Chapter 6: A Loud Silence

For three days, Dana had resisted the urge to show up at Corey’s apartment uninvited, again.

Three long, tense days.

She had texted him once after his apology, something simple: “I understand. Just let me know if you need anything.” But the message had sat unread. No reply. Not even the usual “read” receipt. She checked her phone too often for her liking, and every time the screen stayed blank, a hollow ache settled in her chest.

She told herself to give him space. He clearly needed it after what had happened. Besides, he's been acting a little off for a while. But no amount of logic could stop her mind from wandering.

What if his mom is still there? The image of the woman, disheveled and volatile, was burned into Dana’s memory. What if Corey was dealing with more chaos she wasn’t prepared to see? Worse, what if his dad—this mysterious person he never mentioned—was the next surprise?

She shook her head, exhaling as she wiped down the bakery counter for the third time that afternoon. Her staff were off for the day, so she was on her own, which gave her too much time to think. Maybe she shouldn't have permitted all of them to go to a nearby town's festival. She had only hired them recently and perhaps Riley was right about her trying too hard to be a nice boss.

“Pull it together, Dana,” she muttered under her breath. She tossed the rag into the sink, grabbed her purse, and decided to do something she rarely allowed herself; and that's acting on impulse.

She wasn’t going to sit around wondering. She needed to see Corey.

Dana glanced at the clock on the wall. Two hours until closing. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, debating whether it was reckless to leave the bakery unattended this close to the end of the day. Normally, she wouldn’t dream of walking out, but one of her staff had proven to be reliable—well, mostly.

Her fingers hovered over her phone before dialing Joe’s number. He was still fairly new, only a couple of days on the job, but he’d shown potential. Sure, he fumbled here and there with the register, and once he forgot to put the lids on the to-go cups properly, but nothing major.

Besides, she reminded herself, it was only two hours. And he was the only one who wasn't interested in attending a festival.

Joe answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Hey, Joe, it’s Dana,” she said, trying to sound calm despite the nervous energy buzzing inside her. “Are you free to swing by the bakery for the last couple of hours today? I need to step out for a bit.”

There was a brief pause on the other end before he answered. “Uh, yeah, sure! I can be there in like five minutes. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she said quickly, already feeling a little guilty for springing this on him. “I just have something to take care of. It shouldn’t take long. I’ll close up when I get back.”

“No problem. I’ve got it covered,” Joe said, his voice bright and eager.

“Thanks, Joe. Just remember the usual stuff. There’s one order still waiting to be picked up, so make sure it’s ready to go if the customer shows up. And if things slow down, go ahead and start tidying up early.”

“Got it. Pick-up order and clean up. Anything else?”

Dana smiled faintly at his enthusiasm. “Nope, that’s it. Oh, and when the clock hits six, just close up for the day, even if I’m not back yet. Don’t keep the doors open late, okay?”

“Will do, boss.”

She could hear the slight pride in his voice, and it made her feel a bit more reassured. “Thanks, Joe. I owe you one.”

“You got it,” he replied, and the call ended.

Dana took a moment to compose herself, running through her mental checklist. Joe was new, sure, but she had a gut feeling about him. He could handle it. She was only stepping out for a little while, and besides, it wasn’t like the bakery was buzzing this late in the day.

She slipped her phone into her purse and waited for a few minutes until Joe showed up. "Thanks again!" She quickly said as she grabbed her jacket and headed to the door.

The moment she stepped outside, the cool breeze brushed against her skin, calming her nerves, if only for a moment. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her purse, and her thoughts swirled in a thousand directions.

That’s when she bumped into someone.

It wasn’t a small, accidental brush. The impact made her stumble slightly, and her hand shot out to steady herself.

“I’m sorry,” a deep voice said.

Dana looked up, startled. It was him—the man who had been showing up at her bakery.

The leather coat was the same, as were the black gloves and sunglasses. Up close, he smelled faintly of musk and something sharper, something that made her skin crawl.

“It’s fine,” she mumbled, taking a step back.

The man lingered for a fraction of a second too long, giving her a small smirk before slipping past her and into the bakery.

Dana turned to watch him. He didn’t look back.

Her stomach tightened. She still didn’t know his name, what he wanted, or why he was always there. But something about him felt... wrong.

Shaking off the unease, she turned back toward the street and flagged down a taxi.

The cab ride was smooth, but Dana couldn’t shake the encounter. She kept glancing at her phone, half-expecting another cryptic text message to appear. But nothing came.

The driver, a middle-aged ginger-haired man with a thick Brooklyn accent and a sharp sense of humor, noticed her distracted expression.

“Rough day?” he asked, his eyes staring at her in the rearview mirror.

Dana hesitated, then decided to engage. “You could say that. Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“What would you do if someone was... I don’t know, watching you? Showing up places, sending weird messages?”

The driver raised an eyebrow. “Like a stalker?”

“Yeah,” she said softly, the word feeling strange on her tongue. “What if you think someone might be following you, but you’re not sure?”

He whistled low. “Well, first thing’s first; you tell someone. And not just your best friend or whoever. Someone who can do something about it.”

Dana shifted in her seat. “Like the police?”

“Exactly,” he said, nodding. “And don’t brush it off, either. People get hurt when they ignore the signs, you know what I mean? If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck...”

“It’s a duck,” she finished for him, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Exactly,” he said with a chuckle. Then his tone turned more serious. “But hey, some people just get a kick outta messing with folks. Doesn’t mean they’re dangerous. Just... don’t wait too long to find out. Better safe than sorry.”

Dana nodded, though the tightness in her chest didn’t ease.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

“No problem. Hey, just don’t take advice from a cabbie too seriously,” he joked, flashing her a grin in the mirror. “What do I know?”

She smiled faintly, appreciating the attempt to lighten the mood. But as the cab pulled up outside Corey’s apartment building, her unease crept back in full force.

***

Dana stepped out of the cab, her heart thudding in her chest.

The building stood above her, its dark brick exterior somehow feeling colder than usual. She had been here a few times before, but today felt different. She felt like an outsider, like she didn’t belong.

As she climbed the stairs to Corey’s floor, her footsteps slowed. What if he didn’t want to see her? What if he slammed the door in her face?

Or worse, what if his mother was still there?

She reached his door and hesitated, her hand hovering just inches from the wood. The silence stretched, and for a moment, she considered turning around and leaving.

But then she heard a faint noise.

Dana frowned, leaning slightly closer to the door.

The sound grew louder, though muffled. A thud, followed by a low, sharp voice.

Then something banged against the wall.

The sound was so sudden and violent that Dana flinched, taking a step back. Her breath caught as she stared at the door.

What was happening in there?

Another noise followed—shouting this time, though the words were garbled. She couldn’t tell if it was Corey’s voice or someone else’s.

Her heart pounded as she debated what to do. Knock? Wait? Call someone?

The banging stopped, replaced by a tense, eerie silence.

Dana swallowed hard, summoning her courage. She raised her hand to the door, her fingers trembling slightly.

And then she knocked.