After Tyler left, I immediately crouched on the floor, overwhelmed as every embarrassing thing that happened today began sinking in.
Seriously? Couldn't we have met under better circumstances?
The thought made me want to crawl into a hole.
Tequila, ever my loyal comforter, lifted her paws, as if trying to console me. I peeked at her and couldn't help but scratch her ears again.
"Tequila..." I murmured, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. "It may not look like it, but your dad's really kind, huh?"
Tequila gave me one of her signature smiles, her tail wagging in agreement, as if she understood every word.
Suddenly, a pang of guilt hit me. I'd completely forgotten my own dogs! I shot to my feet, realizing they hadn't eaten yet. "I'll be back, Tequila! I just need to go back to my apartment, okay? If I end up coming back here to do business, you won't mind, right? Bestie?"
Troubled by the thought that Lucky and Cleo might feel neglected, I rushed home. When I opened the door, the sight of them curled up in their beds hit me like a wave of emotion. Tears welled up as I crouched down, Lucky and Cleo immediately sitting beside me, their warm presence grounding me.
"Oh, Lucky, Cleo..." I whispered, stroking their fur. "It feels like fate is being cruel and kind to me at the same time. I didn't expect to meet him again. And to think, we're living in the same building. Are we in trouble now that our paths have crossed again?"
Their comforting presence calmed my racing thoughts. Resigned to whatever fate had in store, I buried my face in their fluffiness, letting their furs soothe me.
Since we had the day off, I decided to treat us to a little movie date night—just me and my babies. I got up, fixed us some snacks, and set up the perfect cozy scene. Popcorn for me, and a mix of cheese, carrots, and apples for them. We jumped on the sofa, snuggling up as the movie began.
After an episode or two, my eyelids grew heavy. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't resist the pull of sleep.
Sometime in the night, my angry bladder forced me awake. Still groggy, I stumbled toward the bathroom only to remember it was still unusable due to damage. Ugh. Squinting in the dim light, I fumbled around the table for Tyler's spare key.
I really need to get a keychain for this thing, I mumbled to myself. My movements stirred Lucky and Cleo, who watched me sleepily from their spots. "Mommy will be back," I reassured them. "I just need to go to Tyler's apartment... to, uh, pee."
Grumbling under my breath about how inconvenient this all was, I made my way to his place. Tequila greeted me enthusiastically at the door, wagging her tail as if she'd been expecting her dad.
"Hey, Tequila," I said, crouching to scratch her ears, a yawn escaping my lips. "It's just me. Kz. I'm just borrowing your bathroom for a bit, okay?"
Once inside, I noticed the faint, lingering scent of smoke mixed with vanilla. It was oddly comforting, though it reminded me whose space I was in.
I didn't plan to stay long, but as I sat on the couch to rest for a moment, Tequila snuggled against me. Her warmth and the quiet of the room lulled me into an unintended nap.
Stupid. You were supposed to stay awake. What if he comes back?
The click of the door unlocking jolted me awake. My heart stopped.
Oh no. No, no, no. He's home already?!
"Tequila... I'm home..." Tyler says towards Tequila, and I can feel Tequila squirming in excitement.
Panic surged through me. I wasn't ready. I cracked my eyes open the tiniest bit, just enough to see a shadow moving toward the couch. Too late.
Okay, stay calm. Just pretend. Act like you're asleep. Nothing's wrong.
I froze, my body stiff as I focused on evening out my breathing.
Don't look suspicious. Just act natural. He won't notice. Maybe he'll just walk past...
The door clicked shut, and the soft tread of his shoes filled the quiet room.
Oh God, he's here. What do I do now?!
I kept my eyes shut, my mind racing. Every muscle screamed at me to run, to do something, but I held still, desperate to appear unconscious. Maybe he wouldn't notice. Maybe he'd think I really was asleep.
The footsteps stopped, and I felt him standing there. Watching.
He knows. Oh no, he knows.
"Kz?"
My heart shot into my throat. His voice was soft, almost uncertain, but it confirmed what I already feared, he knew I wasn't sleeping.
Just keep pretending. Stay still. You've got this.
But then Tequila betrayed me. She wriggled onto my lap, her paws digging into me as she sniffed at my hands. Her tail wagged so hard I could almost feel the air moving.
Seriously? Thanks, Tequila. Really helpful.
I stayed as still as I could, hoping Tyler wouldn't notice, but I knew it was over. He crouched beside me, close enough that I could feel his presence, his breath soft against my skin.
"Kz?" he repeated, a serious tone laced in his voice this time.
That tone. Oh no.
I felt my lips twitch, the tiniest crack in my facade.
No, no, no—don't move an inch, Kz.
But it was useless.
Fine. Fine! You win.
I blinked, my eyes open slowly, doing my best to stretch like I'd just woken up naturally. My voice was hoarse as I mumbled, "Oh, hey. You're back already?" I yawned dramatically, as if I hadn't just spent the last five minutes panicking.
Tyler raised an eyebrow, his expression one part amused and two parts unconvinced. "Yeah, I've been back for a minute. You've been pretending to sleep this whole time, huh?"
