Page 101 of Home With You

Ignoring his comment, I get out my phone and look through it. I wish Raine had a phone so I could text her. I hate not being able to contact her, and it worries me she doesn't have a phone to use in an emergency. I might have to get her one.

"The meeting's cancelled," Lisa says, poking her head in the room. "Get back to work."

She leaves and we all get up from our seats.

"Come with us to the bar tonight," Devin says. "Bring Raine so we can meet her."

"I can't. I have to catch up on work."

"We all do. Doesn't mean we're actually going to do it."

"I'll think about it," I say, but I have no intention of going and I'm definitely not letting them meet Raine. Not after the rude comments they made about her.

After work, I go home to my apartment. Raine's not there and it feels empty without her. She was there all weekend and I got used to having her around. I told her she could spend the day here but she took off this morning, saying she was going to start looking for jobs.

Wanting to see her, I change clothes, then head down the street to the alley. When I get there, I can't find her. I go in the coffee shop but she's not there.

I'm sure she's fine but I still worry something might've happened to her. Ever since she told me about her ex and what he did to her, I've been worried about her safety. Maybe she's right and he's moved out of the area, but that doesn't mean she's safe. He could have people looking for her, trying to finish the job of silencing her.

I'm not telling Raine this but I've been researching cases involving dealers selling pain meds. Given the rising problem of people getting addicted to them, or dying from them, judges are being tougher on dealers. If I could find that bastard who hurt her, I might be able to have him locked in prison for a very long time. But in order to do that, I'd need Raine to tell me more about him and she won't.

I get a coffee, then go wait in the alley, sitting in Gladys' lawn chair. I text Zoe to see how Gladys is doing.

She's feeling much better, Zoe texts back. The girls are having a tea party in her room.

Tell her I said hi.

I will, she texts back. I'm working tomorrow but I don't think I'll bring Gladys. She needs to rest. Let Raine know.

I will.

"Miles?" Raine walks up to me. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you." I stand up, putting my phone away. "Where were you?"

"Just walking around. Did you need something?"

"No. I just wanted to see you. I missed you."

"Okay, well, you saw me." She goes around me to the tent.

"Wait." I stop her before she goes in the tent. "You want to go to dinner?"

"I still have some of the food you left. I'll just have that."

"It's not enough. And it's not dinner. It's just snacks. Why don't we go somewhere? Or we could make dinner. Do you know how to cook?"

"A little but I'm not very good at it."

"I'm not either but I'm sure together we could figure it out. Let's go." I take her hand.

She pulls away. "Miles, I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't. I can't be at your place all the time."

"Why not?"

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