Chapter 31: Cue Cards
- RAYA -
I realize I’m missing Nana’s locket right before Lawson comes walking through the door—one reason to panic spiraling right into the next.
The locket must have fallen off when the accident happened yesterday, which means that it’s gone. It probably got run over or picked up by someone—unless I had it on when I came to the hospital and it was removed prior to surgery, but I have a feeling that’s not the case. A nurse or someone would have returned it to me by now.
While those thoughts and feelings of loss are tumbling through my head for the precious memory of Nana that I wear every day, Lawson walks in like he owns the place. He is dressed impeccably in a grey suit and blue tie, and he’s holding a matching blue envelope as if a set designer had chosen it purposely so that he wouldn’t clash.
Is it just some perfect accident that people like him always appear this way—as if the world has coordinated itself around them? Or was Lawson in the store lifting each envelope up to his tie to see which would look best?
Before I can allow myself the pleasure of imaging that particular version of Lawson’s character, he stops at the foot of the bed with a sympathetic smile.
"Auraya, on behalf of everyone at Möbius Media, I am sorry about what happened. What an unfortunate accident this was."
For a second, it feels like we are in some kind of sitcom and he’s reciting lines. I almost want to turn around to see if someone is holding up cue cards behind me.
"Thank you. It wasn’t necessary for you to come."
My hands curl into the blanket over my legs with the reflex to pull the covering all the way up to my neck. Is it really possible for visitors to just come in unannounced like this? What if I had been out of bed? Not that I would have been, but still...
"Alexander should have never sent you out to do... whatever it was he had you do." He shakes his head regretfully and plays with his tie, running his hand down the length of it.
"It wasn’t his fault at all. I am capable of walking down the street. I just..." The memory comes crashing back into the forefront of my mind, making me shudder internally: the old woman at the crosswalk, me not paying attention and jotting down notes, the crash, the confusion afterward, the horror. "I just should have been looking."
God, the very real thought that things could have been so much different if I had simply paid attention makes me nauseous. I want a do-over. If I could go back... if I could get a second chance...
"Are you okay?" He asks, cutting into my thoughts. "You don’t look so good."
"Of course," I force a smile. "I’m just... I’m here."
"Auraya," he says more seriously now, moving along the side of the bed, his gaze trailing along the blanket until he arrives by my side. "I hope you don’t blame the company for what happened."
"No, of course not." I have to close my eyes for a few beats before opening them again, praying for patience. Praying that a nurse walks in and tells him he has to leave.
"That’s a relief to hear. We got you a card." He smiles and hands me the envelope, and I take it, flattening it against my lap and keeping it there under my hand without opening it.
"That was nice. I’ll look at it later."
He glances at the door. "So how long are you in for?"
"A few days," I shrug. "They mentioned staying home to rest for a week or so after that, but I doubt that will be necessary. You know doctors... they just play it safe."
"You don’t want to take any risks," he says, his brows furrowed, and if I didn’t know what genuine care looks like, I might mistake it for that. But this isn’t what that is. This feels like something else... like small talk—like acting.
"Thank you for stopping by," I sigh, unable to hide the exhaustion this visit is causing. "I’m not really feeling up for visitors right now."
"Oh, okay," he nods and steps back from the bed. But he doesn’t leave. With his hands in his pockets, he looks around some more like he is waiting for someone.
"No one else is coming, right?" I ask quickly, hoping to god there isn’t going to be a crowd of people walking in.
"No," he shakes his head. "I don’t think so."
Another few seconds pass, and I’m about to ask him what the hell he wants when he finally reveals it on his own.
"I had a great idea yesterday. Can I share it with you?"
"I don’t think..."
"Alexander was here all night I heard. He didn’t leave until you were out of surgery. Is that right?"
My stomach twists in an uncomfortable knot whilst his face twists into a grin.
"Lawson, I don’t want to talk about this right now."
"But Auraya, this is actually the perfect opportunity. After Alexander’s mother died, he became an absolute bleeding heart for every cause, every person down on their luck, everyone hurt or injured or struggling, which is part of the reason why he is the worst possible fit to lead this company. He had to run away from his problems rather than face them." Lawson gestures toward the wall with an outstretched arm. "Does that sound like a good CEO to you?"
If his eyes weren’t huge and full of this latent rage-filled accusation toward Dex, I would tell Lawson that, yes—actually, that sounds like a perfectly fine fit for someone who is to be CEO. Dex has feelings. Does every leader have to be greedy and cold-hearted and cruel? Mr. Möbius certainly doesn’t seem that way.
"And now," Lawson’s grin returns. "You are in a position to gain his sympathy. It’s already happened with him spending all day here yesterday. You are in the perfect position, Auraya. You can get even closer to him than you would just as his assistant."
