This story is actually a collaborative effort between two friends. One of us came up with the story line, and the other brought it to life. Both are equally responsible for this story. This is only the first installment, so don't worry; there's more to come. We hope you enjoy!
JF &KMA
1
Their shift was over, and Ray and Neela were ready to go home.
"Are you ready yet?" she asked, trying to keep from sounding as tired as she felt.
"Just give me a minute, Neela. I'll be right with you."
She was impatient to be gone, and that impatience only grew as one minute turned into five and then ten.
"You are as slow as a child!" she finally snapped.
"I had to get my stuff," he said, shooting her a look that is part sheepish, part annoyed. He shrugged into his coat and threw his bag over his shoulder. "Are you ready?"
She rolled her eyes and headed for the door.
"Let's just go."
As they walked outside, the frigid wind hit them like a moving wall. Snow had begun to fall during their shift. The hard crystals hit their exposed skin, stinging like tiny needles.
"Man, its cold out here!" he said, and pulled his coat closer around his neck.
"I know," she said, her teeth starting to chatter. "All I want is to go home, take a hot bath, and get into bed where it's warm."
Ray swallowed hard. What a visual that was!
"Well you know the old saying," Ray said with a half grin.
"What saying?" she asked, shooting him a sidelong glance.
"It's warmer with two than with one."
"Shut up, Ray," she said, wrinkling her nose at him. "You are not getting into bed with me."
"I was thinking more about you in my bed," he shot back without thinking. "Come on. It won't be that bad. I can't be that hard to look at."
No, she thought to herself. That is definitely not the problem.
"So what do you say," he continued, oblivious to her mental argument. "You and me in a warm…"
"Dream on, Ray," she snapped, cutting him off.
He shrugged with a nonchalance he didn't feel. A guy can dream, can't he?
"I just want to go home."
"Sure," he said. "But first, we have to go to the Jumbo Mart."
"What? No, Ray! Let's just go home. It's cold, and I'm tired. We can go tomorrow."
"We have to go tonight. I don't want you to be pissed at me in the morning."
She frowned, wondering at that. Why would she be angry with him in the morning? He nodded as if her frown settled the argument and started across the street without her. Like a child, he didn't even look to see if anything was coming before he bounded into traffic. Even so, she could not take her eyes off him. Feeling as if she were caught in a dream, she could not help but stare at the way he moved, at the way flakes of snow caught in his hair…
"Are you coming or not?" he called to her.
Jerked from her thoughts, Neela blushed that she had been caught daydreaming.
About him.
"I'm coming," she grumbled. "Keep your pants on." And blushed all over again at the image that phrase provoked. Looking both ways, she stepped off the curb and headed for the Jumbo Mart.
The store was nearly empty, and she found him in the cereal aisle.
"Wow! Look, Neela. Captain Crunch has blueberries in it now."
"What are you? Five?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
"That's so cool!" he continued, ignoring her barbed comment.
"Lovely," she muttered. "Now you have your sugar loaded cereal, can we go?"
"Not yet." He tucked the box under his arm and loped up the aisle. "I have to get some for you."
Her mouth dropped open as a sudden realization hit her. No bloody wonder…
"You ate all my cereal again, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he admitted with a puppy dog look on his face. "But I'm getting you more."
"But you ate all my cereal," she repeated.
"And, I'm replacing it. You'll have some in the morning, so what's the big deal?"
"The deal is, Ray that you…Oh, never mind. Just leave my cereal alone."
"Deal," he said, pulling a box from the shelf. "I really didn't like it much anyway."
She shot him a look that could have killed and waited while he paid.
"Let's go home," he said.
As they walked to the apartment, Neela looked up at the window. All the lights were on, and she nearly snarled.
"You forgot to turn the lights off before we left for work," she said accusingly.
"No I didn't," he said with a laugh. "Remember? You yelled at me and made me go back up to turn them all off."
Frowning, she glanced up at the windows again. He was right. As they reached the front door, they could hear music drifting from the apartment.
"You let your band mates over?"
"I didn't let them," he said defensively. "Look, I didn't know they were coming over."
"Of course, you didn't," she said, cutting him off.
If looks could kill, he thought ruefully, then I would be a corpse.
