it. You know I think what you do for those women is incredible, I would never disrespect what you do.” He looks so sorry and so sincere that it’s almost enough for Mia to forget his harsh words, almost.
“It’s all right. It’s fine, really.” She puts on a brave smile for him and gently disengages herself from his hold, turning around again to empty the brown bags. “I just don’t want you to have to worry about money when you’re starting over. You’ve got enough stuff to deal with right now.” She’s surprised when Ray takes hold of her hand, stilling her and wordlessly he leads her to the bedroom.
She watches as he opens her wardrobe and fiddles around inside until she hears a click and then what sounds like something heavy moving. Her eyes widen as Ray pulls out a wooden plank, what she recognizes as the false bottom of the wardrobe. Then he lifts something heavy out. Wordlessly, he opens the bag he’s hidden away in a place even she didn’t know existed and her hand flies to her mouth as she takes in a startled breath. The bag is filled with cash.
She doesn’t take any steps towards it but from where she’s standing she can clearly see piles of Benjamin Franklins neatly stacked in clear plastic. She can feel Ray’s eyes on her, but she can’t seem to pull her attention away from the thousands of dollars that, only a moment ago, were just sitting in the false bottom of her bedroom furniture.
“What? Where…?” Mia swallows hard, kicking her brain into gear. “Where did that come from?”
Ray zips up the bag silently, placing it back in its hiding place. “I didn’t show this to you to freak you out, Mia.” He straightens once he’s happy that the cash has been replaced out of sight. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to worry about money or about me. I want you to feel secure.”
Mia hears a strangled laugh and is surprised to find that it comes from her own throat. “You want me to feel secure with all that cash just lying around in my apartment?” She shakes her head at Ray’s flawed logic. “Where the hell did it come from?”
Ray rubs his forehead but he doesn’t avoid her gaze. Instead he returns her stare without flinching. “I didn’t rob a bank if that’s what you’re worried about.” He gives her a lopsided smile that tells her she’s worrying without any need to. “That money is what’s owed to me. I earned it. That’s all you need to know.”
“By ‘that’s all you need to know,’ I’m guessing that means that’s all you plan on telling me?” Mia frowns at him, wondering if she’s letting her feelings for Ray cloud her judgment or if she’s just searching for things to worry about, reasons to suspect Ray of having a darker past than she’ll be able to handle.
Ray’s silence speaks volumes. He’d learnt pretty quickly that the best way to argue with her was to remain silent. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that it drove her crazy and just made her fill the silence herself.
“Fine. I don’t need to know where it came from, at least not for now.” She gives him a pointed look, which he ignores. “But will you at least let me in on the reason that you’re keeping that cash in my wardrobe instead of in the bank, like a normal person?” She crosses her arms over her chest, taking a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting this to turn into an argument over all the things he’s keeping from her.
“I like to have easy access to my cash, to know where it is at all times.” He mimics her posture, crossing his arms over his broad chest and planting his feet wide.
She knows he’s making fun of her, but she doesn’t fall for the bait. “You like to know where it is to get out of town as quickly as possible should the need arise.” Mia fills in the blank with her own supposition, wishing he would tell her she’s got it all wrong, that she’s being paranoid.
“Something
“It’s all right. It’s fine, really.” She puts on a brave smile for him and gently disengages herself from his hold, turning around again to empty the brown bags. “I just don’t want you to have to worry about money when you’re starting over. You’ve got enough stuff to deal with right now.” She’s surprised when Ray takes hold of her hand, stilling her and wordlessly he leads her to the bedroom.
She watches as he opens her wardrobe and fiddles around inside until she hears a click and then what sounds like something heavy moving. Her eyes widen as Ray pulls out a wooden plank, what she recognizes as the false bottom of the wardrobe. Then he lifts something heavy out. Wordlessly, he opens the bag he’s hidden away in a place even she didn’t know existed and her hand flies to her mouth as she takes in a startled breath. The bag is filled with cash.
She doesn’t take any steps towards it but from where she’s standing she can clearly see piles of Benjamin Franklins neatly stacked in clear plastic. She can feel Ray’s eyes on her, but she can’t seem to pull her attention away from the thousands of dollars that, only a moment ago, were just sitting in the false bottom of her bedroom furniture.
“What? Where…?” Mia swallows hard, kicking her brain into gear. “Where did that come from?”
Ray zips up the bag silently, placing it back in its hiding place. “I didn’t show this to you to freak you out, Mia.” He straightens once he’s happy that the cash has been replaced out of sight. “I just want you to know that you don’t have to worry about money or about me. I want you to feel secure.”
Mia hears a strangled laugh and is surprised to find that it comes from her own throat. “You want me to feel secure with all that cash just lying around in my apartment?” She shakes her head at Ray’s flawed logic. “Where the hell did it come from?”
Ray rubs his forehead but he doesn’t avoid her gaze. Instead he returns her stare without flinching. “I didn’t rob a bank if that’s what you’re worried about.” He gives her a lopsided smile that tells her she’s worrying without any need to. “That money is what’s owed to me. I earned it. That’s all you need to know.”
“By ‘that’s all you need to know,’ I’m guessing that means that’s all you plan on telling me?” Mia frowns at him, wondering if she’s letting her feelings for Ray cloud her judgment or if she’s just searching for things to worry about, reasons to suspect Ray of having a darker past than she’ll be able to handle.
Ray’s silence speaks volumes. He’d learnt pretty quickly that the best way to argue with her was to remain silent. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that it drove her crazy and just made her fill the silence herself.
“Fine. I don’t need to know where it came from, at least not for now.” She gives him a pointed look, which he ignores. “But will you at least let me in on the reason that you’re keeping that cash in my wardrobe instead of in the bank, like a normal person?” She crosses her arms over her chest, taking a deep breath to calm herself, not wanting this to turn into an argument over all the things he’s keeping from her.
“I like to have easy access to my cash, to know where it is at all times.” He mimics her posture, crossing his arms over his broad chest and planting his feet wide.
She knows he’s making fun of her, but she doesn’t fall for the bait. “You like to know where it is to get out of town as quickly as possible should the need arise.” Mia fills in the blank with her own supposition, wishing he would tell her she’s got it all wrong, that she’s being paranoid.
“Something
Similar Books
