"I will," Hayden leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I promise."
"Oh? You promise?" Thea arched a brow. "That's big."
"I never break a promise," Hayden chuckled as he stood back up.
"Especially when you make it to a pretty girl," Birdie said leaning over and joining the conversation. "Bye, hai hai. Go be boring somewhere else."
"Thea, I'm putting you in charge of her," Hayden shook his head. "No drinking."
"Go it," Thea nodded.
Birdie muttered some unpleasant words about her brother but Hayden didn't stick around to hear them. He summoned a portal and stepped through with a quick farewell to everyone in the room. The silence of the hall compared to the loud music in the restaurant was a breath of fresh hair for Hayden. He took in a deep breath and let his shoulders drop before stepping forward and ringing the doorbell in front of him.
"On second!" Lidia's voice came from inside before Hayden heard the locks turning. Soon enough, the door swung open and the woman stood with a glass of wine in her red pajamas. "Well, hello there!"
"Good evening," Hayden said politely. "Sorry to disturb you so late, but I was wondering if I could speak to Nora for just a few minutes?"
"Have you tried her phone?" Lidia raised a brow.
"Yes, it was switched off the last time I tried."
"Okay, give me a second," Lidia said. "I'll go get her. Would you like to come and wiat inside?"
"Thank you," Hayden smiled.
He stepped into the new apartment with unpacked boxes and closed the door behind him as Lidia patted over to one of the bedrooms at the end of the hall. Hayden stood by the door and heard her knock on the closed door quietly before she turned the knob and stepped in. He filled his lungs once more and looked around at some of the things Nora had already unpacked. His eyes landed on a small photo frame of her and her mother sitting on the coffee table beside a stack of books. Hayden was about to walk over and take a closer look when Lidia came back into the room.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Nora is asleep."
Hayden checked his watch, "It's only 9:30."
"Yeah, she's been really tired ever since your mother dropped her off this morning," Lidia frowned.
"Is she okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. She's fine," Lidia nodded. "The meds make her sleepy."
Hayden nodded slowly, feeling an uneasiness blossom in his chest.
"I'll let her know you were here," Lidia said.
"Thank you," Hayden nodded and reached for the door.
He felt Lidia follow him, ready to lock up behind him once he left. But just as Hayden opened the door wide, he snapped his fingers and Lidia froze.
"Sorry, Ms. Kennedy," he said turning around and closing the door.
Lidia was stuck in time, completely under Hayden's spell. The boy took the opportunity to walk farther into the apartment and head for Nora's door. He paused just for a few seconds to try and convince himself to turn back around and leave, but the bigger part of him wouldn't listen. He just needed to make sure she was safe.
Turning the door knob, Hayden walked into the room and found Nora really asleep on the bed. He didn't know why a part of him was thinking she was still awake, just refusing to see him. Hayden walked into the room and closed the door with his feet before walking over to the side of the bed.
Ch.23 Bees and Honey
Start from the beginning
