Chapter 112: Already Settled
- RAYA -
We are doing something completely ordinary—eating lunch in a deli—and I honestly couldn’t be happier. I have my sister and Dex with me at the same table.
"Thank you for taking care of my sister, Dex," Rory says after starting on her sandwich.
It takes a lot for my sister to do things like thank someone or apologize when she is feeling guilty. I’m not sure why it is bothering her so much that she left to go on a vacation she had planned. I mean, I get it. But it’s still surprising. I guess when she was away, things hit her so much harder than when she was here that night of the accident.
"It’s been my pleasure. I’m glad I was able to help." Dex says and then winks at me.
"Seriously," Rory says, like he isn’t taking her seriously already. "I should have been here. It’s crazy that I left."
"Roar, it’s not crazy that you left. You and Westin had that trip planned for a long time. You don’t have to keep making yourself feel guilty about it," I tell her. "I’m sorry that you weren’t able to enjoy it because of me."
"Don’t apologize, Raya," she frowns.
"Then stop feeling guilty."
Dex chuckles next to me, adjusting the napkin in his lap.
Rory glances at him and then back at me. "So would you like to come stay with Westin and I now that we are back in town? We have the spare bedroom free. You are more than welcome. We can hang out more—watch movies and stay up all night. It would be like a permanent slumber party."
"Oh." I set my sandwich down and wipe my hands, unsure how to respond to this offer. I hadn’t thought of it. It makes sense that I would go stay with her, doesn’t it? She’s back in town. She’s my sister. I was basically staying with Dex out of convenience because there was nowhere else to go. I should have expected Rory to offer her spare room—that should have been the plan all along. So why does the thought of moving in with her feel so... heart wrenching?
While I’m trying to figure out how to respond, Rory is waiting with a crooked smile. I can feel Dex waiting in anticipation of my answer, too. I wish he would give me some kind of indication as to what he wants so I don’t just assume I’m welcome to go on staying with him. He did say he was wondering when was the right time to ask me to move in with him, but he hasn’t exactly done it yet. And I’m definitely not making assumptions about something that serious.
"All of her stuff is already in the guest house," Dex says like he can sense my dilemma, and the relief I feel is immediate. "There is no one else who stays there. No one has stayed there for many years, actually. It’s not a problem for Raya to continue, especially since she is settled. Unless of course you want to leave," he adds, addressing me—offering me an out and probably curious to know how I feel about it, too.
"Right, I’m already settled," I agree, thinking of the loft that I haven’t slept in for so many nights now. The avocados in the kitchen. My grandmother’s quilt and my teddy bear that are on the bed. Most of my things unpacked and put away. Even my plants have found places in the guest house. I may not be there to stay with them, but they are definitely comfortable. "And Moira Rose seems to like it there. Westin doesn’t like cats, does he?"
"I don’t care if he likes cats or not," she says with a wry smile like she expected this response from us all along. "If you change your mind, you and Moira are always welcome."
"Thank you, Rory," I smile, and Dex puts his arm around the back of my chair.
"What is the status with everything?" She asks, stabbing at her pasta salad with the fork. "The neighbor, the guy in the SUV... have you heard anything?"
I consider telling her that as of last night, the creeping voyeuristic neighbor has officially gone from peeping Tom to full blown stalker but decide against it. Rory was already worrying too much about me. I don’t want to give her another reason to add to it.
"I was able to cancel my lease and get my security deposit back. I think my landlord was going to kick the guy out," I tell her, and then it hits me. Maybe that’s what happened. Maybe Mr. Otis gave him an eviction notice, and that’s why the creepy neighbor guy went out of his way to track me down. I still don’t know how he could have done it... unless he took note of Dex’s plates and was able to trace them somehow. Wouldn’t he have to have a friend in the department of motor vehicles to do that? Or he could have followed the taxi I was in...
"Raya, are you okay?" Rory asks, reaching across the table.
