Chapter 53: No Reason to Worry
- RAYA -
Thankfully Dad shows up first, because my hands have started shaking the closer it gets to two o’clock—the time when I’m supposed to be discharged. That’s the time I told Dex, and that’s the time he’s supposed to be arriving.
"I brought the change of clothes you requested," Dad smiles and lifts the bag in his hand. "Has the doctor already been in to release you?"
"Yes. He said everything looks good right now, but I’m supposed to follow up in a week. And if any weird symptoms happen before then, I return to the emergency room. How did it go yesterday at the apartment?"
He comes over to hug me and hands me the bag.
"It was fine. Nothing weird happened, and we were in and out pretty quickly."
"Good." I sigh and peek into the bag he brought.
Yesterday, I asked if he could grab a change of clothes for me to leave the hospital in while he and Dex were at the apartment. I really don’t want to change back into what I was wearing when I showed up. In fact, I’m thinking about tossing those clothes before I leave. Why would I ever want to wear them again?
"Auraya, if I had known that things had gotten bad at your place..." Dad starts, shoving his hands in his pockets like he’s uncomfortable.
"They weren’t bad," I interrupt, brows pinching. "It’s been fine. I just, I wasn’t aware..." I swallow hard, thinking about what I wasn’t aware of: my creepy neighbor spying on me. It’s a nightmare. Much of the past few days has been like a nightmare. So why am I not having nightmares?
"You know, maybe your cat can stay somewhere else and you can come stay with Patty and I. There are options. I don’t want you to feel like you have nowhere else to go but this guest house on your boss’s property," he says gently. "I should have offered it before."
"No," I shake my head, quick to keep him from offering more than what he’s comfortable with.
Dad and I may not spend a lot of time together, but I can read him pretty well. He doesn’t want me at his place. I know he doesn’t. And I don’t want to be there if he’s got a new love interest in his life. That would just be terribly awkward... more so even than staying on the Mobius property, believe it or not. We have lived our separate lives thus far—Rory and I just fine on our own as adults without my dad’s help—and that’s the way everyone prefers it.
"This is temporary anyway. I’ve gotten a raise, so it won’t take long before I’m able to find a new place," I assure him, even though I’m not entirely convinced I’m staying at Mobius Media yet.
Dex knows the truth about Lawson, and he still seems to think I should stay with the company. Maybe I will. Maybe I shouldn’t let Lawson be the reason why I leave.
"Are you sure?" Dad asks, but I can hear that I’ve already convinced him.
"Yep," I smile, forcing it to be more optimistic than I feel because I don’t want to have this conversation. It’s already been decided that I’m staying in Dex’s guest house, so now I just have to follow through and see what it brings.
There’s a reason why this is all happening, and I have no choice but to figure out what that reason is. That’s the only way these dreams are ever going to stop.
When I’m in the bathroom changing, I hear another knock on the outer door and my dad letting Dex in. Somehow in the midst of all this, it feels like we’re going on a first date. It’s completely ridiculous, but I’m nervous like that.
I look at myself in the mirror and cringe. There are scrapes and bruises. I have stitches in my hair. This is not at all how I would look were this actually a date, so why can’t I get these wild butterflies to cease?
Splashing some water on my face only makes me think of the shower from the dream, and I groan internally. This is going to be so incredibly awkward. I’m not sure how I’m even going to be able to look at him at this point without turning bright red.
Finally, I shake myself, take a deep breath, and walk out to find Dex and my dad chatting near the door. Dex’s eyes cut to me, and I glance away like a coward.
"Finally ready to get out of this place?" Dex asks, and I smile, my gaze lingering on the bed and the table and everything else but the literal man of my dreams who is waiting for me.
"Call me if you need anything," Dad says, coming to give me a final hug. "Seriously."
"Okay, thanks dad. I will."
He shakes Dex’s hand before leaving, and now it’s just Dex and I standing in the hospital room.
