It was all some weird memory I wasn’t going to pick up and go through any time soon, or ever if I didn’t have to.
My whole body tightened as I took in the television I had saved three months to buy that now had a massive crack through the center of it. That was only the beginning. Broken dishes, four flipped dining room chairs, my mattress, and drawers that had been ripped out and gone through.
I didn’t let myself cry as I realized hardly anything had been stolen with the exception of about one hundred dollars in cash I’d hidden in my drawer and two hundred under the bathroom sink. My laptop was missing and so was my tablet. There was just so much… destruction.What was the point?
My chest ached, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe for a long time.
It was enough to remember the night before when I’d kicked my clothes aside on the floor, trying my best not to imagine some stranger going through them, putting their hands all over things I had bought with a whole lot of love.
And so much of it had been destroyed.
My safe place had been ruined, and I didn’t know what to do.
* * *
Hours and hours later,after filling up ten contractor-sized bags, after cleaning the hell out of everything while Rip went to the home improvement store to buy the things he needed to fix my door, after ordering Vietnamese food while he fixed the door because I had to feed him for doing all these things for me… when I was exhausted and wanted to go to bed, a hand went for my wrist and Rip gripped it.
“Come on,” he said in that voice that wanted to lull me to sleep.
“If you’re still hungry, I can order some pizza.”
“I’m not hungry.” He tugged again. “You can’t stay here tonight.”
I didn’t want to stay there tonight. Or the next night. But I didn’t want to leave it either.
“You’re coming with me.”
I was?
I was what?
“Come on. I’m not in my twenties anymore. I’m usually in bed by now.”
What?I glanced at my watch and saw the time. It was almost midnight. Holy crap. How had this taken so long?
How wasIeven awake?
Rip tugged at my wrist again. “You’re not staying here. Don’t give me that face.”
Me making a face? Was he serious?
I didn’t want to stay, but I didn’t want to leave either. He’d already done enough. He had already done so much more than a boss should do for his employee, which only reminded me that I hadn’t told anyone what happened yet. Not even Mr. C. And man, that made me feel guilty. What had Rip told him as the reason why I left?
His thumb swept over the back of my hand, and his voice was genuinely really tired. “Come on. I’ll get you a hotel room if you don’t wanna stay with me.”
All I could do was stand there and blink.
He blinked back. “Now, Luna. I’m too tired to give you shit.”
I wanted to tell him that I was fine. That I didn’t need to go home with him or stay at a hotel, but my mouth didn’t move.
God, I was such a wuss. It was pathetic. I could sleep here. There was a lock on the door again.
It would be fine.
I would make sure it was fine.
I wasn’t—
