I’ve Got Your Time This Time

I’ve Got Your Time This Time
Susan’s heels clicked softly on the concrete as she walked up the porch steps. The key felt cold in her hand as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. The familiar scent of the apartment greeted her — a mix of dust, lemon cleaner, and the faint trace of cigarette smoke that lingered from days before. She stepped inside.

Katy was by the window, arms folded tightly across her chest, her frame silhouetted against the dim, late-afternoon light. She didn’t turn to look at Susan, but her stillness said enough. Susan paused about ten feet away, studying her roommate’s stiff posture and hardened jaw. The air between them was heavy — charged, like the seconds before a storm breaks.

Katy finally turned, took two deliberate steps toward her, and spoke first.
“Who was that? And don’t lie — I saw everything through the window.”

Susan’s eyebrows lifted slightly. She folded her arms, mirroring Katy’s stance.
“So there’s no need to answer then,” she replied coolly. “Since you already know the answer. And for your information, even if you didn’t see — like the creep you are — I’m not fucking obliged to tell you anything.”

Katy’s face tightened. Her nostrils flared as she spoke through clenched teeth.
“Is that so, huh? It surprises me how quick you forget — I beat your ass and dragged you across the kitchen floor not too long ago. For you to have the guts to talk to me like this again is impressive. Looks like I need to remind your stupid ass that I can pull that shit any time of the day if I want to.”

Susan unfolded her arms, letting her hands drop to her sides. Her eyes locked on Katy’s.
“I dare you,” she said coldly. “On God. On my late mama’s life, I dare you.”

Katy let out a low, humorless laugh, taking another step forward. Her eyes glinted with hostility.
“Too tired tonight to give your ass the beating it deserves,” she muttered. “But trust me — I’ve got my eyes on you.”

Susan didn’t flinch. She stepped closer, closing the gap between them.
“Stupid is what you are,” she fired back. “And jealousy is what’s gonna be your downfall. Mark my words. You don’t need to tell me you’ve got your eyes on me — mine are locked on you. I’m not naive anymore. I won’t give you a clean shot like last time. So if you want to hash it out now, let’s go. Let’s fight and see if your sorry ass can pull that stunt again.”

A tense silence fell between them, broken only by their harsh, uneven breathing. Their eyes didn’t waver; both were locked in a silent challenge, faces only inches apart. The tension in the room was almost physical, humming in the air like an electric current.

Then Susan’s lips curled into a faint smirk.
“And for your information,” she said, her voice deliberate and biting, “I’m going on a date with him tomorrow night. Let’s see what you’re gonna do about it. I dare you.”

The words hit Katy like a slap. Her expression faltered for half a second before she forced out a brittle, mocking laugh.
“Let’s see if that happens,” she said, voice trembling slightly under the strain of composure.

“It will,” Susan shot back without hesitation. “And it has. Try pulling any crazy shit — I dare you. I’m ready.”

Katy’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Don’t say you haven’t been warned,” she said, her voice dropping into a low, dangerous tone. She took another step forward until their faces were so close that Susan could feel her breath.

“Shut the fuck up,” Susan snapped, unflinching. “You’re all mouth and nothing. Fight me now and let’s see who wins.”

Katy’s expression hardened even further, but she didn’t move. After a brief, taut silence, she straightened her posture and turned away. Her boots whispered against the floor as she walked toward her room.
“Just know,” she said over her shoulder, each word drawn out slowly, “you’ve been warned.”

“You’re the one who’s been warned!” Susan barked back, her voice echoing through the apartment.

Katy paused at her doorway for a brief moment, her hand on the doorknob. Without another word, she pushed it open, stepped inside, and shut the door behind her with a muted click that seemed to echo louder than it should have.

“Stupid,” Susan hissed under her breath. She bent to grab her bag from the floor, her fingers tightening around the strap until her knuckles turned pale. Straightening up, she exhaled through her nose, still glaring toward Katy’s closed door.
“I’ve got your time this time,” she muttered, her tone laced with defiance.

She slung her bag over her shoulder, turned toward her own room, and started walking. Her heels tapped against the floor — slow, deliberate, each step pulsing with quiet anger. At her doorway, she paused for a moment, her chest still rising and falling from the tension. Then, without another glance behind her, she stepped inside and closed the door.

With that, she headed into her own room.