Page 21 of Aperture

“A bit,” he replies. “But there is nowhere else I’d rather be.”

My stomach does the dance of the sugar plum fairies and I step inside to allow him in.

“I love your place,” he says, looking around. I’ve noticed that Wyatt is very observant. He always seems to be on alert somehow, looking around and having a constant understanding of his surroundings. It must be a cop thing.

“Thanks,” I say. “My grandfather built it.”

“He did a great job,” Wyatt replies, while rubbing Milo behind the ears. Some guard dog he is, currently putty in Wyatt’s hands. I have a feeling I would be the same way.

“I’m just about done making some chicken and rice. It’s nothing fancy, but if you’re hungry, you could eat with us.”

“I’d love to, thanks. Do you mind if I take a look around first? Just to make sure your windows are secure?” Wyatt politely gestures toward the short hallway.

“Go right ahead,” I tell him as I put some food in Milo’s bowl.

My place is small so I’m able to watch from the dining area as Wyatt walks purposely though the house, checking all of the windows. He turns on the light in my dark room and looks around briefly and then goes to the next room and turns on the light to my bedroom. He stops briefly and then walks over to my bed and looks down at it for just a moment and then walks out. It was so quick I could have easily missed it, but I can’t help but wonder if he was thinking about us in bed together. The thought heats my entire body, and I have to turn around when he walks toward me to keep him from seeing me blush.

“Everything looks pretty good,” he says as he approaches the sink to wash his hands. “I’ll check the alarm before I leave.”

I set the food on the table as he takes his seat, and we begin to eat.

“You should consider replacing one of your windows in the spare room,” he says between mouthfuls. “It seems secure, but the seal is failing, and you're losing heat. I can fix it on a day off sometime.”

“That would be amazing, Wyatt,” I say. “You’re a handy guy to have around,” I flirt.

He looks up from his meal and smiles but doesn’t say anything.

“How did you learn to do this kind of stuff?”

“My dad taught me a lot growing up,” he replies. “He was always big on trying to fix something yourself before paying someone else to do it.”

“Sounds smart,” I reply.

“It is until you screw up and have to pay more than you would have if you just had called the professional in the first place.” Wyatt chuckles, shaking his head. “One time he decided to put in a new toilet instead of calling a plumber. He fucked up all of the plumbing in the bathroom. My mom flushed the toilet in the middle of the night, and it started overflowing.” He’s full-on laughing now, recalling the memory.

I watch as his eyes crinkle at the sides, and the sound of his deep laugh along with the pure joy on his face has me craving to know him on a deeper level.

“She started screaming because the toilet water was cold and beyond gross and cursing my dad. I had never seen her so pissed. She still gives him shit about it.” We are both laughing now and I’m savoring seeing this side of him.

“I would too! That’s hilarious,” I tell him. “Do they live around here?”

“No, they are in San Diego. That’s where I grew up.”

We eat for a moment in silence before I change the subject to something that has been on my mind a lot lately.

“Do you think people around here should be really worried about this killer?” I ask hoping he will say ‘no’ and ease my concern.

He looks up from his plate and meets my eyes. “Yes,” is all he says, but it speaks volumes.

“What should we be looking out for, in particular?” I ask.

Wyatt thinks for a moment and then starts. “Someone new who has infiltrated their way into your life. This guy is incredibly intelligent and he doesn’t just grab people off the street. He is charming. He forms a relationship with his victims.”

“How do you know that?” I ask.

“Because he hasn’t been caught yet.” As soon as he says it, I tremble with fear.

“So he embeds himself in people’s lives, but no one knows him? That sounds difficult to accomplish,” I don’t doubt him, but I also don’t want to believe him.