Page 40 of Freeing Ruby

Jason waves him off. “No, I could use the cardio.” He chuckles, then kisses Layla on the cheek. “Be right back, babe.”

She nods and watches him walk out the door.

“Would you like to sit down?” I ask Layla, motioning to the sofa.

Layla sits. “Thanks.”

“Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, tea, or a soft drink?”

“Water would be great,” she says. She sits with her hands clasped in her lap. She seems nervous.

“Still or sparkling?” I ask.

“Still,” she says.

“I’ll get it,” Miguel says as he heads for the kitchen.

I sit again. A moment later, Miguel returns with a glass of chilled water for Layla.

“Thanks,” she says before she takes a sip, then sets her glass down on a coaster on the coffee table.

Pumpkin appears out of nowhere and jumps up onto the coffee table, almost knocking her glass over. She grabs it up before there’s a spill.

I scoop Pumpkin up and set him on my lap. “Sorry about that. This guy has no manners at all. You’re not allergic to cats, are you? If he’s bothering you, I can—”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. He just startled me, that’s all. I like cats.” She reaches out to scratch Pumpkin behind his ears, and he leans into her touch, purring loudly.

Pumpkin takes the attention as an invitation and walks across my lap and over to hers.

Layla laughs when he rubs his head against her hand, begging for more scratches. “Aren’t you a cutie?” she asks as he strokes Pumpkin’s back. He arches his body, pressing closer to her.

“He likes you,” I say.

Layla grins at me. “The feeling is mutual.”

Jason returns with a plastic crate filled with two pairs of dumbbells, both smaller than the first set. He sets these weights down beside the others. “There you go,” he says to Miguel. Then his gaze immediately goes to Layla. “Everything all right?” he asks her.

Layla laughs as Pumpkin brushes his head against her chin. “I think I made a new friend.”

Jason smiles as he watches Layla interacting with Pumpkin.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Miguel asks his friend.

“Water would be great,” Jason says. “Whatever Layla’s having.”

It’s nearing dinner time, so I invite Jason and Layla to stay and eat with us. We end up ordering take-out from a local Turkish restaurant. While we wait for the food to be delivered, we play a few hands of Uno at the kitchen table.

Several times during the game, Layla seems to lose her focus, her attention drifting off. At one point, she’s staring across the room, completely lost in thought. The room grows quiet as we wait for her to take her turn.

Eventually, Jason lays his hand on her shoulder. “Layla, sweetheart?”

She flinches as she turns to face him. “What?”

“It’s your turn, babe,” he says quietly.

Layla’s gaze flashes to me across the table, and for a moment she looks disoriented, as if she forgot where she was. “I’m so sorry,” she says, looking visibly embarrassed.

“It’s okay,” I tell her. I have the feeling I’m missing something here.

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