Page 31 of Boss with Benefits

"Jing."

Rachel smiled, but it was sad.

"He has my eyes," she said once Hao was gone. She stared at the closed door. "Did you notice?"

I shook my head, more concerned for her emotional state than anything else. I worried what would happen when the shock wore off.

"They were golden brown and had that pigment defect in the corner of his left pupil. See?"

She stepped in front of me, opening her eyes wide. I'd never noticed it before, but there it was, a sliver of yellow amongst the brownish-orange pupil.

"I thought about contacting her. About five years ago, but I wasn't ready to shake up my life." Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head. "This doesn't feel real."

My hands wrapped around her slight shoulders, and she folded into my chest. I put my arms around her and let her rest there.

"I'll never meet her now," she said into my shirt.

My hand cradled the back of her head, her breath warm against my chest. She smelled like grape shampoo.

"I'll take you home."

She pushed off me and screwed up her face. "I have a bout tonight."

"But—"

"I'm fine, Derrick. Besides, curling up in a fetal position and crying over things I can't change isn't going to help. Beating the shit out of some girls will, though."

Rachel wiped the wetness from her eyes with her palms and adjusted her bag.

"I'm not gonna break, dude." She banged her shoulder against my ribs. "Come on. You can walk me to the subway."

I eyed her sideways, not trusting her for a second. There was no way she was okay with this. It was gonna take her a while to process it, and when she did, it wouldn't be pretty.

But she wasn't ready to talk about it, so I wasn't gonna push.

"Promise me you'll call your mother," I couldn't help saying. It was what I'd say to Valeria if something like this happened to her.

"Whatever, Dad."

I narrowed my gaze, not amused.

"Fine. I'll call her."

We walked in silence down the block, the bustle of the city rushing by matching the cacophony of thoughts in my head.

"I always wanted a big family," Rachel said suddenly. "I wonder if Jessica had any other kids. Do you like having all those sisters?"

"It's a blessing and a curse," I said. "That was my sister you saw with me on the subway platform."

"Oh." Rachel chewed her bottom lip. "She seemed nice. Spunky."

I laughed. "That's one way to describe her."

Rachel turned to me. "Thanks for being all big brother protector tonight. And stop worrying. I see it all over your face. I'm fine. I mean, yeah, it's a lot. But I got this."

"Don't quit," I blurted out. "Come back to work for me."

Whatever response I expected, Rachel bending over and laughing wasn't it.

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