“Is that a friend of yours?”
I do need to be careful. Raelyn is bound to tell her friend about what happened because she clearly wants to get it off her chest, and the more people that we involve in this, the more complicated it becomes.
“Yes, she’s my best friend. From high school. I can trust her; she’ll look after me.”
I nod. “Okay, well then you should call her. Get her to meet you.”
As Raelyn does what I’ve asked, contacting her friend, I call a driver to come and get her. There’s no way I’m letting her walk around by herself, and not to be controlling but because I care so much, and she’s in no fit state to drive herself. I would take her, but things here are already weird enough. I don’t want to make it worse, and I do need to stick around to make sure nothing happens. This is the best way for all of us.
“All sorted?” I ask her as she finally hangs up the phone. “Your friend coming to meet you?”
“Yeah.” She rubs her arms anxiously. “She said that she’s going to meet me at my place.”
I grab her into a hug and I try my hardest to reassure her. I know that someone could easily peer through the little window on my office door and see what’s going on in here. They could easily put two and two together and figure that something is going on between Raelyn and me, but that’s hardly important anymore. After what we have been through, a little bit of office gossip isn’t going to trouble us.
Let them talk, I think as I slide my eyes closed and I nestle in to Raelyn. I inhale deeply, breathing in her delicious citrusy scent. Right now, this woman is the only one who’s important to me.
“I have a car coming in a moment, to take you home.”
“A car?” She pulls back to look at me. “But I can make my own way home.”
“Raelyn, I just want to take care of you. Please just let me. This is harder for me than you know.”
“But I’m capable of looking after myself…”
“I know you are. This isn’t for you, it’s for me.”
“Okay fine,” she caves. “I’ll let you take care of me, but just until this is all over. Then it will be my turn to take care of you.”
I smile, truly believing that this is what she wants to do. She really is unlike anyone that I have ever met before, particularly Anna, and that just makes her the most appealing person on the planet.
We need all of this to be over now, so we can really work out what we could be to one another, given half the chance.
“Fine, that sounds like a deal. I look forward to it.” I lean down and gently kiss her on the lips. “Now, you go home and be careful, okay? Look after yourself so I don’t need to worry.”
“Will do,” she replies softly. “And the same goes for you too. Be careful.”
We’re equal, a partnership, and I absolutely love that.
26
Raelyn
“Abbi,” I gush out excitedly as I see her. Relief floods me as my friend, the one person I need to see more than anyone else in the world. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here. I’m so sorry to disturb you when you just got back…”
“What the hell is going on, Raelyn? It seems like things are really crazy with you right now.”
I grab out my key, needing to get inside. I can’t deal with the rest of the world right now. I need to be in my home where I can be safe. “Come inside. I can’t talk about it out here. It’s all too much.”
“Raelyn, you’re actually shaking! I haven’t ever seen you like this before. What’s going on?”
I don’t answer her. I just tug her into my home and slam the door hard. My heart hammers so loudly, I’m scared it might burst out my chest. “I don’t know, Abbi. I don’t know where to start.”
“Okay, well I’m going to get the kettle on. I think you need hot tea to calm you down.”
“Hot tea?” I shrug. Whatever the hell she wants, I’ll go with. “Sure, why not.”
“Take a seat and get your thoughts in order. Just remember that the last time we spoke properly, you were about to go on a date with the hot guy from the app. So, it might help if you start from there.”