It sinks in that Harmon Stone is at my apartment the moment he pulls up to the curb. If I weren’t so tired and stressed, I’d have him turn around and go home. I can’t imagine him in my apartment, not after seeing the way he lives. The suite we stayed in while in New York was bigger than this… what will he think about that?
But… here we are. There’s nothing I can do about it. Deep down, I know he won’t judge me. At least not out loud, but he may in his head.
No, he won’t. He’s not like that.
“Are you ready to go up?” I ask nervously.
He looks at me with a slight frown. “Shouldn’t I ask you that?”
“This is going to be a whole new world for you.”
“I’ve been inside of an apartment before, Cassius.”
“Oh, yeah? Whose?” He only stares at me. “Never mind. I don’t wantto know.”
I open the door and get out, waiting on the sidewalk for him. When he’s out of the car, I move toward the three-story building and up the porch steps. Which is when I realized I don’t have my keys. Or my cell phone.
“Shit.” I glance at my car, which is probably where I left all my stuff. I’d jumped out so fast when I saw the witch that I didn’t think about anything else. “Hold on.”
I hurry down the steps and to my car, but it’s locked. Cammy must have grabbed everything. I go back to the door and ring the bell. The hallway light flicks on, after a few moments, Cammy opens the door. She lets out a sigh of relief.
“I wasn’t sure you’d be home tonight.”
I step into the hallway and hug her. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. This wasn’t your fault. It was the psycho bitch.”
“I should have kept my cool. I can’t act like that when I have Chrissy to worry about.”
“We’re good, Cass. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“It will be,” Harmon adds in a firm tone. Cammy and I pull apart to look at him. “I will make sure of it.”
Cammy smiles at him fondly, then holds out her hand. “Camarra Carr.”
“Harmon Stone,” he says when he takes her hand and shakes it.
“Were you seeing him in safely, or are you coming up for the night?”
“Cammy,” I hiss, nudging her with my elbow. I don’t miss the innuendo in her voice.
“I’d planned to stay, but if Cassius has changed his mind, I have no problem going home.”
“I’m sure he hasn’t,” Cammy says quickly. “Please come in.”
She pulls me aside to allow room for him. He gives me a humored smile as he passes. I growl at Cammy, then hurry up the steps, letting them follow me up. I try not to think too hard about it when I enter the apartment. Chrissy is sitting on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and—
“I thought we agreed to watch this together,” I say, pointing at the TV, specifically at Dean’s face.
“Chrissy was upset,” Cammy says. “I needed a way to calm her down.”
Chrissy stares at the TV like a zombie. I’m not sure she sees me.
“Hello, earth to Chrissy?” I wave a hand in front of her face. She blinks, then looks up at me.
“Cass!” She jumps up, spilling some of the popcorn and lunging at me, landing in my arms. I squeeze her tightly. “You’re home.”
“Of course I’m home.”