hate—but on her, it just works.

I don’t have time to dwell on that because she drops whatever tool she is using and turns around. Our eyes finally meet, and I’m instantly reminded of my silk robe as her gaze scans over my appearance. I might have just checked her out, but it feels so much more intense when she does it. It’s scary how fast her blue eyes darken. I’m almost grateful when she finally looks away; it feels like I can finally breathe.

She drops her head back and sighs deeply before turning back to me. “You’re not gonna wanna hear this.”

Immediately, my eyebrows shoot up. “Seeing as water was just coming out of my toilet like Niagara-fucking-Falls and you’re the one who said, and I quote, ‘You’re all set,’ I think I do want to hear it.”

Griffon lets out another deep sigh, taking off her hat to finger-comb through her long red hair. For a moment, I have to remind myself that I’m upset.

“Okay, I definitely deserved that. But it looks like the pipe itself might’ve burst. I just shut off your water so it would stop flooding your apartment.” She closes her eyes before continuing. “And I don’t know when I can get a new part in, but until then, we can't risk letting it flood again.”

I have no idea how long I’ve been standing there in silence until Griffon says my name.

“I’m sorry, are you saying I won't have any water?” I already know the answer, but something inside me needs to hear her say it again.

She hesitates but nods. “Yes, which I feel absolutely horrible about. But if it makes you feel any better, I could probably have it fixed within the next few days?”

Now my eyebrows are furrowed. “Make me feel better? I won’t have water for days?!”

I can see she’s deep in thought, biting her bottom lip, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing.

“What would make me feel better if you would leave me alone and stay in your own apartment!”

As satisfied as I feel for finally speaking up, every word seems to fly right over her head. I watch her eyes widen, and I can almost see the light bulb go off.

“That’s it!! My apartment!! You can stay with me until it’s fixed!”