“Excuse me for a minute.”
Nina is at her door by the time I reach the bottom of the stairs.
“Nina? May I speak to you real quick?”
She freezes there like I’ve caught her stealing.
I soften my voice. “Everything’s fine.” I mount the bottom stair and make my way up. “I just need to talk to you.”
She turns around, but her movements are so wooden they make my joints ache.
My stomach drops. “Have you been hurt again?” I practically whisper the question, aware that the silence in the kitchen means everyone is listening.
Nina shakes her head, her hair falling from behind her ears. “No. I’m okay.” Her alert expression fills with a look of dread. “Did he come here today?”
“Who?” I ask like an idiot.
“Kaleb. My boy—” Her nostrils flare. “My ex-boyfriend. Did he come here today? He showed up at the restaurant, and it was—” She shakes her head and shuts her eyes.
“No. No.” I reach out to put a reassuring hand on her arm, but she shies away, so I step back to give her space. She doesn’t open her eyes. It’s like she’s trapped in a memory. I wish I could help her. “If there’s anything I could do—”
“No.” Nina opens her eyes and stares straight at me. “You’ve already done so much.”
I remember the reason I came after her. “Well, I’ve done something else you might not love.”
She blinks.
“I rented the last room.” I wrinkle my nose. “To a guy.”
Nina pales. “Did he say his name was Kaleb or Matthew? That’s Kaleb’s middle na—”
“No,” I shake my head quickly. “His name is Lark Bienvenue. He’s a geology student at UL.” At least that’s what he said. I didn’t bother to check his I.D. Panic rises, and I whip out my phone, double-checking the information on the lease agreement.
It’s there in black and white. Lark Bienvenue. Who would have thought I’d be so relieved to see his name there instead of someone else’s? I show Nina the screen.
Her breath rushes out of her, and she sways slightly.
“It’s okay,” I say, to myself as much as to her. “You’re safe here.”
She swipes the heel of her hand across her brow that is now glistening with sweat.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She shakes her head and visibly swallows. “I need a lock on my door. Can I have a lock on my door?”
When she says it, I want to kick myself. The only door up here that actually locks is the bathroom. Most of the doorknobs in the house are fluted crystal with brass plates. No locks. They’re beautiful, but that’s pretty much it.
“I should have thought of that. Of course you can. It’s such an old house. Nothing’s been touched in years,” I babble. “I’ll call a locksmith first thing in the morning, and we’ll get your knob replaced with something else.”
Nina shakes her head. “I don’t want to mess up your house. A chain lock or a sliding latch would be fine.” She meets my eyes again. “Just so that when I’m in there I know no one can get to me.”
I’m speechless. The fear and exhaustion in her eyes might just tear my heart out. “Tomorrow. It’ll be installed tomorrow.”
She nods and turns back toward her door.
“Nina?” She doesn’t want help, but how can I not offer her something?
She looks back at me, caution in her eyes.