“Yeah, Operation You’re Crazy Pants,” she mutters, jogging to catch up.
“Oh, we’re getting more then my pants back.” I smirk, making her laugh.
I pick up my speed even more. I’m half running now, heading towards their place. I’ve never been there, but I know what it looks like from pictures they have sent me. I may have also mapped it a few hundred times.
“You’re awfully fast for someone who claimed they’d never move again.” I’m getting winded, but Erika doesn’t seem the least bit winded as she says the words. When we arrive at a condo building, I’m out of breath.
“I heard they live here,” she says, looking up at the concrete and glass building. “This is where the rich kids live,” she adds.
I know Zeke does well for himself and while Levi doesn’t get paid for playing football, everything here is free. Zeke also has a free ride, so I’m not surprised that they can afford to live in these fancy digs. The real question is why Zeke is even here. College is something he doesn’t need. He’s brilliant and I know he was making money on his own before he and Levi took off for school. If I had to guess, he enrolled because Levi was here and that I would eventually join Levi. Zeke likely came here for college so that the three of us could all be together. I make a mental note to ask Zeke if he really wants to attend college. I don’t want him doing something he doesn’t want to just so that we are all doing the same thing. I want to make sure everyone is doing what they want and not sacrificing their own dreams for the benefit of the team. We can be together and all do different things. I make a mental note to talk to Zeke about this stuff.
“It’s just a condo.” I slip my arm into Erika’s, pulling her with me. I don’t want her to feel out of place.
“Do you have a key or something?”
I pause for a moment after we enter the building. I do, but I can’t remember where I put the thing. They gave it to me forever ago when they got the place.
A man behind a desk pops his bald head up to look at Erika and me. “Oh, shit,” I mumble. Busted. I know it for sure when the man says my name.
“Olivia,” he says. It’s my given name but no one calls me that. How does he know my name?
“That’s me,” I chirp, trying to play it cool. “Just popping in to grab something.” I pretend I’ve been here before.
“Of course.” He nods. I walk over to the elevator and hit the button that I notice also has a keyhole, but it opens instantly. Maybe you only need the key when the doorman isn’t here. I wonder if that’s the key I was given?
I pull Erika in with me and hit the button for the top floor. Nothing happens. The doors don’t even close. I hit it over and over, but the button only blinks red at me. Dang it. I don’t see a spot for another key. Not that I have one. This mission is failing miserably.
“Ma’am, you have to enter your code.” The man behind the desk stands. It’s then I notice a keypad. My mind blanks for a moment. Then, I type in the date we met. My birthday would be too easy for people to guess. Zeke would have picked something we remember but others wouldn’t know.
The doors close and I let out a long sigh. “We are really on a time crunch now.” I look over at Erika.
“Yeah, he’s totally going to call them.”
I nod in agreement. Moments later the elevator doors open to the top floor, revealing an entryway that opens into the living room and kitchen. My jaw drops in awe at the size of this place. Of course, they have the penthouse condo. I don’t know why I expected anything less.
I’ve seen the place a million times on FaceTime. I wish I could stop and inspect everything, but I know I need to get a move on it. I also know I made a mistake coming here. Seeing it in pictures and through a phone is one thing, but being here is another. I never want to leave this place now. It feels like home. The whole place smells of them. My eyes linger on pictures of me and pictures of the three of us all together. I don’t live here but I’m everywhere. My heart explodes with love at the thought of them picking each of these photos out and then hanging them in their home. I know in this moment that no matter where we all are, they will always be my home.