The music only got louder as they went up the stairs, and Ray winced. It was a wonder that the neighbors didn't complain. The look on Neela's face was beyond pissed. All of a sudden, he regretted ever giving Brett a key. Right then, he would have taken a quiet night with her instead of a raucous night with his buddies. As they neared the door, the music was positively ear splitting, but the sounds of catcalls and laughter could still be heard, adding a beat to the whine of guitars. Hoots and whistles followed a scream of female laughter.
"They better not have brought one of their little tarts up here," Neela said in a steely tone. At that moment, Ray couldn't have agreed more.
He opened the door; half knowing what he was going to see. With the guys, it could be anything, but when he got a good look, his heart hit the floor. He could barely hear Neela shouting behind him. He glanced at her but couldn't speak to answer her question. What had she asked?
"What the hell is this?"
He shook his head, and turned back to the scene before him. Any words he might have spoken were trapped in his throat.
Neela's breath caught at the flat look of shock on his face. It was as if he had seen a ghost. She looked again at the girl and glowered at the men in the room. Couldn't they see that she was too young for them to be slobbering over?
Ray couldn't think as he watched her. The guys from the band were laughing and whistling with beers in hand. The girl was dancing to the music, enthusiastically going along with suggestions. As Ray watched in horror, she bent over and slid her hands up her leg provocatively.
"Do you know her, Ray?" Neela asked.
He shot her a panicked look.
"She's my…"
"She's your what?" she asked sharply, when he broke off.
He turned away in time to see the girl reach for the bottom of her shirt as if she were about to pull it off. Anger burned away the shock. Anger at her. Anger at the ass-holes that he called friends. Christ! Couldn't they see that she was just a baby?
"Emily Reena Barnett! Get down this minute!"
Neela felt her jaw drop as she turned to look at him. Who?
All eyes snapped to where he and Neela stood in the doorway. A couple of them actually looked ashamed as he glared at them all one by one. Someone switched off the music, and the sudden silence was almost as deafening. Finally, Brett stood, swaying unsteadily.
"We were just having a little fun here," he said thickly.
"Fun's over," Ray snarled.
"Don't be such a kill-joy," the girl said with a pretty pout.
"Get off the table, Emily. Now," Ray said through clenched teeth.
The pout turned to an ugly expression of defiance.
"No! You're not my father!"
Ray dropped his bag and was across the floor in three strides. Grabbing her arm, he yanked her from the tabletop.
Neela held her breath as she watched. She was helpless to look away. The look of rage on Ray's face was something she had never imagined. She had certainly never associated that emotion with him. Ray was the charmer. He didn't get angry, not in the conventional sense, and certainly not like this. Who is this person? she wondered.
"Let go of me, Ray!" the girl said as she tried to jerk her arm from his grasp. "You're hurting me, damn it!"
"You're gonna break her arm, man!" Brett said. "Why don't you let her go?"
"Not a chance," Ray growled. He gave Brett a searing look. "Just leave now and I'll try to forget this happened."
Brett frowned with angry confusion. The others, seeing the dangerous glint in Ray's eyes, rose from their places and edged away from him toward the door. Brett stayed where he was.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Ray? We were just having some fun."
"I said the fun's over. Now, leave."
"I don't get you, man! This isn't anything new…"
Ray cut him off with a right hook. Brett stumbled back and fell onto the couch. Blood began to dribble down his chin and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. He stared at the blood for a moment and gave Ray a look of shocked indignation.
"You hit me," he said with wonder.
"And I thought you were my friends," Ray shot back.
"Jesus! We are! I don't get you…"
Ray took another step toward him, but stopped at a light touch on his arm. Neela was standing there, her dark eyes wide but calm.
"Let go of her, Ray," she said calmly. "You really are hurting her."
Ray looked at Emily and his blood ran cold. She had begun to cry and was prying at his fingers. The skin around them had gone white, and for the first time, he realized how tightly he was holding her. With a gasp, he let her go. She ran toward the back of the apartment, sobbing. Each sound tore into him. He cursed softly and turned away. Neela stayed with him, her hand a gentle pressure on his arm.
She looked at Brett and quickly assessed his injuries. He would live, she decided. No one ever died of a split lip.
"I think you should go," she told him quietly. "Let Ray cool off."
He stood, and opened his mouth to say something, but the look on her face changed his mind. He gave Ray's back a sullen glare and left the apartment, slamming the door behind him. Neela flinched at the finality of it.
"He's gone?"
Neela looked up at him. His eyes were closed and his head was down. She could feel the tension in him through the muscles in his arm and in the air around him. It was like standing next to a power line. The air was charged with the force of his emotions.
