Dead Pretty - Samantha Towle Page 0,3

apartment 209, which is down the other end of the hall from mine, so the cat could possibly be his.

But when I knocked on apartment 209’s door, there was no answer. So, I’ll try later.

I do my check of my apartment again.

Stupid, I know, because I was gone all of fifteen minutes, but I won’t settle until I’ve done it.

When I’m finished, I grab the book I started last night—about a hot-as-hell hockey player and the girl he shouldn’t be in love with but is.

I might not be able to have love in my life, but that doesn’t mean I can’t read about it.

Taking a seat on the sofa next to my new friend, I put the TV on for background noise. Total silence makes me uncomfortable.

The cat climbs into my lap and gets herself settled.

“Guess you’re sitting here then.”

I begin reading my book, and I stroke her soft fur, enjoying the sound of her sweet, little purring noise.

I have gotten only halfway through a chapter when there’s a knock at my door, and I almost jump out of my skin.

I scare the crap out of the cat as well. It skitters to the other side of the sofa.

“Sorry,” I whisper to the cat, pressing my hand to my chest against my pounding heart.

Putting my book down, I get up and walk on quiet feet to the front door.

Reaching up on my tiptoes, I peer through the peephole.

And my heart stops.

It’s the guy from the library.

He’s here at my front door.

I take a step back.

Why is he here?

How does he know I live here?

Blood starts to rush to my head.

I feel dizzy.

I reach for the wall for support.

Another knock.

“Hello?” His voice is deep and throaty, and it does a combination of things to me. Makes my stomach flip and my fear increase.

It’s confusing to me.

What should I do?

Ignore him? Pretend that I’m not here?

“Uh, my name is Jack. I live in the building. Apartment 209. I moved in a few days ago.” His voice is clear as glass through the door. “My cat got out, and our neighbor—Chloe from apartment 212—said that you found her.”

A couple of things happen in this moment.

I realize that he knows I’m in here. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given me the whole spiel through the door. Which makes me feel stupid for acting like I wasn’t here.

This guy lives in my building?

I’ve seen him at the library but not here. But to be fair, it’s not like I see any of my neighbors. I make it my business not to.

And the cat is his. Which gives me a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment.

In this short time, I’ve really gotten to like my furry friend.

Licking my dry lips, I swallow before speaking, “Sorry. Yes. Just hold on one second.”

I work my way through the locks that keep the world out and me safely inside.

I open the door, revealing him.

He’s still wearing the clothes I saw him in earlier, sans the leather jacket. His hair is ruffled, like he just ran his fingers through it.

And close up, he is even better-looking.

Crap.

“Hi.” He has a smile on his face, but then his expression seems to click into recognition. “Oh. Hey. You work at the library, right?”

My heart thuds in my chest.

He’s seen me there.

And there I was, thinking I had been inconspicuous.

“Um … yes, I do.” My words come out croaky, like I haven’t spoken in years.

“Yeah, I thought I recognized you.” He glances over my head into my apartment. “So, you have Eleven.”

“Eleven?”

“My cat.”

“Oh. Yeah. I’ll just go get her for you.”

I turn away, and I shut the door.

Right. In. His. Face.

It’s out of habit. But also rude as hell.

I cringe.

Then, I pull the door back open and give him a sheepish look. “Sorry,” I say to him.

He just laughs. It’s an easygoing laugh but nice too. “No problem.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll just go get her.”

God, I’m acting even more awkward than normal.

Remember the days when you used to be a normal person, Audrey? And also when you didn’t talk to yourself in the third person?

Oh, those were the days.

Sigh.

I retrieve Eleven, as I now know her to be named, from the sofa. Holding her to me, I walk back to where Jack is waiting for us in the doorway to my apartment.

“Here she is.” I hand her over to him.

Jack’s hand brushes mine in the exchange. A zing of heat shoots up my arm, and my pulse increases in tempo.

It surprises me. Enough that I step