My Fingerprint Was Never Saved, but Her Lock Was Always Open Chapter 01

My Fingerprint Was Never Saved, but Her Lock Was Always Open Chapter 01

Gavin Cole had added my fingerprint to his smart lock again and again, but somehow, it was always good for only one visit.

Every time he enrolled it, he would say, “Come over whenever you want. You’re always welcome here.”

Yet whenever I returned, the lock gave me the same message: “Fingerprint not recognized.”

Locked out yet again, I stared at the scanner glowing red and called Gavin.

He answered in that familiar, apologetic tone.

“Sorry. A childhood friend was messing around with the lock yesterday and accidentally deleted your fingerprint while trying it out.”

“Hang on for now. I’ll add it back the next time I’m home.”

There it was again: next time.

I stood there with the phone in my hand, suddenly remembering all the excuses he had given me the previous times my fingerprint disappeared.

Two deletions ago, he blamed a system update, even though Vanessa Hale’s fingerprint had survived just fine.

The last time, he claimed the lock had broken, so he’d replaced the keypad. In reality, Vanessa had merely complained that storing too many fingerprints was unsafe.

Every time, Gavin had another perfectly plausible “accident” that allowed him to indulge Vanessa’s need to have the apartment all to herself.

He was still talking on the other end of the call. “Just wait until I get back. I’ll let you in.”

But the second the call ended, a sharp click came from inside the apartment.

Vanessa knew I was outside. She had thrown the deadbolt.

I got to my feet and brushed the dust from my pants.

Forget it.

I didn’t want to go through that door anymore.

…

Cold night air slipped down my collar, making me shiver.

I wiped at my face. I wasn’t crying. My eyes were dry; it was just the wind.

I stood by the curb outside the apartment complex and pulled out my phone to order a ride.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

I looked up and saw Ryan Bennett approaching with a convenience-store bag.

Ryan was a mutual friend of Gavin and Vanessa’s, and he lived in the same apartment complex.

“Here to see Gavin?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “The deadbolt’s on. I can’t get in.”

Ryan frowned, looking confused. “Vanessa’s here, isn’t she?”

“She just sent a voice note to the group saying she was cooking at Gavin’s and told us to come over for drinks.”

Ryan kept talking, oblivious to how pale I had gone.

“Does she come over a lot?” I asked.

He laughed. “All the time. She knows her way into Gavin’s place better than anyone.”

“We always joke that she’s practically the woman of the house.”

Only after the words were out did he realize what he had said. He stopped, visibly embarrassed.

He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean it like that…”

I tried to smile and say it was fine, but my throat had closed up.

Ryan’s phone chimed with a group-chat notification.

I caught sight of the group name on his screen: “Gavin’s Crew.”

Vanessa had just sent a voice note, followed by several teasing reaction GIFs from the others.

I could even make out a few replies, including:

[On my way.]

[Save me some ribs.]

Ryan quickly locked his phone and said sheepishly, “Um… do you want to come upstairs with me? Maybe she’s busy cooking and didn’t hear you knocking.”

“We’re all friends anyway.”

Apparently, we were all friends.

I was Gavin’s girlfriend, but in their circle, I was nothing more than an unwanted outsider.

I shook my head. “No, thanks.”

Then I turned and headed toward the street.

After a few steps, I still couldn’t resist checking my phone.

His last message was still on the screen:

Gavin: [Give me a few minutes. I’ll be there soon to let you in.]

Ten minutes had passed, and he still hadn’t shown up.

When I turned my phone back on the next morning, two missed calls appeared on the screen, along with two messages from the night before.

Gavin: [Why didn’t you wait for me?]

Gavin: [Vanessa was cooking, so I couldn’t get away. Let me know when you get home.]