Page 80 of When The Noise Stops

Before I left the bakery, I'd made one more cake.

Nothing huge. Just a little six-inch vanilla cake with pink buttercream flowers around the edges.

WELCOME HOME, GABBY.

Because whatever bullshit the adults had going on, that little girl had come back to her daddy after three years.

That deserved cake.

I set the box in front of Knox's door.

I thought about knocking.

Didn't.

I went inside my apartment, kicked off my shoes, and locked the door behind me.

Chapter 33

Lila

I opened my front door to go to work and found Maggie standing there.

I looked at her for the first time. Really looked at her.

She wasn't bad-looking, but Knox could've done better. Blonde, petite, snooty little upturned nose.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey."

She didn't move.

Neither did I.

This was awkward.

"You made Gabby a cake."

"I did."

"That was nice."

"Thank you."

"She's been talking about you."

"Hopefully good things."

Maggie smiled.

It wasn't a real smile. Damn near a grimace.

"She gets attached to people quickly."

I leaned against my doorframe.

"Okay."