Protect

Part 2: Explore

The next few days pass slowly for Valeria as she spends most of her time hiding in her room. The day usually starts with Ray returning home from work in time to make breakfast for Evelyn and get her ready for school. How she gets to school, Valeria isn't sure because she walks out the apartment door and doesn't return until after four in the afternoon. Ray usually makes enough breakfast for Valeria. Though he doesn't say much, he makes her a cup of tea and heads to his room to sleep. She rarely ventures from the room, but today she felt like exploring a bit. She knows Ray is fast asleep, having waited an hour after his door shut before she opened hers. The only time she has emerged is to use the bathroom next door to her room. She has not gone for late-night snacks or glasses of water. She would have a few years ago before she moved in with Cory. He made sure to snuff out the quirks he thought were bad. If only she could have snuffed him out.

Valeria shakes the thoughts from her head as her door creaks open. She holds her breath, afraid of waking Ray, suspecting he wouldn't be too happy with her for waking him up. Knowing she will leave eventually, she would rather not have him kick her out. In her limited contact with Ray McLeod, she hasn't been able to figure him out. She used to be good at that, but Cory crushed her instinct about other people. The only instincts she had left were about what she felt when Cory was near. She learned to listen to the sound of footsteps, and from her short time in this apartment, she knows that to her right is a closed door that is the main door. She never hears it lock, though, and she doesn't know whether to be concerned or relieved. Had he felt the need to lock his door, that would mean he didn't trust someone in the building. However, he doesn't, which means he must trust everyone. Knowing she is in an entire building of people that Ray trusts makes her feel a little better about being in a strange place. Not that she knows Ray enough to trust him, but at least she knows him enough to know he isn't going to hurt her. Not like Cory did, anyway.

The bathroom is next to her room, and across the hallway is a door she knows is Ray's bedroom. Inching out of the doorway, she leaves her door open in case she needs to run back in. On the other side of the bathroom door is a door that has been left open partially. Seeing as it is already open, she peeks inside. As expected, it is Evelyn's room, for when the girl is home, she constantly comes and goes. However, she has been talking Valeria's ear off when she is home and sits on the bed coloring with her in Valeria's room. Evelyn's room is painted a pale yellow, with white shimmer curtains on her old windows. The girl's room is twice the size of the one Valeria is occupying, confirming to her that it was likely a storage room before she got here. White twinkle lights scatter the ceiling of Evelyn's room, and her small metal desk has flaking gold-ish pain that matches the metal-framed twin bed. Everything in the room looked bought second-hand, though it was more charming and homey to Valeria than her other home had been.

Valeria exits the room, leaving the door as she had found it. She peaks around the corner of the hallway, in case someone is there that she doesn't know, but finds no one. The rest of the apartment is spacious, with a living room area, round dining table, and kitchen space. There is an open, barn-style door opposite her; she can see it is an office space with bookshelves and a computer. She peeks her head inside and lightly browses the shelves. There is a wide variety of content and makes a mental note to examine it further. Instead, she takes the opportunity to return to the front door and peek out. It is a relatively empty brick stairway through a sliding door opposite her. She can hear voices from behind the door and more down the stairs. The building might have been an old factory, and exposed brick gives the building a unique look compared to what she is used to. All the money Cory possesses couldn't make a house into a home, yet she has been her little over a week, and it feels more like home, and she doesn't even live here.

"Making a break for it?" The sudden voice behind her causes her to startle, and she jumps around. The door slams shut, and she yelps while nearly running into Ray standing just behind her. He has one hand on the door frame and the other on his waist. She stares at him, wide-eyed and breathing heavily while waiting for him to start yelling. However, it doesn't come, and he stays quiet for a few seconds. "I didn't mean to scare you." His voice is calm again, and it almost infuriates her that he is doing it on purpose just to make her feel better. "I heard the door open...thought it was Denaya. She said she would stop by and see if you wanted to go shopping with her...." He gazes at her, and she doesn't miss the flash of hurt that crosses his dark eyes. "But if you want to leave...."