Chapter 41: Dessert First
- RAYA -
"You went to Melon Pan?" I whimper, slowly feeling the terror of being spied on in my own home fade a little into the background.
Melon Pan is a well known and beloved bakery in the city with Japanese and French inspired pastries and dishes. Dad knows it’s one of my favorites, and it’s not something I get to indulge in very often because of my budget. It’s usually only for special occasions.
"We did," Dad smiles. "We thought this might be a little better than what the hospital offers."
When Dex starts pulling out boxes of beautiful food, I can’t hold back the tears any longer. Too much has happened, and there are so many overwhelming emotions. Worry, horror, fear, gratitude.
I’ve been fighting to stay focused to appear professional enough to be accepted at my job for months. I’ve been fighting to survive financially even longer than that, and it’s felt like I’ve been alone and struggling for so long—always walking uphill, always pushing away the doubts that I could make it, always keeping my chin up so that no one would know how hard it is. If I could just keep pushing, keep fighting, then everything was going to pay off. It had to.
But then the dreams started. And then Lawson roped me into this covert mission to undermine his brother that makes it so that I have to quit the internship I fought so hard for. Then the car accident, the loss of my home, the awareness that my privacy has been violated... It feels like everything has fallen apart so quickly. And yet here are these two beautiful human beings at my side right now insisting that it will all be okay. And they brought me food.
"Raya," Dad gets up and gives me a sideways hug. "I’m so sorry all this happened."
I try to avoid making eye contact with Dex, because he’s looking at me with the most soul-aching gaze like he can empathize with what I’m feeling, and I don’t want him to. I don’t want him to know how helpless I feel right now or how much it hurts.
"Where is Moira?" I manage to say, eventually wiping the tears away and getting them to stop.
I can do this. I can get through this. Maybe this is the worst I’ve ever been faced with, but it’s not going to defeat me. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to find a way through.
"Right now, she’s in my truck," Dex says, and I cover my face, shaking my head.
"She’s going to ruin your truck," I whimper. "Did you see the chair in my apartment?"
Dex chuckles. "I’m not worried about it, Raya. We got her a litter box at least."
It makes my chest ache more when I hear how relaxed he is about it. And then I think of what Lawson said—how his brother is a sucker for anyone down on their luck or struggling. And that’s what I’ve become, isn’t it? This damsel in distress that needs help. That’s not what I want to be.
"Dad, can you take her to your place?"
"Well," Dad rubs the back of his neck. "I was also going to tell you that Patty moved in."
"She lives with you?" God, how many more surprises am I going to have to hear about tonight. "After four months?"
He chuckles and shrugs. "I told you, it was like meeting an old friend. We want to wake up together everyday instead of spending that time apart."
"Wow. Okay," I sigh, trying to reserve judgement and just be happy for him. "Does she not like cats?"
"She’s allergic," he says in a soft, apologetic voice.
I nod, taking deep breaths, trying to stay afloat and not let this very real whirlpool of despair suck me under. "Moira and I are homeless."
"Okay, listen," Dex gets up and walks over with an open box of strawberry croissants. They are flaky and beautiful, stuffed with light custard and strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar. "You’re not homeless."
He grabs the tray that rolls to hover over my lap and puts the box on it. "We got a turkey and avocado sandwich, too. But I think this day calls for dessert first. Don’t you?"
That smile and those dimples... I can’t think of anything better than Dex smiling and offering me dessert. For real, he is such a stark contrast to my circumstances right now... it’s scary how perfect he feels when everything else is crumbling.
"Do you mind if I try one?" He smirks.
Dex brought me dessert and I get to watch him eat one? I don’t think my heart can take it.
"You’ve never had one?"
"No, I’ve never been to Melon Pan. I’ve heard a lot about it."
I nudge the box back his way. "Once you taste this, you’ll never be the same."
He tries to restrain a small laugh and glances down in that same way that he did after I asked if he had ever dreamed about me. Somehow I have managed to make this grown, handsome, wealthy, successful man appear embarrassed again.
Dex grabs some napkins from the bag and places them on the tray, keeping one for himself and choosing a croissant. He lifts it into the air.
"Cheers?" He asks, gesturing toward me.
I sigh and pick one too, unable to keep from smiling despite everything when he nudges my croissant with his and we both take a bite of the delicacy. Our eyes meet, and I get to see his widen with the first taste he’s ever had of Melon Pan’s famous strawberry croissant.
It’s absolutely delicious. There’s nothing like it... creamy, only slightly sweet, with the pleasant flaky texture of the croissant.
"You weren’t kidding," he says with his mouth still full and a light dusting of powdered sugar on his lips before he uses the napkin.
"Amazing right?" I giggle and wipe my mouth, too.
"Incredible." He nods. "So listen. Your dad and I were talking. Right now, I’m staying at my parent’s house, and there is a separate smaller house on the property. It’s empty. No one is using it, and it’s completely private."
Now my eyes go wide. I was just thinking Dad was crazy for having his girlfriend move in after four months.
"You are suggesting I stay there?"
"Well... I thought Moira could stay there," he shrugs. "But if you don’t think she’ll like living alone and if she doesn’t mind you rooming with her..."
Then he smiles again, and that’s it... I’m done trying to imagine that he has a flaw. Dex Mobius is absolutely perfect in every way.
