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Chapter Seven Raya St Claire
Archie steps into myroom the next morning looking like he always did in his lavishing suit and hair that was styled to absolute perfection, leaving no strand to be out of place. “I called the Red Devils.” He says, grinning. “They’re coming on Friday to collect the crates.”
“Wow, they’re eager to get the goods.” I tell him, pulling my hair into a tight ponytail at the back of my head. “They don’t wait at all.”
I was already dressed and ready to go to the yard for some training. I chose a high-waist, straight legged pair of jeans, a light blue rib-knit crop top and a pair of white flat-form lace up sneakers.
“The Red Devils hasn’t gotten a stash in a while so I think they really are eager to get something in again.” Archie says, plopping himself down onto my made bed, but instead of us talking about what we talked about last night after we came home from the job, he changes the subject to the small box of opened LED lights sitting on my desk. “I thought you would’ve hung them by now.”
“I don’t know if I can hang them by myself, to be honest.” I tell him, looking at the strip of LED lights dangling out of the box. I never had the strength to throw them away, but looking at them now, I wanted to throw them away so badly even though I would fish them out again and let them gather dust on my desk. “My dad and I used to hang them, before he…” I swallow hard, “…you know.”
A pained look marred his face, but I could have imagined it because a small smile appeared onto his mouth. “I can help you hang them?” He suggests. “It doesn’t look so complicated. I’m sure I can hang a few strips of the lights.”
“It’s fine, Archie.” I tell him, walking over to the desk and propping the lights back into the little box. “I don’t want to trouble you with something as stupid as hanging LED lights on my walls. We have better things to do and you know it.”
I pick the box of LED lights up and throw it into the little plastic trashcan I had beside the desk. I don’t know why I threw them away; I’m only going to take them out later again when he leaves my room, and I just didn’t want him to see how much of an affect the stupid LED lights had on me after all these years. The lights used to make me sleep like a damn rock when I was younger, but I hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in almost eight years now and I doubted that the LED lights would help me now. I was a woman now, not fifteen anymore.
My hands already started to itch to take the box of LED lights out of the trashcan, but I turned around instead and faced Archie.
He had a sad smile on his mouth. “It’s not stupid at all, Ray.” He says, looking at me like a father would; with concern written across his face. “Bear…” He sighs, as if he contemplated telling me what he wanted to tell me. “Bear told me that the nightmares have been getting worse and worse, without the lights.”