"Yeah... yes, of course!" My eyes go wide in response, overcompensating for whatever disturbed look I may have had prior. "Why?"
"You just looked upset about something." She slides her hand back across the table, glancing at Dex with a worried look.
"It was an upsetting situation," I shrug, looking down into my lap where the napkin is spread across my dress and fidgeting with it.
"I know. I can’t believe that. I never noticed it either, and I was just there." She shakes her head, a small noticeable shiver overcoming her at the thought. "I wish I could give that guy a piece of my mind."
"No you don’t," I say quickly. "Don’t go do anything stupid like try to knock on his door."
"What? Why not? That was going to be my next stop."
"Lorelei!" I exclaim quietly, looking around at the other tables to make sure I’m not too loud. "Don’t even think about it. That guy is dangerous."
"Now I see that this kind of behavior runs in the family," Dex chuckles at my side.
"I was kidding!" Rory says, but then her eyes widen. "What does that mean? Did you go to confront him, Raya?"
"No!" But then Dex and Rory share a look, and I have to explain. "I mean, I had thought about it. But I didn’t. I just talked to Mr. Otis to get my security deposit back."
Rory groans and buries her head in her hands. "What were you thinking? At least wait for me so I can kill him if he tries anything."
Dex laughs. "I bet you two are trouble together."
Rory ignores him. "Don’t you realize how small you are? You can’t take on a full grown man."
"You’re the same size as I am!" I laugh.
"But I carry mace, and I know how to knee a guy in the balls if I have to. I know for a fact that you don’t carry mace and that you’re too nice to do something like that, even if they deserve it," she says, cutting me a look that’s somehow teasing and serious at the same time.
That comment shuts me up, because that’s another thing I’m not going to tell her about: the very recent proof that she’s wrong. Dex bristles next to me at the reminder of what happened with his brother—I can feel the change in him immediately. His thumb caresses my back from where his hand is resting against my chair, and I take a sip of my drink instead of just sitting quietly. Rory is very perceptive. I don’t want her guessing that I was in a position to actually have to knee someone like that to get away. She will freak out.
"You should file a report with the police," Rory says finally. "It’s horrifying that someone can get away with invading your privacy like that."
"You’re right. That’s a good idea. Maybe I’ll do that tonight after work."
"You should," she repeats. "I will go with you if you want."
"No, that’s okay. I can do it."
"I’ll go with her," Dex says. "I’m going to be taking her home after work anyway."
"Why do I feel like a child listening to my parents discuss what’s best for me?" I say, trying to make a joke.
"I don’t know. We never experienced that," Rory says, giving me another look as she reaches for her bag to look for something. I groan internally. Is it absolutely necessary to bring that up? It was a joke.
"Here," she says, handing me a small bottle of pepper spray. "Take this. I have an extra one."
"Aurora," someone says next to me, pulling my attention from the discreet weaponry my sister has offered, and my stomach drops when I see who has walked up to the table to greet me with the incorrect name. Laurel. And she appears too surprised for her typical smug expression. Her eyes dart to Dex at my side who doesn’t cease from holding the back of my chair.
"I think you mean Auraya?" Rory says, glancing at me to see if she should be annoyed and insulted for me.
"Of course. Isn’t that what I said?" Laurel asks, and then goes on without waiting for an answer. "It’s nice to see you looking so well, Auraya. Everyone has missed you at the office. I guess you are returning to work today then?"
Her gaze rests on Dex with this question like she is trying to make sense of what this means finding us together. I wonder what her mind is making of it.
I smile, feeling my cheeks begin to heat. "Yes," I say softly.
"That’s wonderful." She forces an uneasy smile. "See you later then."
When Laurel walks away, I sigh and look at Dex. This is something we didn’t talk about—how to act around each other in the office. What trouble is this going to cause him?
He leans in close with a crooked smile. "Don’t worry. I’m the boss, remember?" Then he kisses my cheek without even checking to see if anyone is looking.
