7. Aeri

T he guy at the desk hardly looks up when I enter the building, but I find the little cart with my bags waiting in front of one of the elevators. He might be strange, but I can't deny the cart is awesome. The elevator doors close behind me, and I let out a sigh of relief. So much has happened in such a short time, good, bad, or otherwise, but I'm still here. I'm still free, at least for now.

When the elevator dings, I force myself to get a grip before digging my keycard out of my pocket. The doors slide open, and, with a huff, I haul the cart out behind me before it can get trapped to go back down to the main floor. I might not have been able to grab a lot when I left, but damn, it's still heavy even on wheels.

Or maybe I'm just out of shape.

The hall to the door of the penthouse is only a few feet long, just enough to give someone enough time to realize they might be on the wrong floor and turn around. Unfortunately for me, no matter how much I feel like I should turn around right now, I know I can't, not really.

Not unless I want to sleep on the streets tonight.

I stand in front of the door for a moment before I bring the card to the scanner and hear the beep that tells me it's unlocked. Some crazy part of my brain was worried it wouldn't work, but as I pushed the door open with sweaty palms, I almost wish it hadn't.

Bast sits at the same counter he'd been at when I came last night, only this time instead of quickly turning away, he's looking right at me. I freeze like a deer in headlights. If I wasn't so stunned, I might laugh because Bast looks as though he might be as well.

I'm not sure what I expected when walking in, but coming face to face with him definitely wasn't it, especially since I hadn't even really seen his face yesterday. I should look away, or, you know, at least move the rest of the way into the apartment, but instead, I stand in the doorway, letting the cart knock into my heels as I stare at him.

He's fucking stunning.

His long white-blonde hair falls down into his eyes a bit but doesn't hide them enough for me to miss how breathtakingly blue they are, almost like ice. His skin is pale, as if he doesn't go out in the sun often, and I can see that. Even after just meeting him yesterday, I'd bet he's not a people person. As I look at him, he looks at me in return, rolling his lower lip before his tongue darts out to play with the ring that sits snugly on the bottom right side of his mouth. For a moment, I swear his eyes flicker with some emotion I can't place, but it's gone again so quickly I'm unsure it was ever there to begin with.

My eyes roam over his face greedily, soaking in the image of him, knowing he could turn away at any moment, the way he had yesterday.

Almost as quickly as he'd looked my way, he's up and headed down the hall. The distant sound of a door closing lets me know he's probably gone off to his room.

Damn it.

With a sigh, I let myself sag forward.

Great first impressions I'm making here. Kai already seems to hate me for god knows whatever reason, and now Bast is running from me. And don't even get me started on Asta…

Shaking myself, I pull the cart in through the door, letting it fall closed as I pull it toward my room. I need to stay focused. While I might be living here with them, they don't have to like me. With any luck, I won't be here long. I'll spend most of my time working to save as much as possible.

With my plan back in place, I move my bags from the cart onto my bedroom floor before wheeling it back into the hall. I contemplate bringing it back downstairs, but in the end, I decide against it. This seems like the kind of place they might do that sort of thing for you, and if not, I'll bring it back down later. Right now, all I want to do is hide away in my room for a little while, despite it only being early afternoon. Today has been a lot, and a nap sounds fantastic right now.

Safely back in my room, I don't bother unpacking. Instead, kicking off my shoes and flopping down on my bed. The sound that leaves my mouth makes me thankful I shut the door because, holy hell, this is the most comfortable bed I've been in since I left home. There's no doubt these guys have money. There's no way this bed was cheap. Nothing here is, from the nightstand to the rug, it's all top dollar.

Trust me, I know.

So why is the rent so cheap? Hell, why even bother renting the room to begin with? I'm sure they could find a dozen better things to do with it.

Before I can think too much about it, my eyes drift closed, and I don't fight it. There's time to worry about every little thing later. It's kind of how I handle things lately, but for now, sleep is calling my name, and I'm more than happy to answer.

I wake with a start, almost rolling off the damn bed, but I have no idea what woke me. Sitting up, I rub the sleepies from my eyes, and it takes a second for me to remember where I even am. So many nights in random hotels blur in my mind, and it's not until my vision finally clears that I register the room and remember.

Shit, what time is it?

There's no clock in the room, and I make a mental note to get some kind of alarm clock. If I slept that hard, it's very possible my little phone alarms might not do the trick, and the last thing I need is to lose my job.

Speaking of my phone, where the hell is it? I swear it was in my pocket when I laid down, but I don't feel it despite checking twice. Jumping up off the bed, I quickly shake out the blankets, cringing when I hear it hit the floor.

Hopefully, that expensive rug was enough of a cushion that I didn't just break it. Scooping it up, I say a little silent prayer before I turn it over, sighing in relief when I find the screen intact. The screen lights up, and I'm shocked to see it's already after five. I'd made it to Ruin at ten this morning, which means I probably got here around noon. How the hell had I just slept for almost five hours? It was meant to be a short nap.

