that at all …
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Ray smiled, but he was breathing heavy, like he’d just done a four-hour work out. He laid slumped on the couch with his eyes squinted. I bet his head and his eyes hurt from being shot, but he denied it, when I asked him. As if I expected anything less. Why would he tell me the truth? Then I’d make him go back to the hospital, and I knew he didn’t want that. He had a plan. A very stupid plan that was stupid enough to consider going along with.
I owed him, after all.
He’d said as much.
“Thank you.” Mackenzie scanned the room. I don’t know if she was taking it all in or just looking for a place to sit. “It’s really nice. A lot bigger than I imagined.”
“The one thing my mother did good for me and my brother.” He cleared his throat and threw his legs up on the couch so he was lying down.
“Do you need anything?” She asked. She seemed nervous. Why wouldn’t she be nervous? She hadn’t been the entire time at the hospital, I mean, not really. Was it because Ray had been acting not like unlike? his normal calm, collected self? Well, yeah, I had to admit that threw me off too, but I was used to dealing with Aaron. Mackenzie, not so much.
“I’m starving.” He said, and that surprised me. He had plainly said at the hospital that he wasn’t hungry. Not in the slightest, and that he probably wouldn’t eat until Aaron got home.
I tilted my head at him. There was something going on in that brain of his. I sort of didn’t want to know what it was.
“Ok—ay…okay. I can fix you something to eat. I make a mean ham sandwich, if you have any ham and bread and stuff.”
“We have all those things.” He smiled, and for the first time since he woke up, he sounded like his old self again— charming.
“Good.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled back. “Good… okay. So ham. Bread. Do you want any mustard or mayo?”
“Mustard. The mayo is probably out of date.” He sort of cringed.
It made me think. I wasn’t sure our mayo was in date in our fridge, either. It wasn’t something I made a priority to check.
“Anything else?” Mackenzie reminded me of an overly excited waitress. Maybe she was wanting a good tip.
“A pickle. I think we have those.”
“Got it. Coming right up.” Mackenzie headed in my direction. She stopped, bit her lip and then turned back to Ray. She bent down and kissed his forehead, gently. Ray’s eyes closed at the contact, and he swallowed hard. Anybody could tell he liked her. Anybody in their right mind would like Mackenzie. She was an amazing girl, but not part of Ray’s plan at the moment. No, that was me.
“I’m glad you’re home.” She ran her fingers over his stubbly cheek and got up without another word. When she got to me, she leaned in my ear. “I’m worried about him.” She whispered. I nodded because I was worried, too. And I had more information than she had.
My eyes met Ray’s, begging him to just let me tell her. He shook his head no because he knew what I wanted. It had to be written all over my face. This was killing me.
Mackenzie stood straighter, but I noticed something about her. She looked so run down. Pale, much more pale than normal. And her eyes had purple bags under them. I didn’t know what was wrong with her, but I hoped she wasn’t getting sick. Then again, if she got sick, it would be easier to leave her behind. “Where’s the kitchen?”
I backed into the hall and pointed to my right. “First door you see.”
“Thanks.” She gave me a very short hug and started down the hallway.
I waited until I heard the refrigerator open, before I confronted Ray.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I whispered as I pushed some magazines aside and sat on his coffee table.
“I’m eating. It’s what you wanted at the hospital, right? To eat.” He didn’t look at me. Just kept his arm over his eyes.
The not so awesome part of myself wanted to reach over and smack
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Ray smiled, but he was breathing heavy, like he’d just done a four-hour work out. He laid slumped on the couch with his eyes squinted. I bet his head and his eyes hurt from being shot, but he denied it, when I asked him. As if I expected anything less. Why would he tell me the truth? Then I’d make him go back to the hospital, and I knew he didn’t want that. He had a plan. A very stupid plan that was stupid enough to consider going along with.
I owed him, after all.
He’d said as much.
“Thank you.” Mackenzie scanned the room. I don’t know if she was taking it all in or just looking for a place to sit. “It’s really nice. A lot bigger than I imagined.”
“The one thing my mother did good for me and my brother.” He cleared his throat and threw his legs up on the couch so he was lying down.
“Do you need anything?” She asked. She seemed nervous. Why wouldn’t she be nervous? She hadn’t been the entire time at the hospital, I mean, not really. Was it because Ray had been acting not like unlike? his normal calm, collected self? Well, yeah, I had to admit that threw me off too, but I was used to dealing with Aaron. Mackenzie, not so much.
“I’m starving.” He said, and that surprised me. He had plainly said at the hospital that he wasn’t hungry. Not in the slightest, and that he probably wouldn’t eat until Aaron got home.
I tilted my head at him. There was something going on in that brain of his. I sort of didn’t want to know what it was.
“Ok—ay…okay. I can fix you something to eat. I make a mean ham sandwich, if you have any ham and bread and stuff.”
“We have all those things.” He smiled, and for the first time since he woke up, he sounded like his old self again— charming.
“Good.” Her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled back. “Good… okay. So ham. Bread. Do you want any mustard or mayo?”
“Mustard. The mayo is probably out of date.” He sort of cringed.
It made me think. I wasn’t sure our mayo was in date in our fridge, either. It wasn’t something I made a priority to check.
“Anything else?” Mackenzie reminded me of an overly excited waitress. Maybe she was wanting a good tip.
“A pickle. I think we have those.”
“Got it. Coming right up.” Mackenzie headed in my direction. She stopped, bit her lip and then turned back to Ray. She bent down and kissed his forehead, gently. Ray’s eyes closed at the contact, and he swallowed hard. Anybody could tell he liked her. Anybody in their right mind would like Mackenzie. She was an amazing girl, but not part of Ray’s plan at the moment. No, that was me.
“I’m glad you’re home.” She ran her fingers over his stubbly cheek and got up without another word. When she got to me, she leaned in my ear. “I’m worried about him.” She whispered. I nodded because I was worried, too. And I had more information than she had.
My eyes met Ray’s, begging him to just let me tell her. He shook his head no because he knew what I wanted. It had to be written all over my face. This was killing me.
Mackenzie stood straighter, but I noticed something about her. She looked so run down. Pale, much more pale than normal. And her eyes had purple bags under them. I didn’t know what was wrong with her, but I hoped she wasn’t getting sick. Then again, if she got sick, it would be easier to leave her behind. “Where’s the kitchen?”
I backed into the hall and pointed to my right. “First door you see.”
“Thanks.” She gave me a very short hug and started down the hallway.
I waited until I heard the refrigerator open, before I confronted Ray.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I whispered as I pushed some magazines aside and sat on his coffee table.
“I’m eating. It’s what you wanted at the hospital, right? To eat.” He didn’t look at me. Just kept his arm over his eyes.
The not so awesome part of myself wanted to reach over and smack
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