Chapter 3

Over the next few days, Geneva became even more cautious.

She barely showed herself during the day.

When Josh went out for groceries, she would sneak around, grab a quick bite, handle whatever she needed, then retreat back to her "storage room."

But I could tell she was always around.

My fridge was running out of food twice as fast as before.

My coffee beans had dwindled by almost half.

One of my expensive, limited-edition pajamas from my bedroom had vanished.

I was shocked.

She wasn't just crashing at my place. She was straight-up using my stuff out in the open.

She even stole my pajamas.

A wicked sense of amusement started bubbling up inside me.

One afternoon, Josh headed out.

I was lounging on the couch, pretending to watch TV, but my eyes were glued to the storage room door.

I knew she must be desperate to get out of there.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the door cracked open.

Geneva poked her head out, wearing my white shirt under her old jacket, looking like she was up to something.

She made sure the living room was empty, or at least, with just me, the "blind guy," around, before she finally stepped out.

First, she headed to the kitchen. I heard the fridge door open and close.

Then she went to the bathroom.

I heard the sound of water running in the bathroom.

She was actually taking a shower in my house.

She was doing it like it was no big deal since Josh was not around.

I wondered if she saw me as nothing more than a piece of furniture.

I was fuming inside.

I was literally lying here in the living room.

She was actually showering in my house, just assuming I couldn't see her.

This was blatant provocation.

I couldn't help but sit up, my face contorted with frustration.

I could feel my blood pressure going through the roof.

This was my perfect chance to mess with her.

I took a deep breath.

I grabbed my phone and opened up a music app.

Then, I "accidentally" hit play on an ear-splitting heavy metal track.

The deafening music blasted through the living room.

The sound of water from the bathroom suddenly cut off.

I put on a startled look, like I'd just been spooked.

"Jeez, what's wrong with my phone? Why's it so loud?" I fumbled around, pretending to find the volume button.

But in reality, I turned it up two more notches.

The bathroom door burst open with a bang.

Geneva stormed out, wrapped in a towel, her hair still dripping, looking furious and ready to confront me.

"Mick, what the hell are you doing?" she yelled.

She looked angry, but honestly, she was more panicked than anything.

She figured she could do whatever she wanted since it was just me at home.

I lifted my head, pretending to be confused, and turned toward her voice.

"Who's that? Who's talking? Josh, are you back already?" I asked, sounding all innocent.

Then I fumbled around, moving my phone away, and the music gradually died down.

Geneva stood in the bathroom doorway, breathing hard, clearly pissed off.

She shot me a suspicious look, clearly not buying my innocent act.

"Weren't you supposed to be asleep?" she asked, her tone questioning, barely above a whisper.

"Nope, I just woke up. Where's Josh? Did he go out for groceries?" I acted clueless, like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Geneva glared at me, her face alternating between ashen and livid.

She was definitely wondering if I did it on purpose.

She believed that a blind guy would never blast the music that loud on purpose.

Plus, I was playing the clueless card, asking where she was like nothing happened.

In the end, she didn't say a word, just gave me a murderous glare and slammed the bathroom door shut.

I heard the sound of her getting dressed from inside the bathroom.

Soon enough, she stepped out again, now fully dressed.

Her hair was still damp, her face a bit pale, and she was watching me warily.

"Next time, keep the volume down," she muttered, her voice low, like she was warning me.

"Got it," I nodded, acting all innocent.

But inside, I was cracking up. If Geneva knew I not only saw her showering but also caught her totally freaked out, she'd probably explode on the spot.

She didn't bother with me and just marched off to the kitchen.

Then I heard the fridge door open and slam shut again.

This time, she pulled out a carton of yogurt and a couple of eggs.

She was actually cooking for herself now.

It looked like I scared her so much she didn't dare touch my cooked food anymore.

I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

This game was getting more and more entertaining.

I was already looking forward to seeing what kind of face she'd make next time.