Page 64 of Use Me

After we caught a movie, we grabbed a cup of coffee and then took an Uberhome. Once the car dropped us off outside of my building, I asked, “Want me to go up to your place and get you some clothes?”

She thought about my question for a moment. “Yeah, I’ll stay down here and talk to Jose if that’s okay. I’m not ready to see what my place looks like.”

“You know I love being of service to you.” I winked and kissed her lips before we walked into the building.

“Ms. Valor!” Jose beamed. “How are you doing?”

After Ashtyn handed me her keys, I continued to the elevators while she stayed to talk to Jose. Once I was on the fifteenth floor, I stepped off and walked slowly down the hall. I wasn’t sure what I was going to see because Ethan had been the one to lock up the night before. When I finally got to the closed door, I expected there to be yellow caution tape on the doorframe like I’d seen so many times on TV and in movies. But there wasn’t anything. The door was closed as though a man hadn’t died inside less than twenty-four hours prior.

I slipped the key into the lock, and just after turning it, I thought better of it. Instead, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Ethan’s number.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Hey, Ethan. It’s Rhys.”

“Everything okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I was calling to see if it’s okay to go into Ashtyn’s condo and grab her some clothes.”

“Is there yellow tape on the door?”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Then yeah. That part of the investigation is over.”

“Okay cool.” I reached for the door handle but stopped when he spoke again.

“Is Ash with you?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I came up alone to grab her some clothes.”

“Good. I’ve put in a call to a crime scene cleanup company, but they can’t come until tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure if she’ll want to come back tomorrow after work anyway.”

“Take care of her, yeah?”

“Of course.” I fucking ran into a room with a crazy man who was trying to kidnap her. I didn’t do much except distract him long enough for a cop to arrive, but I’d been ready to fight for her, and I’d take care of her until the day I died.

We hung up, and then I slowly opened the door. There was no chalk outline of Philip’s body, and no brains splattered over the entire room. Instead, the only thing that looked as though there had been a person shot was a small pool of blood where I assumed his head rested until he was taken away by the coroner.

I knew the longer I stared at the dark crimson pool, the more I would relive what I’d seen. So, I hurried to Ashtyn’s room and grabbed some dresses. I had no idea if they were anything she wanted to wear, but I didn’t want to take too long. I rummaged through some drawers, grabbing underwear, and then went to the bathroom to grab some toiletries. Whatever I didn’t grab, I’d buy for her until she was ready to come get the stuff herself. I also grabbed the two Emmys we’d won because I still wanted to display them, but this time it would be so we could remember the good part of the night.

“Ready?” I asked walking out of the elevator once I made it downstairs.

“Yep. Did you get everything I’ll need for a few days?”

I waved goodbye to Jose as we exited the building. “Yeah, Cupcake, but I left the vibrator I found in your nightstand because that’s my job now.”

Breaking News: …

The thought of my own breaking news was too surreal to finish the sentence. It seemed that I reported breaking news almost every night, but when it involved me, I didn’t want it to be true.

I knew there was a silver lining to what had happened. Even though I was attacked and almost kidnapped, Philip was dead. My big brother had come in and once again protected me like always. When I was younger, I thought my brothers were too overprotective, but now, I was grateful.

Tonight, though, would be the first evening I’d come home to an empty place.

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