DEJA VU

As he is driving me home he looks pissed. He hasn't said another word to me and I have just stared at him. He hasn't even looked at my face just sometimes looking at my fidgeting hands. "What's wrong?" He asks, he asks in a tone that only sounds like he kinda cares. "Nothing." I answer. "Bullshit, Tell me." "Nothing's wrong." he looks over at me, except this time he looks at my face not quite in my eyes but more like my jaw. "You have been fidgeting the entire time and you haven't said a word." I don't look at him as we talk. "Neither have you." He shrugs in response.

"We are here." He says as he stops the car and puts it in park and turns it off. "Thank you for the ride." He gets out of the car and doesn't even answer. I sit in my seat and just ponder as he comes to the passenger side of the car. He opens the door for me and gives me his hand to take. He has multiple rings on and many scars on his hand. He looks into my eyes for the first time. I take his hand and get out of the car while maintaining eye contact with him. He shuts the car door behind me and let's go of my hand and locks the car door. "I can take it from here. Thank you for the ride." Hes maintaining eye contact still, it's almost like a contest of who looks away first loses. "I know, but something happened last night and I won't let it happen again." He says leaving no room for disagreement. "Lead the way." He says to me as I start to walk to the door of my apartment building. We walk through the corridor to the elevator at the end of the entryway. I push the button as he looks around getting a feel for the surroundings. The elevator door opens and we walk into the empty elevator. I press the 3rd floor button and the door closes, and we start going up. "What happened to you last night?" He asks and I stay silent. "I need to know what to prepare for." He states as I look back at him and search his eyes to see what he means. "Somebody robbed my apartment." He tilts his head waiting for more information. "They took what I had in my safe and wrecked the apartment. I didn't have time to clean it up." He clenches his jaw and looks as if he is holding back something. "Did they touch you." "No they were gone by the time I got home." He slightly relaxes "Good." He says harshly finally breaking eye contact. The elevator dings and opens for us to get out.

We walk out of the elevator and he follows behind me as I walk to my front door. I pull out my keys to open the door and he stops me. He puts his hand over mine to stop the keys and he puts his index to his mouth to keep me from making noise. He pulls out his gun from behind his back and takes my keys as he starts to unlock the door. He gets it unlock and signals for me to stay outside. I stay out side of the door as he boxes out ready with the gun as he opens the door and heads inside. I can't even hear him walking around. He comes back to the front door and invites me in signalling that it is safe. "No one's here. You're safe." He says as he puts his gun back behind his back. "Thank you Arlo." I say as we go back to our competition with our eyes. "Anytime." I break the eye contact and I go to find Kudos as he shuts the front door and locks it. He stands still and take in the apartment as I come out with Kudos in my arms. "This is Kudos." I say with a smile as Kudos already tries to get out of my arms to Arlo. "He's adorable." He says as he grabs the cat and holds him and Kudos starts purring very loudly. 'Crazy how much a cat can change the mood of the room.' I think to myself as I watch Kudos cuddle this strange man. 'He has never done this with a stranger before. He must get a good feeling about Arlo.' I think as he sets the feline gently down on the rug underneath them.

"I'm sorry about the mess, like I said I didn't have time to clean it up. I had a break down then passed out." He shrugs and gives me a warm and understanding smile. "Do you want help cleaning?" He offers and it surprises me a little bit. "No I am really picky about where my stuff goes it's all like in a place and I'm like ocd." I say with a subtle laugh. He continues to smile as we keep eye contact. "Well do you want dinner instead? I am one hell of a cook." 'What is with this nice act?' I think as I try to see if this is just a facade. 'He has got to have some other intention, first the ride, then my door. Protecting me from threats. What is with this change of character??' I question as he stares at me. "Well? Dinner or no?" he asks, I think about it for a  bit and decide it can't be that bad can it? "You know what sure but you'd have to find everything on your own and I don't even know what I have anymore." He laughs at my response closing his eyes for a moment before gazing into mine again. "I'll get started and you get started cleaning." He says as he makes his way into the kitchen. As I start picking up the living room.