Page 9 of Atlas
“I didn’t realize it was something I needed to advertise to everyone.” She mutters, and I can feel that I am approaching a sensitive topic.
Deciding to back off, I scratch Bruno’s ears as I change the subject. “Why are you sorry? And why are you crying?” Evidently not much of a subject change. She shifts in her seat and I see her lip wobble.
“I-I was fired today.” Her voice was barely audible.
“What?” I roar, jerking forward and startling Bruno. “How? When? Why?”
I watch her head fall into her hands as fresh tears fall. “He called me when Stevie and Sunday picked me up from the hospital.” She grabs another tissue and wipes her eyes. “He said I’m not reliable enough for them to keep on.” She shakes her head and starts crying harder. “I’m going to lose everything. My apartment, my savings, my health insurance. Oh god! How am I going to pay for my medication?!”
I stand up and walk in front of her before kneeling down. “Hey,” I grip one of her hands and while trying to ignore the heatrushing through me at the contact, I give her a reassuring smile. “Breathe, it will be okay.”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Easy for you to say. Do you have any idea how much my medicine iswithinsurance?”
“Okay, so you get new insurance. I’m sure it can’t be that hard, there are insurance compan–”
“Just stop Atlas. I know you are trying to help, but you have no idea what you are talking about. Without my job, I cannot pay for my insurance. And getting new insurance is not like going and getting a new pair of pants, especially when you have an illness like mine.” I watch her deflate and I hate it. I want to fix it for her.
Wait, I can fix this for her. I have insurance…good insurance.
“What if you use my insurance?” I ask, while running my thumb over the top of her hand. God, her skin is so fucking soft.
She chuckles softly, “We aren’t married, aren’t in the same household, there is zero way for me to be under your insurance, and even if I could, I’d still have a monthly payment that I cannot afford on the income I’m about to be on until I can get this all squared away. I’ve royally pissed off a large law firm. I’m going to be seen as tainted now.”
“Marry me.” I firmly blurt out, causing Ren to start choking. On what I don’t know, she wasn't drinking anything.
After a long coughing fit, Ren stares at me, eyes wide and wild. “What?” She breathes.
“I said, marry me.” I repeat, and her eyes somehow get bigger.
“Atlas, what are you talking about?” She looks around the room in confusion before her eyes land back on me. “Is this a joke?”
“What? No! I’m serious. This could actually work out good for the both of us! I need a place to stay, you need healthinsurance. Let’s get married, and then we both have what we need.”
“Okay,” she says slowly as she stands up and begins pacing. “And how do you suppose that will work? Obviously, our friends could know. But my parents, they would have to be told a lie. And what about your parents? And what does that mean for us? And what about potential future partners? How long would this go on for? Why are you smiling?”
I breathe out a laugh. “Princess, calm your pretty ass down. We don’t need to have all the answers right this minute.”
“The fuck we don’t! If I’m marrying you, I need a color coded list of rules, expectations, hard limits, preferably at least a basic timeline, and of course what our lie is.” She stops mid pace and arches a brow in annoyance. “Why are you grinning now?”
I am grinning, like a fucking idiot because her need to know absolutely everything before starting on anything is adorable. I mean seriously, a color coded list?
“How about we just play it by ear?” I have to bite back the laugh threatening to come out from the look of utter horror and disgust plaguing her face. You would’ve thought I recommended sacrificing puppies to appease the gods or something.
“Princess,” I reach out and grab her soft hand again, missing the way it felt in mine. I wonder briefly if she feels the same pull between us that I’m feeling. “If you want a color coded list, I will go to the store and buy an assortment of different color pens, maybe some different writing pads, annotation tabs and we will get to work.”
Her face falls, and her bottom lip begins to wobble. I’m about to ask her what I said wrong when her shaking voice rings out. “You know what annotation tabs are?”
I let out a breathy chuckle. “Yes, I am well aware of all the office supplies. So, what do you say?”
She blows out a breath before tucking a fallen blonde strand behind her ear. “I mean, in theory, as long as we don’t get caught, it makes sense, but what you are proposing, I’m not seeing the benefits for you.”
You are my benefit.
Nope, can’t say that. I roll my neck and give her hand a squeeze. “I need a place to stay, I need someone to help make sure I don’t fuck up this community service shit, and I could use some good karma.”
She seems hesitant, but I watch as she glances over to a black storage cabinet and her shoulders hunch inwards. She looks back at me and nods.
“Okay. Atlas, I will go to the office supply store with you.”
