Abstinence

Chapter 21.

"Things that scares me, I should just walk away, but I can't move my feet, the more that I know you, the more I want to..."

(Hailee Steinfeld - Starving)
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I can't help but make up my own thoughts as to what could be inside of the safe. It has to be something that could get Hayden put in jail over this Lina rape case. Something that must involve Lina. I can't seem to think of anything that can tie the two of them together that he would want to hide in a safe.

How did I not know that it was here? I know he had one at his house and he kept it in a drawer in the closet but I just assumed it was filled with money. I didn't think anything more on it. Is this that same safe? Is there something so important in there that he felt he couldn't live in this apartment without it?

"I want all eyes on Erika. She was the only one here all fucking day. Either she did this or she knows who did."

"Hayden why don't you just call the police?" Maybe the police could actually help Hayden's case because someone with a vendetta against him is targeting him.

"What the hell are they going to do for me that Wade, Geoff and Tanner can't?" He directs his anger towards me and my dumb question. "I'm going to call Tanner, tell them anything you know about Erika." He walks off already calling Tanner who he has on speed dial.

"Do you know what kind of car she drives?"

"She told me once before it's her mother's 1998 Toyota Camry. It's a champagne color, covered in rust."

"Would you happen know the license plate number?"

"No, I'm sorry, I don't know."

I look around at the mess I'm left with having to clean. Did Erika really do all of this?

Is this my fault for bringing her into Hayden's life? I may not be the one who offered her a place to stay, but I told him about her. I am the reason she was brought back into our lives. If only I avoided telling Hayden about her liked I planned to. There was something about Erika that I didn't trust from the moment I met her. I didn't know what she was after and this makes it even more worse. Is she after Money? Hayden?

She told me before that her mother's safe was broken into. Why would she do this to Hayden? Is she taking her anger about that situation with the random guys and her mother out on Hayden? Did she come into Hayden's life looking for something in particular? Or is Erika innocent in all of this and the creepy scarface man in the elevator is behind this mess?

When he ends his call with Tanner he stares deadpan at Wade and Geoff, his seriousness of the situation unwavering. I desperately want to know what he's kept hidden inside of there. Whatever it is, the fact that it's gone is driving him to insanity.

"What is the condition of the safe Geoff?"

"Perfect condition, Sir. The code was used."

"Jesus fuck, how?!" Everything he learns just seems to anger him even more. "I want this place checked for finger prints especially on the safe. Check cameras of who came inside and outside of this building and this door as well. Find something that can lead me to the person behind this."

"Yes Sir." Their response comes out in unison, listening intently to what Hayden is ordering them to do.

"Hayden?"

"Yes Alice?"

"What if this wasn't Erika? I saw Scarface in the elevator and—"

"Scarface?" The name to him would usually be humorous but he's to livid to even force a laugh or a half smile.