Dark Secrets

Chapter 09

Chapter 09

When I got home, I threw all my things inside down into the hallway and made sure to lock my front door. It had been an exhausting day... but rewarding too. It felt great to have finally gone shopping with Rachel. It was also nice to be able to cross a few things off my list already. But the one part that was really getting to me was Nick. I suspected that there was definitely more going on than just a bruise and I really just wanted to hope that he was okay.

I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water before tackling all of the shopping bags I had. Rachel had assured me that a new wardrobe would be good for me... but I was worried I had overdone it. After I brought everything to my room, I started taking the items out of the bags and sorting the clothes by type. I didn't have to actually hang them up tonight, but I would have to do it the next day so I might as well do it now. I noticed that Rachel had made good selections. Everything looked very stylish and trendy, and it made me smile to find myself really liking what we picked out.

As I continued, I then heard my phone begin to chime with an incoming text. I checked the screen expecting the message to be from Rachel, but to my surprise, when I unlocked my phone the notification banner revealed the message to be from Nathan.

Nathan: Hey, how was your day?

His polite nature was so refreshing, just like a gentleman. I smiled when I saw that message. I sat on my bed and began to type, making my response to Nathan feel like it was more of a thought out loud than in reality.

Me: Hi, Mr. Detective, nice to hear from you. My day has been going well. How is the case going?

I was trying to be humorous. I could feel the smile growing on my face as I pushed send, awaiting his response.

The moment was interrupted by a loud knock on my front door. I jumped a little at the loud sound, and my body quickly went from tension. I wasn't expecting anyone tonight. I got up and made my way towards the front door, feeling an unknown sense of anticipation build up within me. I could hear my heartbeat in my neck as the knocking sounded out again, more aggressively this time. The second knock had me on edge. I was already nervous but now, I was starting to feel a tinge of fear mixed in as well, making me re-evaluate answering the door. I wasn't quite sure what to do. I took a deep breath to try to calm down, but it only seemed to heighten my anxieties.

I slowly decided to walk up to my front door and look through the peephole to get a better look before opening the door. Nobody was there... and my heart was quickly coming up into my throat. Something felt wrong. I had this terrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I just couldn't shake. Abruptly, I jumped again to the sound of my cellphone buzzing with a new text. I had completely forgotten I was holding onto it this whole time. I looked down to see that Nathan had texted me back. His timing was uncanny, almost like he was somehow anticipating that I needed something to distract me when I did.

Nathan: It's been a long day. We have some new information to follow up on, but there is still a lot to do.

His text was a welcomed relief, giving me a moment to collect myself and try to calm down. I could feel my anxiety starting to ease up a bit after reading his message. I wasn't entirely convinced that the knocking hadn't been in my imagination, but I couldn't deny that I felt lighter about the situation as a whole now. I made my way back to my room and quickly replied to Nathan, wondering if I should tell him about what was going on. He did say he wanted to make sure I was safe. I knew I could trust him but I also didn't want to worry him, since the knocking had stopped.

It was really nice that we could have conversations that didn't involve work... where things were just casual and he was there to actually listen. I couldn't think of anyone else I would rather have as my detective... because there was also something comforting in the thought that he was just a phone call away if I ever needed his help.