24 You'll Regret It

- DEX -

Fuck, why didn't they bring us into a room sooner? Why didn't they get to Raya faster? She was hit by a car, after all! I realize that emergency rooms have to treat the most critical patients first, and Raya may not have seemed critical when we arrived, but there's always a chance of internal bleeding. And clearly that's what has happened.

I've seen it before. Motorcycles have been my preferred method of transport for almost a decade, and I've had several friends who ended up in the ER. Thankfully all of them survived their injuries, but seeing the way Raya went pale like that was just like my buddy Dominic. He had a ruptured spleen and needed emergency surgery, but his injury was obvious right away. Raya's must not have been as bad.

God, she looked so pale. Maybe it was the moving when she put the hospital gown on that shifted something inside and made the bleeding speed up. She did mention that everything was hurting—that it even hurt to smile.

I groan at the memory and rake a hand through my hair. Now I'm back in the waiting room. They ushered me out as a bunch of people came running in to help her. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to grab her bag. I left a message on her sister Rory's voicemail. Hopefully she gets it, because no one in her family being here with her right now is awful.

With nothing to do but wait, my thoughts return to the question that Raya asked me that took me by surprise. It wasn't even that the question itself was surprising—it was more my own reaction to it. Have I ever dreamed of her?

My immediate response would have been no, because I don't dream. But when Raya asked me that, it was almost like some invisible, vulnerable target lit up inside—like a part of me was responding to her that I didn't realize exists. Maybe I do dream and I just don't remember. I would certainly like it to stay that way… wouldn't I?

My thoughts trail to the way Raya's cheeks briefly tinted with color, regretting the question after it had been asked. It seems pretty obvious that she has dreamed of me. Why else would she ask me that? Which naturally makes me wonder what her dreams of me are about. And are they somehow the key as to why being around her just feels… right?

While I'm staring at the depressingly grey carpet of the waiting room wondering all of this, her phone rings. I grab it, thinking it's her sister calling back. But the number is not recognized by Raya's phone. That doesn't keep me from recognizing it, though. It's Lawson's personal cell number.

A muscle feathers in my jaw, thinking of how he had to look her number up in the employee database unless he already had it saved in his phone. And why isn't he just calling from the office? But then I notice the time. It's past five. Maybe he's trying to get ahold of me since I didn't grab any of my things when I rushed out of the office. I don't have my bag. I don't have my phone. Thankfully my wallet is in my pocket.

I suppose I should answer it. "Hey, Lawson."

"Hey." When he sounds surprised, I realize he isn't just trying to get ahold of me after all. That's annoying. "How's Auraya?"

"Not good. I think she's in surgery. I'm not family, so they won't tell me anything."

"Then why are you still there?" He chuckles.

I can hear the arrogance, the ego, the narcissist on the other end, and while all of that is entirely familiar to me—that's Lawson—those remarks coming through Raya's phone when he was intending to reach her instead feel like a betrayal. He is using Raya for something, and when he's done, she'll be tossed aside just like all the others.

Rather than answer him, I hold the phone away from my ear and glare at it, giving myself a second to breathe before I say things I can't take back. I still have to be careful and professional with my brother. Once I'm CEO, I can fire him and never look back. But we're not there yet.

"Was there something you need that I can help you with?" I ask instead.

"No, I was just calling to check on her. She won't be back in the office tomorrow, I'm guessing."

"No."

"Hmm."

There is obviously something on his mind. "What is it?"

"That violates the probationary period of her internship. I doubt Laurel will keep her on."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I snap, unable to hold back. "This is how we treat our employees?"

"Well, I can't say that any one of us has ever babysat an employee while they're in the hospital," he chuckles again.

"Jesus, she was hit by a car right outside our building, Lawson. Was it really inappropriate that I take her to the hospital and wait since there is no one else here with her? Grow the fuck up. She's not getting fired for this. You assigned her to me, so she's mine anyway. And forgive me if this is too sensitive for you and Laurel, but I'm not going to fire someone because they were in an accident and need time to recover."

Rather than being baited into an argument, my brother laughs. "All right. You've made it clear, Dex. She's yours. You can have her."

I roll my eyes and hang up the phone before I say something else stupid. I did say she was mine, didn't I? Why the fuck did I say that?

When I drop the phone back into Raya's bag, I notice the notebook I gave her to take to Moxie. I grab it, needing something to take my mind off of Lawson and how he has royally fucked the company if anyone ever finds out about his shady behavior… and how I'm the one who has to fix it now. He's probably hoping I'm going to end up in a precarious position of my own so that he can point the finger and insist to dad and the board that I'm no different.

Raya's sketches and notes are good. I flip through, noticing how she wants to focus on the coffeehouse's involvement with farms in Colombia. That's smart. Then I notice her ideas for a website.

"What are you doing?!" The book is snatched out of my hands, and I see the familiar face of Raya's sister glaring down at me. She is definitely angrier in person compared to the happy photo stored in her sister's phone.

I stand and offer my hand. "Rory, I'm Dex. I'm the one who left the message."

"God, you're really him aren't you?" Her eyes go wide before turning angry again. "That still doesn't give you the right to read any of this. She wouldn't even let me read it." She grabs Raya's bag from my feet and tosses the notebook back into it. "What is she even thinking carrying it with her? Is she dreaming at work now?"

My brows furrow trying to make sense of what she's talking about, and then I'm met with her accusing eyes again. "I swear, if you breathe a word about this to anyone, you'll regret it. And you better not take advantage of her! Just because she's having these dreams doesn't mean they're necessarily about you. I was hoping you were a good guy, but the fact that you would be going through her things…"

She growls instead of continuing the accusations, allowing that furious glare of hers to remain on me for a moment longer before she turns and stalks to the check-in.

"I'm here about Auraya Gray. I'm her sister." Rory crosses her arms impatiently while the receptionist types away at her keyboard, and all I can do is stare after her… stunned.