He leaned in a little closer, and I felt the warmth of his gaze... light, teasing, but not judging. "You know," he said softly, "Tequila's the only one who bought it."
I couldn't help it. My heart skipped a beat. His tone was playful, but there was something about the way he looked at me that made my chest feel tight.
"I... I wasn't pretending," I stammered, sitting up too quickly. "I was just... resting my eyes. Relaxing."
Tyler gave me a look, that infuriatingly knowing smile of his breaking across his face. "Uh-huh."
My cheeks burned, and I cursed myself for being so obvious.
He shook his head, shifting Tequila into his arms as he stood. "If you're going to pretend to sleep in my apartment," he said with a smirk, "you might want to be a little more convincing."
"Oh, please." I rolled my eyes, desperate to save what little pride I had left. "Maybe I'll just have to try harder next time."
Tyler raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening into something almost... challenging. "I'm sure you will."
I stood up, stretching with an exaggerated yawn, letting my arms reach for the sky. I could feel my muscles protesting, but I pushed through it, trying to appear as casual as possible. "Welcome home, though, Tyler." I gave him a sweet, tired smile as I rolled my shoulders back. "Now that I finished my business here, I was just going to go back to my apartment and doze off a little more."
I need to get out of here before I do something else that'll make me feel like an idiot. I'm already on the verge of a full-blown disaster.
"Good night, Tyler." I added, giving him one last smile before closing the door behind me.
I let out a relieved breath, silently congratulating myself for not making an even bigger fool of myself than I already have. That was the plan, right? Quick and painless. Just leave.
I reached into my pajama pocket to check my phone. And then I froze. The pocket's empty.
Okay, no big deal. Maybe I just didn't put it in the right pocket. So, I checked the other one. Nothing.
Panic started to creep in. My fingers fumbled, trying every inch of my clothes. The waistband, the sleeves, the hem of my shirt. But it was not there.
No, no, no. Not again.
I screamed internally. How could I be this careless? I'm supposed to be a grown adult, not someone who forgets their phone in another person's apartment after acting like an absolute fool. Great. Just great.
I could feel my stomach knot as I mentally prepared myself to go back and knock on his door. I'm already imagining the look on his face, the one that says, really? With those piercing green eyes boring into me like I'm some clueless idiot.
Maybe I am.
No! No, I refused to let myself be that embarrassing. I've got this. I just need to get my phone and leave as quickly as possible. Get in, get out, no more stupid mistakes.
But I'm stuck in this ridiculous loop of overthinking. Why does it matter so much what he thinks of me? It's just a phone. And it's just a little mistake.
And yet, my feet felt like they were made of lead. I just wanted to run away from this situation and pretend I was somewhere else, anywhere else.
But no. I can't. I have to face this. So, with a deep breath, I turned around and walked back toward his door. Here we go. Just act cool. Keep it casual.
I took another deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart before I'd knock. But before I could even lift my hand, the door swung open, and there he was. Tyler. Standing there. Looking at me with that blank expression, like he was waiting for me to say something.
I froze for a moment, unable to think of anything remotely cool or casual to say.
Of course, this is happening. Of course.
I quickly tried to mask the embarrassment creeping up my neck. "Uh..." I scratched the back of my head, offered him a sheepish smile, as if that was going to make anything better. "Well, looks like I forgot my phone. How... how silly of me." My voice was a little too high-pitched for comfort, but I tried to play it off like it was no big deal.
Tyler just stood there, looking at me. His silence was almost more uncomfortable than anything else.
I slowly reached out for my phone, trying to act like I hadn't been dying to get it back the whole time. My fingers brushed against his, and I felt a spark of tension in the air. I avoided meeting his eyes, focusing on the phone in his hand instead.
My palms were starting to sweat, and I felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of my head.
Great. Just great. Of course, I'm sweating now.
"Thank you," I said, barely above a whisper, my voice so quiet that only the air between us could hear it. I couldn't even look up at him. I just wanted to grab the phone and get out of there as quickly as possible.
But even though I'd said the words, something about the silence hanging between us made it feel like there was more I should say or more I should do.
I glanced at him, but he was just standing there, waiting. Watching. I could feel the weight of his stare even if he didn't say anything.
Just take the phone. Get out. Don't make this worse.
I grabbed my phone from his hand, my fingers brushed his again, and quickly tucked it into my pocket. A part of me wanted to stay and make a joke, something to ease the tension. But another part of me knew that anything I say would just make it worse.
So I took a step back, forced myself to smile. "Thanks again," I said, this time a little more confidently. "Really appreciate it." And with that, I turned and walked away before I could make myself look like an even bigger idiot than I already had.
Instead of the door slamming shut or him turning away, he gave me a brief nod, his lips curling into the slightest hint of a smile. Not a big one, just enough to let me know it wasn't as awkward as I felt it was.
"Goodnight, Kz," he says, his voice quiet but not unkind.
I nod back, my heart still a little unsteady from everything, but I at least feel like there's a gentler resolve in the air this time.
I turned around and walked back upstairs, the tension easing with every step I took. Maybe it wasn't as much of a disaster as I thought.