I lay awake for a long time after he left and kept waking up throughout the night, remembering. It’s the first thing I think of this morning.

He didn’t say goodbye. And I didn’t get a chance to say a word before he was gone. The door closed behind him and he vanished. Disappeared into the night like a ghost. Like he wasn’t here at all.

And it’s the strangest thing. The most unsettling feeling—something I can’t put my finger on—but it’s almost a premonition. Sergio here, then gone.

Just like that.

Like a ghost.

Pepper’s barking alerts me that there’s someone at the door. The doorbell’s been broken forever. I get up, pull a hoodie on, and glance out the window. I know it’s not Sergio. Pepper wouldn’t have barked at him.

Three men are standing outside, two in black jackets with a logo I can’t read at the back, and one in a long dark coat. The guy in the coat looks up, catches my eye in the window. He opens his arms as if to say ‘hey, answer the door’.

I go downstairs, keep a hand on Pepper’s collar when I open the door. I don’t know these men.

“Good morning,” the one in the coat says. He introduces himself. I only catch his first name. “Sergio sent me.”

I’m confused. “What? Why? It’s seven in the morning.” I have class in an hour but still. I read the logo on the uniform of one of the men behind him. He’s a locksmith.

“He said you need new locks. We’ll get it done as fast as possible and be out of your way. Gentlemen.” He puts his hand on the door to push it open, gesturing for the two men to enter.

“Hold on. You can’t just barge in here and—”

“Miss, if you don’t mind my saying so, these locks wouldn’t keep a third-rate bum out.”

My mouth falls open and he digs his phone out of his pocket, says a few words then holds it out to me.

“Here.”

“What?”

“For you.”

I am so confused. I take the phone.

“Good morning,” Sergio says before I can say a word. I can almost hear the grin on his face.

“Are you responsible for this?”

“Yes. I realize it’s early—”

“You can’t just send someone to my house to change my locks. I don’t even know you. It’s not even my house. What’s next, the windows?”

“Maybe. If you need it.”

“No. I’m joking!”

“The owners will appreciate the better locks, Natalie. I guarantee that. I can break into your house with one hand tied behind my back.”

“No one’s trying to break into my house.”

He doesn’t speak for a minute and I think back to the man last night, the one who almost plowed me down on his way out of the street.

No one has tried. Yet.

“I just want to keep you safe. Young woman living alone and all. Want to make sure you’re protected.”

Woman. So he heard what I said.

“Nat?”

“I don’t like people calling me that,” I say.

“Natalie?” he amends. “Just do this for me and I’ll get rid of the pictures I took.”

“You will?”

“Yes.”

“How will I know you did it?”

“You’ll have to trust me.”

“I’m confused.”

“About trusting me?”

“About everything.”

“We can talk about it later if you want, when I take you to get photos of the warehouse.”

“I don’t need those anymore.”

“Why not? I thought they were for school.”

“They are. Were.” I shake my head. “I’m not taking the internship. The professor’s weird anyway. He has a bunch of us volunteering at his firm and he’ll choose one for the summer spot.”

“What do you mean, weird?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

He’s quiet but I know he wants to push. “Sergio?” I ask. I have a more pressing question.

“Yes?”

“Am I in danger?”

“What? No. No, nothing like that. Those are just shitty locks. Let me do this one thing for you.”

“They’re old, that’s all.”

“Right. We’ll update them. A gift to the owners.”

“Okay. But next time you talk to me first.”

“I did. I told you they were shitty.”

“I didn’t think that meant you were going to replace them.” I look at the clock. “Shit. I’m going to be late for classes.”

“Eric will take care of everything. Go to school.”

“Um, okay, thanks, I guess.”

“Tell me about this professor.”

“No. It’s nothing.” I’m worried suddenly. Sergio’s not taking baby steps into my life. He’s charging in and I have a feeling he’ll shove anything he needs to shove out of his way without a second thought. “I have to go,” I say.