The missed call icon at the top of my phone grabs my attention, and I realize my phone is probably what woke me. I've called and emailed so many people about work and places to live that the chances of it being someone I need to talk to are slim.

Shit.

Pulling up my call log, I find one of the three people I have saved in my phone. My boss had called, and I missed it.

Not giving myself a moment to second guess or worry, I click the screen and call her back.

"Hello, Rise it looks like it was made to enjoy to the utmost degree with top-of-the-line, well, everything.

The tile is a deep gray that goes from the door all the way into the shower, and the walls are just a few shades lighter. The sink and tub are also a lighter gray, and oh my god, the tub.

It's enormous, a giant square I could probably swim in…with jets!

The tub calls to me. I can't remember the last time I took a good soak, but I don't have time for that right now. Not to mention, if I were going to take a bath, I'd much rather do it when I knew who was here, or even better, when nobody was.

I move quickly, pulling my clothes off as I head to the shower, only to be left naked and confused when I reach it. There are no less than a dozen buttons and knobs on the wall, and not a single one of them is labeled.

Fuck, this is so ridiculous. It's not as if I'm going to go out and ask for help, naked or not, that sounds silly. So I do the only other thing I can think of and start pushing buttons and twisting knobs.

The very first button turns on water, but it doesn't come from the shower head, instead falling from the ceiling like rain, and suddenly, I don't need the regular shower head.

Oh my god, between the tub and now this, I could live in this bathroom.

But not actually. I have a job I need, which means I need to move my ass. Somehow the water is the perfect temperature, and the sound that leaves my mouth at the feel of the water as it rains down on me is almost more animal than human. It echoes back to me, and I cringe at how stupid it sounds, but I remind myself nobody else is awake and keep moving.

Thankfully, I'd stolen the little travel bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from the last hotel I'd stayed in. I make a mental note to grab some of my own soon. These tubes are small and will probably only be enough for this one shower, but that's all I need for now.

The shower head feels like a damn massage as it shoots the water down at my back. I can't help but let my eyes fall closed and enjoy it for a moment despite my previous rush.

A moan escapes my lips before I can think better of it, and I slap a hand over my mouth in shock when it echoes around the large, open space of the shower.

That's enough to get me moving again, and I quickly wash up before turning the water off and drying as fast as I can.

Please let them still be asleep.

Pulling on my jeans and shirt, I quickly comb through my hair and brush my teeth before dropping my stuff back in my travel bag. After a quick survey of the room, I head back to the door.

I shouldn't be worried about running into them. We share this space. I pay to live here and was told I could use the bathroom, living room, and kitchen. But even knowing that, I can't help but feel on edge. Maybe it's because of my past, or maybe it's because I don't really know them, and it will get easier. Either way, I can't stop myself from pressing my ear to the door to listen for signs of them being up and moving around.

Everything is quiet. So, with a deep breath, I pull the door open and head out, making a beeline back to my room. With my door closed, I feel like I can breathe easier, at least for the moment. I toss my travel bag onto the foot of my bed before I pull up Uber on my phone and look to order a ride.

Fuck!

Either this city is super busy this early, or nobody is a morning person because there are no drivers available. I'm not sure I've ever seen that.

Panic grips me as I look at the time. It's three thirty now, which means I have an hour and a half to get there.

I can do this.

I won't let one little setback stop me. I need this job so I can get out of here. With a new sense of determination, I pull up the bus schedule for the city as I all but collapse onto my bed.

After about ten minutes, I start to wonder if I'm determined or delusional as I stare at my phone and try to understand the route and which bus I need to take. I'd only ever looked at the bus schedule once before, which was from the motel when I first applied, but that had also confused me. In the end, I'd asked the girl at the counter, and she'd helped me figure out what bus I would need. Prior to running, I'd never had a need for a bus. I'd been chauffeured everywhere, hardly even allowed to drive my own car.

My stomach rumbles, and a quick look at the time tells me I need to get my ass moving if I want to even have a chance at getting to what I hope will be the right bus.

Moving toward the door, I hesitate a moment. I could text Ruin. He told me if I needed anything, he'd help. But I don't want to rely on him, especially not when I plan to disappear as soon as I have enough saved to do so. It feels wrong. He's been nothing but nice to me, and knowing I plan to run and never talk to him again makes me feel shitty. Ruin is the first real friend I've had in a long, long time.

No. I can do this on my own.

The house is still quiet when I make my way down the hall, and I don't see anyone in the living room or kitchen. Hopefully, I can grab something small to eat and get out of here before that changes.

Making my way around the high counter, I move to the fridge and find it seriously packed with food. Everything sounds great. I'd love nothing more than to fry up some eggs and toast; it's one of the few meals I can make, but sadly, I don't have enough time for that this morning.

With a sigh of disappointment, I let the door fall closed and spot a bowl of fruit on the counter next to the coffee pot. Snagging a banana, I start toward the door. This will do well enough for now. If I'm still hungry later, I can always grab something from the shop, so long as I make it there in time.