Tit For Tat

Caught Again (4)

Chapter 4

Rose paced around nervously, trying to listen to the conversation between Evan and his nephew. That guy was just three years old for god’s sake! Who know what that pervert was telling him? And Aiden was smart for his age.

She placed her ear to Aiden’s door, only hearing muffled talking and laughs. She glared at the door. What was taking him so long? Evan had taken up the offer for a bed time story and had taken Aiden upstairs, washed him and dressed him for night before closing the door to Aiden’s bedroom talking who knows what to the kid. And she was supposed to be watching TV until Evan finished his job. As if.

Rose was supposed to stay up till Mr. and Mrs. Allen came home, but since Evan was here, she could leave it to him. She planned to run to the front door as soon as Aiden falls asleep. Because she didn't want to be alone in a house with Evan in it.

No, that just screamed trouble to her.

The door handle turned and she jumped back. Evan’s head popped out from the crack.

“Come on in,” he whispered, “Kid’s asleep.”

Suspicious, she peeked in and saw that little Aiden was in bed, eyes closed. She tip-toed closer and realized that Evan wasn’t lying. Aiden’s angelic face was relaxed, his breath even, fast asleep. She smiled at the cherub and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

“’Night Batman,” she whispered to the kid and pulled the covers closer. Leaving his bedside lamp on, she tip-toed back to the door, to the waiting Evan.

“Well?” he asked triumphantly, “I passed the test?”

She nodded grudgingly. When he had told her that he could put Aiden to bed, she hadn’t believed him. “Yeah,” she mumbled, shutting the door softly.

He grinned at her and reached for her arm, twining it with his, as they descended the stairs. Rose tugged it back with a frown. He tugged back. What the heck?

“Let go!” she said. He shook his head. “Any reason to?”

“Because,” she stated. And pulled again. This time he had loosened his hold causing her to fall back to the wall. And she hit her elbow.

“Idiot,” she hissed in pain.

“Me or you?” he smirked.

“You,” she retorted, stomping down the stairs. Rose almost ran to the living room, collected her bag, and rushed to the hall.

“Where are you going?” called Evan, still from the stairs.

“Home,” she said curtly, throwing a glance back. And looked away again. He looked good in the half light. It lit up half of his face, turning his hair to black, his eyes burning brightly through the darkness. He looked like some demon, shielded in the dark.

Yeah right, she told herself, stop spouting fanciful thoughts brain.

“Now?”

“Yeah yeah,” she said, reaching out to the front door handle. And turned it.

But it wouldn’t.

She looked at it closely and realized that it was locked. And the key wasn’t at its place. She stared at where it should be wondering if her glasses weren’t working right.

“Where’s the key?” she muttered. Narrowing her eyes to focus them in the dark, she scanned the floor, searching for a glint of metal.

“Where is the freaking key?” she said again, squatting on all fours, feeling around in the hope of touching it. In vain.