"He's gone," she confirmed.
All at once the charge went out of him and he stumbled to the couch. There, he collapsed, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Neela's heart clenched at the sight of him. He looked so unlike what she knew of him. Always utterly confident, cocky even, now he just looked defeated. Feeling as if she had fallen into a dream, she settled herself beside him.
"Do you want to tell me what just happened here?" she asked softly.
He scrubbed at his face and slumped back into the cushions. His gaze fixed on the ceiling and he shook his head.
"No."
"Then perhaps you can tell me who that girl is," she persisted. "She's in the bathroom crying her eyes out."
He actually flinched at that.
"That's where she went?" he asked dully. "I thought she left."
"No, she's still here," she said. "But you should give her some time to herself."
"I'll give her some time to herself," he said, starting to rise. "After I…"
Neela pulled him back down with a stern look.
"Leave her be, Ray," she said, trying to catch his eyes. "Look at me." When he turned his head away, she repeated the request more sharply. "Who is she? You obviously know her."
He sighed heavily. "She's my…" He cursed and smashed his fist against his knee. He gave her such a look of misery that she was sure that her own heart would break in response. "She's my sister, okay, Neela?" He shook his head. "She's my little sister," he said more softly
"Your sister?" she echoed. "I wasn't aware that you had a sister. How old is she?"
"Fourteen," he said bitterly. "She's only fourteen fucking years old and dancing on a table like some kind of…and my friends were just laughing it up like it was just great! What the hell is wrong with them? What's wrong with her? Doesn't she have any brains?"
He was starting to shout now, and Neela could only watch him in fascination. She could remember very few times that he had ever lost control. She thought that perhaps now she could add this to the list. Not that she blamed him.
"And what about my mom!" he continued heatedly. "Where is she when all this is going on?"
"Perhaps you should call her?"
"No," he said, starting to rise. "I'll find out right now."
Neela grabbed his arm.
"You are in no frame of mind to talk to that girl. Just stay here and cool off."
He shot her a sour look. "That bad am I?"
"Worse," she answered with a small smile. "I'll speak with her. Her name is Emily?"
He nodded and settled back on the couch to stare at the ceiling again.
Neela rose and went down the hall to knock on the bathroom door.
"Emily? My name is Neela. I just want to see if you are all right in there"
"Is Ray out there with you?" came the muffled reply.
"Well, he's out on the sofa, but…"
"I'm not coming out until he's gone."
Neela stared at the door in exasperation.
"This is his apartment," she said impatiently. "Ours if you want to be technical. I'd like to use the bathroom at some point."
The door opened a crack, and Neela wedged her foot in the opening to prevent the girl from closing it again.
"He's mad at me. Isn't he?"
Neela surveyed her tearstained face, looking for any sign of a kinship with Ray. She was not sure whom Ray favored, but this girl obviously took after the other parent. She was short where Ray was tall and had blue eyes to Ray's hazel.
"He was angry, but he's calmed somewhat."
"I'm not coming out until he leaves," Emily repeated stubbornly. "He'll yell at me."
"He's not going to yell at you," Neela assured her, not at all certain that she was telling the truth. "You and he need to talk about what happened here tonight."
Emily looked uncertain, nibbling her lower lip. Then she gave Neela a pleading look.
"Will you come with me?"
Bloody hell…She didn't want to get into the middle of a family squabble. A family squabble that seemed to go far deeper than simply this incident. But looking at the girl's hope-filled face, and thinking of the misery she had seen in Ray's eyes, she could not say no.
"I'll be right there with you," she finally said, hiding her reluctance behind a smile.
Emily edged out of the bathroom as if there was a wild animal waiting to attack her. Neela guided her down the hall to where Ray waited. His eyes followed every move as they entered, settling on Emily as she sat on the sofa as far from him as she could get. Neela paused, still uncertain that she should get in the middle of this, before she settled in the vast space between them. The silence stretched out until Neela was sure that they would simply sit there staring at each other until hell froze over. She nudged Ray and gave him a pointed look.
"Shouldn't you say something?" she whispered.
"What are you doing here, Emily?"
Neela blew out an exasperated breath. That's not exactly what I had in mind, she thought.
Emily huddled closer to the arm of the couch and said nothing.
"Why the hell are you here, Em?" he said, his voice rising.
Neela glanced at her and saw her flinch as if expecting a blow. A single tear escaped her tightly closed eyes and cut a trail down her cheek.
