It was still daylight when I went back to my apartment. For the first time in so long, I felt at ease walking the streets alone, and I actually took the time to enjoy the sun. With Haworth gone, and with the ECU still having no idea about who I was, I had no reason to fear for my life just yet. Red had probably smelled me as soon as I entered the building, so he wasn't surprised to see me. He'd showered, too, and was dressed in brand new clothes. His shirt had long sleeves to cover his scorched arm. The fabric smelled of my guilt to me.
"What happened?" he said as Amara came out of the guest room as soon as she heard the door.
"Nothing. Everything is fine," I promised them. "They don't know about Haworth or about me."
They both looked relieved. Moving to the kitchen, I opened the fridge to grab something to eat, and I smelled the pizza before Amara spoke.
"I left some pizza in the oven."
"Thank God," I whispered. I really didn't want to have to focus on cooking right now.
