Sage

Sage

Erica called me and asked if I wanted to get my nails done with Scarlett and Vi today. I guess they were having a girls’ day and wanted me to tag along. I’ve never had a lot of girlfriends before, so my automatic response was going to be no thanks. I think Erica is starting to get to know me too well, though. Before I could even respond she was cutting me off, asking for my address and saying she was already on her way.

We all got manicures, Erica going with a deep green, Vi a cobalt blue, and Scarlett a hot pink. I was going to go with black since it’s my go-to, but a fire-engine red was calling my name, and I have no regrets. They fucking slap.

After nails, the girls were hungry, and Scarlett practically begged and pleaded for Dick’s Burgers. If you’re not from Seattle, you’d probably think that the place was made up, or a hole in the wall. Instead, it’s practically a Washington staple. Personally, it’s not my favorite place to go, but I’m not too picky.

Since it’s a drive-in, we decided to take it somewhere to eat instead of eating in the parking lot. I suggested my place, since I’m the only one who lives alone. Scarlett and Erica grab the food, as a very pregnant Vi and I get out of the car and make our way inside where thankfully there is an elevator to my floor.

“Ow, little girl.” Vi winces as she backs up against the cool metal wall holding her stomach.

My eyes widen in panic as I step closer to her.

“Are you okay? Are you having the baby or something?”

Vi gives me a small smile and a laugh before shaking her head.

“No, believe it or not, I still have a little over a month left. She just decided to use my bladder as her own personal kickboxing bag.”

I wrinkle my nose up at that and frown.

“Rude.”

“Right?” Vi laughs.

Scarlett watches Vi with a sad smile before absentmindedly running a hand over her flat stomach. I don’t know a ton, but Erica told me that Scarlett was diagnosed with cancer last year. Ovarian cancer, and she ended up having to get a full hysterectomy. Apparently she was devastated over it, but they did freeze her eggs, so she still has a chance to have biological children of her own one day, just maybe through different methods.

When the elevator doors slide open, I step out first, leading everyone down the hallway. However once we are a few steps outside my apartment door, I freeze. I locked my door. I know I did. I double-checked that I locked it just like I do every single time. So, why the fuck is it wide open?

My breathing begins to quicken as I take a step closer, now noticing the frame is completely splintered apart. Like someone broke in.

When I crest the corner, my heart sinks as fear takes hold of me. My place is trashed, absolutely ransacked. The couch is tipped over, dining room table chairs are broken, and there is a slash through the new painting I bought at the flea market last week.

“Holy shit!” Erica exclaims. “What happened?”

I don’t respond, though. Instead, I reach for the baseball bat tucked behind the bookshelf in the entryway and slowly make my way inside. I hear the girls creeping in behind me when I whip my head over my shoulders, putting my finger to my lips as I do. They all look scared to death, and I instantly feel equal parts humiliated and worried that they are with me right now.

I pop my head into my bathroom first, noticing all of the makeup I had out has been crushed, snapped, or smeared. The bathroom mirror is even shattered, and my straightening iron is laying bent on the floor as the obvious culprit. There is also water covering the floor. The toilet has literally been ripped out and is lying on its side, the pipe slowly leaking water everywhere. My eyes follow the trail that is now soaking into the hardwood floor hallway. Nothing like a fuck ton of water damage on an upper floor.

Letting out a slow breath, I check my bedroom, and I could cry at what I see.

My dresser is tipped over, several clothes literally ripped to pieces. The two windows in the room are broken, pieces of glass litter the perimeter of the room. My bed is also flipped with several long jagged knife slits in it. My safe keeping place…all of my savings…gone.

Panic fills me as Erica comes behind me, touching my shoulder gently.

“Sweetheart, we need to call the police.”

I turn to look at her, furrowing my eyebrows. Police? They aren’t going to do anything. Whoever did this is long gone, and so is my getaway cash.

“Why?” I ask instead.

Erica’s eyes bug out of her head as she looks at me.