What now? Do I ask him about last night? Do I ask him if he had another dream?
"Are you hungry?"
My eyes lift to his, and there is only the gentle searching that I saw the day before.
Instead of shaking my head like I probably should, I nod. Because it’s true... I’m hungry. I did get the hospital breakfast here, but it wasn’t good.
He smirks and holds his hand out, waving me toward him. "Come on, let’s get you some food before we get you settled. And then you can relax. There’s no reason to worry about neighbors or work or anything else if you don’t want to. Okay? Don’t worry, Raya."
There seems to be an additional meaning threaded through that final reassurance of his, and it’s the genuine smile with which he says it that has all those butterflies scattering and a warmth spreading to replace them. I suppose at this point it shouldn’t be surprising that walking toward him feels like walking toward home.
His eyebrows are arched just the slightest amount with those gentle, seeking brown eyes under them, and I can’t shake the sense that he looks like a friendly, lovable dog. That’s the only way I can think of to describe the sweet, playful kind of innocence and sincerity that he is able to convey with that handsome face of his. If he turns out to be an ass, it will be the best act I’ve ever witnessed in my life.
We walk out of the room together, and I notice more than a few nurses glancing his way before their eyes land on me. He probably gets attention everywhere he goes.
"You’re not wearing a holey shirt, today," I observe, and he glances down at himself.
"I guess not," he chuckles. "Did I wear one yesterday? Oh, that’s right. I did."
When we get into his truck, it reminds me of right after the accident, and a shiver runs down my spine. I have to keep my thoughts away from that day. I’ve been trying to avoid returning to that memory.
"You went to Melon Pan again?" My eyes fall on the bag between us.
"Just in case you were hungry," he shrugs and starts the truck, and I can’t help but wonder if Dex isn’t trying to get me to fall in love with him. He wouldn’t have to try hard. That’s the scary thing.
"Thank you."
"Do you want something else? We can stop anywhere you want." He glances over at me, and the sunlight illuminates his irises, bringing out the golden honey that swims beneath the brown.
"No, this is great. I can’t think of anything better." I smile shyly and pull the bag into my lap so that it doesn’t fall while he’s driving. I’m tempted to reach into it right now rather than wait, because my mouth is watering just imagining another strawberry croissant. I haven’t been spoiled like this in... I don’t know how long.
"This is for you, too." He points to a cup in one of the holders.
"What is it?" I reach for it, looking it over before taking a drink through the straw. It’s incredible. Blended vanilla coffee something, but it tastes better than anything I’ve ever had with coffee in it.
"There’s a new place I wanted to try. It’s called Winter Moon. Do you like it?"
I nod without taking the straw out of my mouth, and he chuckles. It’s such a good noise.
"Good, I’m glad."
After driving further from the center of the city, we finally turn off on a private road that starts to climb through trees on either side.
"This is a pretty drive," I say quietly, looking out the window, and then my mouth falls open when the house comes into view.
It looks like an Italian villa with a beautiful stone facade and terra cotta roof tiles. The windows have little green shutters on them, and there’s a large double set of arched wooden doors at the front. Despite its size, it looks homey. I bet there’s distressed wooden beams inside and tile floors. It’s not what I was expecting at all, but when I glance over at Dex, it makes sense. I can see him in that house.
Instead of pulling into the driveway, we follow the road around the elegant, black fence that runs along the property with pointed finials. Dex gets out when we come to a back entrance with an iron gate. He unlocks it and swings it open before getting back in.
"It usually opens by remote. I need to get it serviced," he explains as we drive up to the guest house. It’s basically a miniature version of the house at the front, and I’m too stunned for a moment to get out of the truck when he parks it. "Are you okay?"
Those brows of his are arched, eyes searching me again like he’s worried I’m going to break or run away.
"Yeah," I nod, taking my bag of food and opening the passenger door.
There is only one problem I can think of. If this house is as dreamy inside as it is outside, I may never want to leave.
