Page 55 of Undeniably Corrupt

Me: So far, it’s just me. It came on fast. Sorry. I think I’ll be better by the end of the week, I hope.

Vander: Sure. No worries. Feel better.

Me: Thanks. I can work from home. I have my laptop.

He doesn’t reply, and I let it go as I eat with Hazel and let her watch a million more minutes of TV than I regularly let her because it’s distracting and happy and talks about freaking friendship and love.

Just asDaniel Tiger’s Neighborhoodis ending, there’s a knock on our door. Ice slithers through my veins, and reluctantly, I check the peephole on our door.

Vander. What the absolute fuck is he doing here?

“Um. Hi.”

“Hey. I was nearby and brought you some soup and some medicine.”

One, there’s no way he was anywhere nearby. Two, is he trying to make me cry again? He brought me soup and medicine?!

“Thanks. But I’m super contagious.” Cough. Cough. “Just leave it outside the door, and I’ll grab it after you go.” Cough. Cough.

“Sure. Yeah. Here you go. Feel better.” He bends to set the stuff on the floor, and then he’s gone, likely heading down the hall back toward the stairs.

I sag against the door. That was easier than I thought it was going to be with him.

Unlatching the locks on the door, I swing it open, but as I go for the plastic bag on the ground, a hand comes out of nowhere and cups my face. I yelp, jumping back, and crap. How did I not anticipate this?

He snatches the bag off the floor, but his eyes on my face are hard enough to cut a diamond.

“Liora,” he grits out. “I’m only going to ask you this once. Who did this to you?”

I shake my head, my throat growing thick with emotion. “Please, Vander. Just let it go.”

He walks me back into my apartment, his hard gaze never leaving my face. “It was that guy. He didn’t learn his fucking lesson.” It’s not a question, and I don’t reply. He looks around, noting Hazel holding Bunny and staring at him. He smiles and crouches down so he’s her height. “Hi, Hazel. I’m your mommy’s friend, Vander. Do you like ice cream?”

She looks at him and then at me. I smile and nod, and she turns back to him. “Yes.”

“What’s your favorite flavor?”

“Chocolate.”

His smile grows. “Chocolate is my favorite too. Do you like brownies? I love chocolate ice cream with brownies in it. I was thinking I could bring us all a special dessert. What do you say? Do you want some?”

She holds her bunny closer and nods again.

“Perfect. I’m going to go get us dessert, and I’ll be back soon.” He walks over to my small freezer, opens it up, finds a bag of frozen peas, and hands it to me. “Lock the door. I’ll be right back. Keep that on your face.”

Without another word, he’s gone, and I lock the door. Not because he told me to, but because this night is proving to be a total shit show. Hazel’s quiet, and I hate that she’s quiet. She’s only two and a half but perceptive enough to know that this isn’t how life’s supposed to be and that she’s not as safe as she ought to be.

I bring the peas with me and sit with Hazel and play dolls and watch TV and sing along, and fifteen minutes later, there’sanother knock on my door. I startle, though I don’t know why. I knew he’d come back.

I open the door, and there he is, holding a plastic bag filled with pints of ice cream, a can of whipping cream, and rainbow sprinkles. His hair is in wild disarray, and his cheeks are flushed red with heat and sweat. He shuts the door behind him, hands me the bag, and immediately goes for the sink to wash his hands.

“What did you do?” I ask, my voice soft so Hazel doesn’t overhear, as I unpack the ice cream. Chocolate, chocolate fudge brownie, and chocolate chip cookie dough. The last one is my favorite. He remembered. I stare down at it, already too raw with too many emotions.

He throws me a quick side-eye before returning to his hands loaded with small cuts bleeding the same pink into the sink the way my face did. “He won’t bother you again.”

“Vander, what did you do?” I bite out, each word a sharp staccato.

He shuts off the tap and turns to meet my eyes as he wipes his hands on a dish towel. In the bag along with the ice cream is antibiotic ointment, and I pull it out and dab some on his cuts, waiting him out.