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21 L A C K O F D I S C R E T I O N ˚✧₊⁎⁺˳✧༚
LEVI FROZE. His eyes traveled to his boss who stood there, her eyes puffy, and red-rimmed. As soon as he saw her, he released the doorknob and stared at her. Her face was pale and looked as if she hadn't gotten enough to eat.
Still, she gave a meek smile, releasing a laugh that sounded so broken. "You're lucky I know you and that I'm the one who saw you about to break into my neighbor's home."
He frowned, not knowing what to say. Questions roamed his mind, but he knew one thing: the girl had been lying. Irene, in fact, had ended up exactly as he imagined her to be: heartbroken and tired.
All his anger drained and he felt relieved. Everything that had happened till that point had no effect on him. Not even the fact he'd been angry at the child, that she canceled the week of jobs, and didn't return the call.
"What are you doing here?" Irene asked, rubbing her eyes as if trying to hide them. He could still make out the tear stains on her cheeks. Without a second thought, he walked to her and gently took her hands, the gift basket in between his bicep and forearm.
She flinched and he lowered her hands. "You're going to make them irritated," Levi muttered, his eyes now meeting the red-rimmed set. He felt at peace and more relaxed now that he had seen her.
"Look at you, Ackerman," Irene teased, taking her hands back and giving a playful smile. It was obvious she was trying to ignore the situation, to brush aside his presence. "About to break into an apartment."
He rolled his eyes, but he didn't feel irritated. Instead, he gripped the basket tighter. Irene backed into her apartment and held the door open, her hand motioning for him to come in. He hesitated, unsure if he should or not.
Eventually, he entered her apartment. The scent of jasmine and lavender slammed into him. It was more relaxing and soothing rather than overpowering. In front of him was a door in the narrow hall, and on the left, a small set of hardwood steps were there.
"So, why'd you try to break into that apartment with a gift basket?" Irene asked, her voice quiet and soft. Levi snapped out of his thoughts and started to remove his shoes. "Oh, and just pick whichever ones fit you."
"Didn't know you had an ill-mannered daughter," Levi said, avoiding the question as he slipped on the tan colored slippers. He looked over at Irene, who frowned.
He stepped onto the wood flooring, and she heaved a weary sigh, turning around to the steps on the left and going up them. Levi hesitated in following her before she glanced at him with unreadable eyes.
A silence engulfed the two and it made him frown. He looked at her as he followed her to who knows where. She seemed distracted, as if she was thinking. The way she kept her gaze fixed on the ground, almost as if waiting for answers, made him uneasy.
