Page 42 of Hiding for the Holidays
I hope they’re okay with me being here. I glance at Asher nervously, but he’s calm as he reaches up to pull my helmet off while answering them. “She’s staying with us now.”
“Did something happen?” Grant asks. Asher places his hand on my lower back and guides me towards them.
“It’s not safe there for her.”
Leo and Grant turn to me in question, and I shrug. “He broke my door down.”
Their wide eyes turn to him in question as they step aside, letting me enter the house between them. I enter what looks like a little mudroom, and I see several pairs of shoes, so I slip mine off, drop my bag and take my jacket off, hanging it along with the others.
Leo grabs my bag and my hand and leads me further into the house. “Come on, shortcake. Let me show you around.”
I hear a whispered conversation between Grant and Asher behind me as we step into a large, white kitchen.
“You broke into her room?”
“She was screaming.”
“What? Why?”
“She was having a nightmare, but I didn’t know that. I thought someone was hurting her.”
“Clara?” Leo asks, pulling my attention away from the other two behind me.
“Hmm?”
“I asked what you think?” He gestures to the open kitchen and living room. I wander into the living space. There’s a large gray three-seater couch and a matching recliner, all facing a large TV. I see several game systems on the shelf underneath, and some scattered controllers on the coffee table.
“It’s nice. Cleaner than I expected.”
“Are you trying to say you thought we were slobs?” He asks with a raised eyebrow.
“No.” I shake my head as my eyes scan the bookshelves on the opposite wall. “I guess I just didn’t expect this level of tidiness. I’m impressed.”
He grins at me and points to the stairs. “Want me to show you your room?”
“My room?”
“Yeah, did you think you’d be sleeping on the couch?” I don’t answer as I follow him up the stairs. I hadn’t really thought about it.
But if I’m being honest, I don’t really want to be alone right now. But it’s after one in the morning, so I know they must be tired.
“How come you're awake?” I ask as we reach the second floor.
“We were waiting for Asher.”
I glance behind me at the man in question. “He never explained why he was there,” I tell Leo as he opens a door in the middle of the hall.
“He’ll tell you tomorrow. It’s late, why don’t you check out your room and try to get some sleep?”
Try is the right word. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep for a while after that nightmare, followed by coming here where I’m… surrounded by my bosses.
Leo flicks on the light, and I find myself staring at a beautiful bedroom. If I had seen this a couple months ago, I would have said it was average. An average size with basic gray and white colors, a decent-sized TV across from the bed. But compared to where I’ve been staying, it’s like the Ritz-Carlton in comparison.
“Wow, I can stay here tonight?” I ask, making sure the room doesn’t belong to one of them.
“Not just tonight, you can stay as long as you need,” Leo says, moving past me to place my bag on the desk.
“Don’t tempt me,” I mutter under my breath as I press my feet into the soft carpet.