"Ray…" she said in warning.
He growled and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He needed to stay cool or he was never going to get anywhere with her. He pulled back and searched for calm. After a moment, he thought he could speak without yelling.
"How did you find me, Em?"
He felt Neela's eyes on him, but refused to look at her. He didn't want to see the shock and disappointment that was sure to be written in her expression. His own sister didn't even know where he lived.
"You know that birthday card you sent me last June?" Emily asked softly.
He frowned. He remembered the card. He'd seen it in the store and couldn't resist buying it.
"It had a kitten on it," he said.
"Yeah. Well you didn't put a return address on it…like always, but when I opened it, there was a check for a thousand dollars inside. There was some guy's name on it and it said 'rent payment' at the bottom. There was a funny name at the top and this address."
Neela turned slowly to give him an exasperated look.
"You sent your sister our rent check?" she asked slowly. Her tone was calm, but he could see the flare of annoyance in her eyes.
"I told you I sent it," he said defensively.
"To the wrong person," she snapped.
"I was in a hurry that day," he said with a shrug.
"That's nothing new," she said sarcastically.
He ignored the barbed comment and focused again on Emily.
"How did you get here?" he asked her. His heart dropped as something suddenly occurred to him. "You didn't tell…"
"No! I wasn't even sure that this was where you lived. I just hoped it was and took the bus."
"Jesus!" he shouted, jumping up to pace. "Do you have any idea what could have happened…?"
"Ray," Neela warned.
He bit back the rest of his words and turned away with his hands on his hips.
"Does Mom know you left?" he asked tightly.
"No," Emily said, hesitating on the word.
Stay calm, he told himself.
"What do you mean 'no'?"
"I don't think so," she said this time. "I just left, okay."
He spun around to glare at her.
"It's not 'okay'," he said harshly. "How could you be so…?"
"Enough!" Neela cried, holding up her hands. She gave Ray a pointed look then glared at Emily. "Perhaps tonight is not the time to discuss this. It's late, and we are all exhausted. The two of you aren't going to get anywhere shouting at each other."
Ray and Emily glanced at each other in grim silence then quickly away.
"Whatever," Ray muttered.
Neela rolled her eyes at his back and rose.
"Come with me, Emily. You can have my bed for the night."
Neela pulled the girl from the sofa and steered her toward her room. Once inside, she shut the door and began to go through her closet.
"You'll need something to sleep in," she said as she rifled through her clothes. "Did you bring anything with you?"
"No. I just left after…"
Neela paused, sensing something wrong. She looked over her shoulder, but Emily was looking at everything but her. Neela hid her concern and pulled a shirt from the closet.
"This should do for now," she said as she handed the clothes over.
"Thanks."
Neela turned around so she could change.
"So are you Ray's girlfriend?"
"No!" Neela said too sharply. She took a breath. "We're roommates and colleagues."
"Oh. You're a doctor too?"
"Yes. Are you finished?"
Neela broke off and froze as she was turning. Emily's arm was purple from her elbow to her shoulder. Neela frowned. Ray had not done that. He'd grabbed the other arm. Emily yanked the arm of the shirt down, hiding the ugly purple mark.
"What happened to you?" Neela asked, although she was afraid she already knew the answer.
"I…ran into a door," Emily said lamely.
Neela crossed the room and lifted the shirt sleeve just enough to see that the bruise had traveled all the way around the bicep, the darkest marks outlined like fingers.
"Where did you get this, Emily? And don't lie to me. I cannot help you unless you tell me the truth."
Emily jerked her arm away and backed up one then two steps. Her eyes were wide in her face as she gave Neela a pleading look.
"I can't tell you," she said softly.
"Why not?"
The girl glanced at the door then back again.
"You'll tell Ray and he'll yell at me again. I don't want him to be mad at me."
"He's your brother, Emily. He's not going to hurt you."
Emily looked away. "It would be better if he did."
Neela could only stare at her, the suspicion in her mind a certainty now. She wondered briefly if she should just go to Ray now and tell him…No. He had enough to think about tonight without her adding to his worries.
"If you tell me exactly what happened, I will not tell Ray tonight, but first thing tomorrow morning, you have to."
She looked positively terrified at the thought.
"I can't…"
"You can and you will," Neela said firmly. "Either that, or I tell him now. Which do you prefer?"
Emily looked as if death would be a finer alternative, but she finally nodded. She sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around her middle.
