Page 12 of Working For A Billionaire

"Just… I have just been thinking. I need to figure out how to pay for everything."

"What are you talking about? You have medical insurance."

"I know, but I can't afford to go to the doctor every other week."

I shake my head. "Don't worry about it. We talked about this yesterday."

She turns to look at me, her eyes wide. "I can't just let you pay for everything."

"Why not?" I shrug. It seems logical.

She shakes her head. "You have your own bills."

"I am fine. I have enough money to take care of things."

"I understand that, but you talk about this like it's something to be handled instead of experienced. This isn’t one of your business transactions.”

I frown. Once again, she is being defensive, and I have to admit, so am I. Living together has proven to be very difficult.

“I know that,” I tell her. “I’m not treating this as one of those. And I’m not treating you as a business partner. I’m just… still startled about everything.” I finally admit, realizing that there’s no point making an enemy of her, when she isn’t one. We’re on the same side, although it doesn’t feel that way.

She sighs. “I know this is a shock,” she says. “It’s a shock to me, too. I’m sorry.”

I inhale deeply, trying to reassure her. “There is nothing to apologize for. Or, at least, then we’d both need to apologize. I really don’t want to go back to that. Let’s look to the future and see how we can make this work, huh?”

She seems to like that. She smiles. “What’s for dinner?”

I chuckle. “Whatever you want. Let’s order something.”

Chapter Five

Riley

My mind is clouded, and I need some clarity so I can find the right path. In the box on my closet with my crystals, there is sage. After retrieving it from the closet and setting it on my dresser, I take out the bundle of sage from the box and light the end of it.

The smoke clears as the sweet scent fills the room. The clouds lift and I am able to see clearly again. My next step is to remove all traces of negativity that might have attached itself to the house. It’s something an old friend taught me to do, and although I don’t believe in all of that, I still think the smells can soothe you into calmness, if only for a little while.

I move into the hallway, waving the sage to disperse the smoke from it as I feel the negativity dissipate. Already my body feels lighter, and my mind seems a little more focused.

"Are you burning something?" Harrison asks, walking up the stairs wearing a look of confusion.

"It's sage," I reply, still waving the smoke through the hallway.

"Why?" He asks, following me as I walk through the second floor.

"To cleanse the house from any negativity," I explain, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

"Cleaning is Gloria's job, and she doesn't need to set fires to do it," he says, taking the sage from my hand. "Why don't we just leave it up to her?"

"Gloria cleans the surfaces and she does a wonderful job, but this is to cleanse the negative energy. It will make the house a more peaceful and serene environment for the baby. I want the baby to be born in a peaceful and uplifting environment." I make sure not to say our baby. After all, he hasn’t used the term either, and honestly, it doesn’t feel like we share this baby. It is both his and mine, but not ours, as weird as it may sound.

"There is nothing peaceful or serene about childbirth, and the baby will be born in a hospital," he tells me matter-of-factly.

I start to respond but change my mind. This is a conversation for another time. Harrison likes facts. He likes answers. I want to have plenty of both when we discuss my idea.

"I have to get to work now. Can I trust you won't set any fire while I'm gone? I would like to have a home to come back to," he says, and I can’t tell if he’s joking or not. He seems stressed.

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