Page 67 of Home With You

She looks up at me. "I'm still really scared."

"I know." I squeeze her into my side and lightly rub her arm.

Gladys stops coughing a moment to glance up at us. She catches my eye and smiles, nodding toward Raine who still has her head on my shoulder. Gladys thinks Raine's actions are proof she's warming up to me. I'd like to believe that, but I think her actions are more about needing to be comforted and less about her feelings for me.

The past week, Raine has continued to keep her distance from me but at least now, when I bring food over at night, she'll come out of the tent to eat with Gladys and me. But then she goes back in the tent while I talk to Gladys.

Thirty minutes pass and a seat opens up when someone gets called back to see the doctor. Raine pulls away from me, like she's going to go take the seat, but then changes her mind and remains by my side. My arm is no longer around her but I feel Raine's hand bump against mine. I glance over and see her looking straight ahead. I take her hand and hold it, wondering if she'll pull away. Instead, she holds on tighter.

It surprises the hell out of me that she's letting me do this. Letting me comfort her. Letting me take care of her when she's worried and scared. The fact she even told me she's scared shocked me. She's always so closed off. Never tells me how she's feeling. Never shows weakness. But now? It's like she doesn't know what to do. Gladys is everything to her. The only person she has in life. So the thought of losing her has Raine completely panicked and unable to hide how she feels. When she showed up at my apartment, she almost broke down. There were tears in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away. From the moment I saw her, I knew something was seriously wrong without her even having to tell me.

"Gladys," the nurse calls out.

Raine lets go of my hand and turns to Gladys. "They're ready. It's time to get up."

I help Gladys up from the chair, then walk her over to the nurse.

"I'll wait here," I tell Raine as she goes with Gladys to the exam room.

Turning back to the waiting area, I see sick kids coughing and sneezing and an old man with his head bent down, mumbling to himself. This is the last place I thought I'd be spending my Friday night but it's the only place I want to be if they can make Gladys better. And if Gladys is better, Raine will be too.

I hate seeing Raine this upset. This sad. Her life is hard enough. She doesn't need more pain. More loss.

Gladys has to be okay.

15

Raine

"You sure you're all right?" I ask Gladys.

"Yes, dear. You don't have to keep asking." She coughs and takes a sip of water.

"I just want to make sure you don't need anything."

"I'm fine. I'm just going to rest now."

Gladys has bronchitis and the start of pneumonia so the doctor gave her medicine and an inhaler. Well, he didn't give it to her. He prescribed it and Miles paid for it.

Damn Miles. Why does he have to be so nice? I keep trying not to like him but I can't. He's kind, generous, and has a super hot body and perfect face. How can one person have all that going for him? Usually hot guys are assholes and nice guys aren't that attractive. That's based solely on my own experience but it's been true up until now. Then Miles comes along and proves me wrong. He's definite proof that hot, nice guys exist.

I like him so much that I avoid him whenever he's around in an attempt to not like him even more. So far, it's not working. And last night, when he helped me with Gladys? My heart melted, making all my emotions spill out right in front of him. He put his arm around me. He held my hand. He said all the right things to make me feel better. He was perfect. So damn perfect. I wish he'd show me some flaws so I could go back to being annoyed with him instead of missing him, wishing he was here.

"Raine?" I hear a voice outside the tent but it's faint, almost a whisper.

Unzipping the tent, I see Miles standing there. Did he read my mind? What's he doing here?

I want to jump up and hug him and feel his arms wrap around me, because being in his arms makes me feel like everything will be okay. I wish I could feel that way without him, but I can't. I've tried but I can't make myself feel that way when I'm alone. I only feel that way with Miles. I've become attached to him, which I promised myself I wouldn't do, but then this thing with Gladys happened and now I feel even closer to him.

"Hey." I crawl out of the tent, zipping it closed behind me. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going in the office."

It's Saturday but Miles' boss said he had to work today to get something done for a case. Maybe he's just stopping by here on his way to work.

"I went in this morning." He rubs his hand over his jaw and I notice he hasn't shaved. He looks tired. But he still looks hot, wearing dark jeans, a button-up shirt, and a leather jacket.

"How long did you work?"

"Eight hours." He rubs the back of his neck. "Got there at five this morning. I'm exhausted."

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