"I was sent home from school a few days ago for fighting. The other girl started it. I was just defending myself, but they wouldn't listen." She sighed heavily. "They called my dad, and he was waiting for me when I got home." She looked at the floor and a tear dropped into her lap.
"Did he hit you?" Neela asked kindly.
"Yes, but that's the only bruise. That's where he grabbed me. Most of the time, he knows how to hit you without leaving a mark."
Neela swallowed hard, anger and worry gnawing at her. With a sick feeling in her stomach, she wondered if Ray had experienced what she had described once upon a time. If he had, then it would go a long way toward explaining why he never spoke of his past, and why he would not even tell his sister where he lived. Her heart clenched at the thought, and she suddenly understood him. Understood and admired, as she never had before.
"It will be all right," Neela said and put her arm around the now sobbing girl. "You're here now, and Ray won't let anything happen to you."
"And you won't tell him?"
"Not tonight," Neela promised. "You'll do that in the morning. Promise?"
The girl nodded reluctantly. "Okay."
Neela gave her a squeeze and rose from the bed.
"Try to get some sleep. Things will look better in the morning."
Emily nodded, and Neela opened a cupboard to retrieve a pillow and blanket. As she was leaving she heard Emily call her name.
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Neela sighed as she closed the door behind her, wondering if this ruddy day would ever end. She made her way to the living room and to where Ray still sat. She paused to watch him. He had his head back, his eyes closed. By his grim expression, she wondered if he might not be reliving old memories. She crossed the room to stand beside him. Her fingers ached to touch him, to soothe his pain. She even started to reach toward him, before she pulled her hand back.
"Ray?"
"Yeah."
"You should get some sleep," she said.
"I'm not tired."
"Well, I am," she said with a sigh, "And you're sitting on my bed."
He opened his eyes in surprise.
"You're not sleeping on the couch," he said. "You gave up your bed for my sister. I'll take the couch. You can take my bed."
Half panicked, she glanced toward his room then back. She didn't want to sleep in his bed. That was too much like…like things she refused to think about. She would have argued had he not seemed so lost, defeated even. Her heart softened, and she nodded, holding out the pillow and extra blanket.
"Then take these," she told him.
"Thanks." He seemed to be about to say something else but shook his head. "Good night, Neela."
"Good night."
She paused at his door and looked back at him. He was in the same place, as if it were too much of an effort to lie down. She shook her head, and let herself into his room. There was nothing more she could do for him unless he decided to open up to her.
As she closed the door behind her, she let her gaze roam across the room. It was as she expected really. There was a pile of dirty laundry in the corner. At least she thought it was dirty. With Ray, it would be impossible to tell. Band posters and photos of concerts he had played at were tacked to the walls. The bed was haphazardly made at best, but Neela didn't care about that. Just so long as she could lie down, she would be overjoyed.
She kicked off her shoes and shucked off her pants before crawling between the sheets. Another wave of unreality threatened to wash her away. Was it just an hour ago that Ray had joked about getting her into his bed? At the time she had never thought it would happen. Now she could think of nothing else. She breathed deeply trying to slow her pounding heart. It only made things worse. He was everywhere in this room. His pictures, his clothes, his uniquely masculine scent clung to the pillow she was resting on. Groaning, she threw her arm over her eyes.
"Neela?"
She propped herself up on her elbows to find him standing in the doorway.
"Yes?" His face was in shadow so she couldn't see his expression, but, as she had earlier, she could feel his anxiety as he stood there. "Are you all right?"
"Yes…no. I can't sleep."
"Do you want to talk?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Not right now. I'm too…"
He broke off and seemed about to leave.
"Ray, wait."
"What?"
Neela bit her lip. Cursing herself silently for what she was about to do, she plunged ahead anyway.
"Why don't you sleep in here?" she said. "You need rest. Perhaps you'll sleep better in your own bed."
He froze in place.
"Are you sure?" he asked softly, praying she wouldn't take it back. He needed to be near someone, anyone right now. No. Not anyone. He needed to be near Neela. He couldn't imagine what she thought of all of this. He cringed inwardly to think that she had seen him at his worst. But she was still here. She was in his bed.
"I'm sure, but don't think to take advantage. You sleep on top of the blanket."
"Fair enough," he said. The last thing he wanted to do was take advantage. Right now, it was enough for him that he wouldn't be alone with only his thoughts for company. He much preferred Neela's warmth to cold memories. Those memories were too close tonight. Without another thought, he pulled his shirt over his head, kicked his shoes into a corner, and crawled in bed next to her. Resisting the impulse to simply pull her close to him, he laced his hands behind his head and stared at the darkened ceiling.
