“Not even if she hits her knees for you.”

I sweep my palm over the dusty banister to expose the designs etched into the wood before climbing the stairs. The dick and fake hick start their hunt with a yeehaw, and when I look, Colt’s watching me, arms crossed. I flip him off for whatever he’s thinking. His thoughts often earn him the finger, so I’m hedging my bets.

The shadows swallow me on the landing. The lights are off everywhere but the entry, and from what I’ve seen, a lot of busted bulbs are exposed. I consider going to the third floor, but a faint scuff of shoes above decides for me.

Even halfway to drunk, I have no desire to play Felix and Dev’s game tonight. Colt needs to so he’s less whiny. Here’s to him finding the pair that scampered up here.

I break out the flashlight on my phone once the downstairs light runs out. The hallway’s narrow given the monstrosity of a house. Far from a dump, even if it shows signs of neglect. The place deserves better than an excavator and condos erected on its grave. A lot of shit does, though.

Partway down, I catch movement inside a room without a door and pause. The brunette firefighter in a shiny skirt smiles as she steps out from behind an armoire, likely left because of its size. She tucks her hands behind her, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“God, I suck at hiding.” She laughs, aiming for self-deprecating, I’m guessing, but expectation flares in her eyes and smile. Like a sign blinks above me—step right up to fuck the rock star.

“Try harder.” I stroll away and push through the door at the end of the hall before she thinks I mean try harder with me.

The hinges shockingly stay quiet, both opening and closing. I spin to shine the light around the bathroom. Dirty and cracked tile lines the bottom half of the dirtier walls, a pink toilet matches the mounted sink.

My attention snags on the sliding glass panels of the also pink tub. One closed and the other slid open. Considering my options, I weigh the grime-to-unwanted-attention ratio, and then I step over the side. Once I drop in, I wrench the glass door toward me. It grinds to a halt with a few inches to go. I sigh and let my head rest on the wall behind me, tapping off the flashlight.

Everything falls silent. No road noise or demands or the voice warning every second’s fleeting. All the things I haven’t been able to escape for months cease to exist. The only sound is my breath. I can’t remember the last time I heard myself breathing. Something so simple. I missed it.