"It's not a cult," he grumbled and he realized that he still had one arm around her shoulders from when she started texting. It slipped away and he straightened up, looking around again before nodding in the direction of the storefront. "I'll take us there. Right this way."
He started walking back to the alcove, a storefront with faded signs saying things like Final Days Clearance! He glowered at it. For all he knew, the universe put it there specifically to mock him at this very moment.
He used the sling ring to open a portal there, where the store's gated door once was. The interior of an apartment could be seen within, and Stephen hoped she hadn't moved from where she last lived, since that would make things even more awkward than they already were.
He looked back to see if she was following, saying loud enough that he hoped only she could hear him, "Please tell me you still live here."