"Why is she here?" he asked, thinking aloud. "Why did she come to me?"
He felt Neela roll to her side to look at him.
"I'm sure she'll tell you in the morning," she said softly.
He stiffened at the tone of her voice and gave her a sharp look.
"Did she say something to you, Neela?" She bit her lip and looked away. "She did, didn't she?"
"Ray…"
"You have to tell me," he said urgently, turning to face her. "It's driving me nuts. I haven't seen her in three years and suddenly she shows up here." He paused and took a deep breath. "Please, Neela. Whatever you promised her is not helping her. You know that."
"I know," she said heavily. "But this isn't the time. You should really hear this from her."
"And I will," he said. "Right now, though, I'm going crazy because I don't know a damn thing. Please…"
She winced and sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. She couldn't stand to see the hurt in his eyes. It was the please that tore at her. Ray Barnett didn't beg for anything.
"Just tell me one thing, Ray."
"What?"
"Why didn't you tell me you had a sister? Why all the secrecy?"
He grimaced and rose, crossing the room to stand at the window.
"It's a long story," he muttered, staring out at the city. He gave her a bitter look over his shoulder. "But I'm sure you'll find out all about it soon, if you haven't already." He nodded when she looked away. "Thought so."
"Ray, I'm sorry…"
"What did he do to her?" he asked tightly. "How bad is it?"
"A bruise," she said softly. "A big one."
She saw the muscles in his jaw clench tightly in the glow from the streetlights outside. When his fist came down on the windowpane, she actually jumped.
"That bastard! I'm going to kill him. It's bad enough…"
He broke off and turned his back on her to brace his hands on the windowsill. Neela threw back the blanket and approached him carefully. She expected him to flinch away from her touch, but he didn't.
"What's bad enough, Ray?" She tilted her head around his arm to look at his face. His eyes were closed but his face was scrunched as if he were in pain. "I can't help you unless you talk to me."
"You can't change the past, Neela," he said in a choked voice.
Her heart seemed to skip a beat at the single shiny tear that slid down his cheek. Without thought, she reached out to wipe it away.
"It's not your fault," she said softly. "What he did then, or what he's done now."
He made a wounded sound that was half amused.
"Yes, it is," he said, opening his eyes to look at her. "I tried to take her away once. Right after med school." He laughed harshly. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking. I didn't have a damn thing to my name except my guitar. I was already busted up from what he'd done to me the night before. I'd mistakenly thought he might like to see me get my diploma. What a joke. I tried to take her that night, but got caught. Only my mom kept me from going to jail. Why, I don't know." He took a deep breath. "Any way, I moved into the city, started at County, and never looked back."
"Not once?"
"No. It was better for everyone that way. I didn't have to see them, and Mom didn't have to lie and make excuses anymore. I wonder if she knows about all of this."
"I'm sure she does now," Neela said softly.
He pushed away from the window. "So, you see, Neela, it is my fault. I should have taken her away before this. Maybe if I had…"
"Stop! If you had you would likely be in prison right now instead of here. What could you have done for her then, Ray? Tell me."
"That's not the point. I just abandoned her. I left her alone."
"Not alone, Ray," Neela said shaking her head. "You're here for her now. Now is all that matters."
He seemed so lost, so dejected, that Neela thought her heart would break. It hurt to see him this way. It made her want to hold him, protect him, drive away the hurt.
Well, why not? her mind whispered.
Why not? She didn't hesitate to figure the consequences, she simply acted, and wrapped her arms around him. With a sigh that sounded like relief, he caught her up in his arms and buried his face in her hair.
"What am I going to do, Neela?"
"Right now, you're going to get some sleep," she said gently. "We'll figure the rest of it out in the morning."
He nodded and released her. He gave her a pleading look.
"Will you stay with me tonight? I just…I don't want to be alone."
She swallowed and nodded. After what she'd just heard, how could she say no? She climbed back into bed, and he flopped down beside her. When he turned to wrap his arm around her, she couldn't object. It felt natural to have him so close, to have him pressed against her.
It felt…wonderful.
"Neela?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
There was a long moment of silence.
"Neela?"
"What, Ray?"
"Didn't I tell you that it would be warmer with two in bed?"
"Shut up, Ray."