Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

Retrieval

She shouldn't be here. Doing this. Alone. 

Kaya knew she should have told Ransom when she left the company, just in case something happened, but she doubted he would have let her come here without another person by her side. 

"It's just your apartment," Kaya reminded herself. Nothing to be scared of. Nothing to make her anxious. 

Kaya slid her key into the lock and turned, giving it an extra tug because the lock loved to stick. 

The door swung inward. 

Kaya took a breath and followed its lead. 

Nothing had moved. Nothing had changed. All her things still remained exactly where she had left them that fateful night. But it didn't feel the same. 

Her sacred haven had been violated. Kaya could no longer stay in the apartment with any sense of safety. If they had gotten in once, they could get in again. Kaya refused to take that chance. 

She didn't drop her keys on the table, but chose instead to keep them in hand. No telling if her intruder had returned since she left. 

Kaya ventured to the refrigerator first. Anything in it, except water, would need to be thrown out. 

"What are you doing here?" 

Kaya screamed and scrambled to turn around. She held the keys out like a weapon, but she needn't have. 

Zoren, stationed at the open front door, threw his hands up in surrender. "Geez, calm down, Kaya. Are you okay?" 

"Have you ever heard of knocking?!" Kaya dropped her shaking hands, hoping that Zoren didn't notice. 

"The door was open." Zoren rapped his fingers against the plywood. "Better?" 

"No." Kaya stormed out of the kitchen and back to the living area. "What are you doing here?" 

"Again, the door was open." Zoren shrugged. "I didn't know if someone broke in or if you came back, so I decided to take a look." 

Right. He lived next door. Kaya should have expected to see him. 

"I've been watching the place for you. Oh, and I already cleaned out your fridge. Don't worry about that. I assume you're here for clothes or something." 

"I'm not going to rent this place any more." Kaya shook her head. Better to move out entirely. It wasn't like Jade had any plans of letting Kaya live at the old place, anyway. 

Zoren nodded. "Well, that makes things easier. I'm moving out, too. Renting a bigger place so Lina can move in, too. If you need me to keep anything for you, don't hesitate to ask." 

Keep anything? Kaya glanced around her small apartment. She could see why he made the offer. Her couch needed a good home until Kaya found a place of her own. Her bedroom furniture, too. 

"You'd store it for me?"

"Better than you trying to find somewhere to put it. Besides, it will save you packing time. I don't think you want to be here long." 

Of course she didn't want to be there long. It terrified her, the thought that someone could come in so easily and mess with her mind. 

"I'm just going to grab the rest of my clothes and jewelry and stuff. Can you stay there until I'm done?" 

Zoren, of course, acquiesced with a nod. Kaya knew she could count on him. Zoren had always been a good friend. He would keep an eye out while she recovered the rest of her things.