“Um, because you were obviously robbed. Did they take anything that you can tell?”

I don’t respond to her, my eyes tracing over the destroyed room, tears beginning to build behind my eyes despite how hard I bite them back.

“Yes, hello?” I hear Erica’s voice say. “I’d like to report a break-in.”

Slowly, Vi leans into my vision, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

I look up at her with watery eyes.

“No,” I croak.

She gives me a sad look as she squeezes me softly.

“Do you have any idea who could have done this?”

A gut feeling tells me who could potentially be behind this, but I do my best to push the emotion-driven thought away. It couldn’t be him, not just because of the reassuring phone call that I had with Calista, but as of a few months ago he had a stylish piece of ankle jewelry, making it impossible for him to leave Santa Fe County.

I just shake my head as silent tears begin rolling down my face. Vi wraps her arms around me while Scarlett and Erica give me sad sympathetic looks. They think I’m crying because my stuff is destroyed. I couldn’t give a shit about any of that, though. I’m crying because the small sense of safety I was holding onto, the reassurance that I had a little something to make sure I never ended up in the same situation that I was in again, is gone.

The police show up after an hour or so. They honestly seem like they couldn’t give a shit and are shuffling out the door within minutes.

“We will do everything we can, but I don’t think there is really anywhere to go from here,” one says to me, causing me to scoff and shake my head at his bullshit.

“Are you kidding me? What about DNA? They touched everything in here obviously, or the security cameras in the hallway. Obviously they came in somehow,” Erica throws at them with an irritated fold of her arms.

He looks at her and shakes his head.

“It’s a lot more complicated than the stuff you see on TV, ma’am. We will open a report, and if we catch the people responsible, we will let you know,” he says, finishing his sentence on me.

Oh great. Can’t wait to never get that phone call.

With that, he turns and walks out of the apartment to join his other useless buddies.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Erica practically fumes. “What do they expect you to do? Just replace all of your things? And what about security? They didn’t even fix your door!”

“They’re police officers, Erica. Not handymen,” I snort in a self-deprecating kind of way.

Vi is talking on the phone, but she quickly hangs up as she takes a step over to us.

“I just made some calls. I have a guy coming over to repair what damage he can.”

I run a hand through my hair, only imagining the type of phone call my father will get when he is notified about this. I mean, it’s his name on the lease. Not sure he’d care outside of losing his security deposit. He practically cut me off when I skipped town two years ago and sang ‘I told you so’s’ until the cows came home when I got back. He didn’t even bother to ask why I left him, why I had to come crawling back to Seattle. He just tossed a job, car, and apartment at me and has barely spoken to me since.

“Where are you going to stay tonight?” Scarlett asks. “I mean, you can’t stay here. Your door doesn’t even lock.”

I grab the bat to my left, cradling it in my hand as I look at the open doorway.

“Don’t need a lock at this point.”

Erica rolls her eyes like I’m being ridiculous. Like I could never handle myself in a situation like that. Oh how wrong she would be.

“I’m not even going to respond to that. If you don’t have a place to stay, you’ll come stay with Seb and me until your place is fixed.”

My eyebrows sink at that, and I shake my head before she can even finish her sentence.

“No. Thank you, Erica, but no. I’m not bringing my shitty problems to your doorstep. You have a family to look out for.”

“You think they targeted you on purpose? That they could do it again?” Scarlett asks with a small gasp.

I glance at her and shrug, letting things lie in the air before Erica speaks. I honestly don’t know what to think. The cynic in me tells me it’s too coincidental, but the small piece of me that is trying to stay positive, hopes to fucking god that isn’t the case.

“Fine, not any of our places. I know somewhere, though. Best security system money can buy and plenty of room.”

I raise an eyebrow at her in question. I can’t deny a place with a solid security system sounds more than appealing right now. I’m trying not to let my fear overtake me, but I’m two seconds away from trembling out of my skin.

“Where?”