Raymond Smith

//Chapter ten//

The next morning you woke up to a soft snoring. You checked you time on your phone, 5:36. You turned around and covered your upper body that was only dressed in a loose, black bra, and found Raymond that dozed off on the chair. He had his arms folded in front of his chest and his head was places on his shoulder while he snored quietly. You smiled and silently got out of bed and tabbed downstairs after you threw on a shirt and some shorts. You made breakfast including coffee, tea and orange juice, toast and your famous blueberry pancakes. It was until you poured your coffee that you hadn't thought about the incident the day before, but as your mind dozed off and you poured your coffee you suddenly remembered. You winced and put down the pot before you'd drop it, all of the sudden breathing got a whole lot harder and it was like you wanted to stop breathing fully just so you could distract yourself. But nothing was ever able to take your mind off his face, his voice, his walk. Once you saw him again you thought about him for weeks, months. He haunted you even in your sleep. You tried to remember if he had been in your sleep last night but you couldn't remember, all your brain visualized you was him grabbing you, kidnap you, shackle you, assault you-
"Hey. Are you alright?"
You heard a so familiar voice sounding extremely concerned. You felt a warm, big hand on your upper arm at the same time and it immediately relaxed, you didn't even notice how hard you had grabbed the counter.
"Hey! Look at me."
He grabbed your shoulder and turned you around to face him. Your trance slowly faded and only then you noticed you were sobbing and trembling but your whole body was just relaxing, you felt some sort of comfort in the back of your mind as you saw Raymond. He looked around abruptly.
"Anyone here?"
He asked loudly.
"No."
You answered and he came back, checked your body for wounds as he stood before you.
"Ok. What's up?"
"I think i just had a panic attack, again."
"This has happened before?"
You nodded, he sighed.
"What do i do now?"
"I don't know."
You both chuckled and you wiped away some tears. He stepped closer very slowly and carefully and placed one hand on your shoulder. You looked up at him, directly into his eyes.
"I can call your brother if you want. But I'm also a good listener."
You sniffed and considered his offer before answering.
"I think i-"
Even you could hear your breath shaking.
"I think I'd like to stay here for now. Just...you and me."
I exhaled as if i had kept those words inside me for centuries but as i spoke them i didn't even notice the impact they had on Raymond as well. His eyes widened and you could almost make out a sparkle glistening in his eyes, if you had looked. But all you'd focused on in that moment was the floor and the thought of not passing out. He helped you sit down and brought you a glass of water.
"Alright. Now from the beginning. What's troubling you?"
He asked after blinking a few times again. You could see how awkward he still was even though he tried to hide it. He was making you coffee and orange juice and some toast while you emptied you heart out to him. You might've considered it rude or strange how he was making breakfast as if he wasn't even listening. But somehow that was perfect. On one side it was more comfortable speaking to him while he wasn't staring you down, and on the other you still felt like he was listening more than anyone ever had. After he was done and you were finished as well he sat down in front of you and softly took ahold of your hand, he placed it between the two of his and it might've been more intense if he had looked at you but he seemed too shy to hold eye contact so he just stared at his hands.
"Listen. I know i told you this before and it is simply just my job. But your safety has been my top priority since you stepped your foot off that plane. It's like...your a fragile little vase, the most beautiful and expensive one, and some mean elephant was trampling around here somewhere we just don't know where yet. But that doesn't matter to me. I would give everything i have in order to keep him from breaking you."
While he spoke you watched him in such admiration and awe that it felt like your heart might explode because it suddenly began to grow and beat and come alive. More alive than ever. He looked up and as he saw the way you looked at him, your head tilted, your eyes sparkling, you lips curled to a smile, he felt his lungs stop. They stopped but so did his heartbeat, everything stopped for just a split second. But it was enough for him to realize something had just happened. He felt something, something so intense he couldn't even find a word for it. But one might narrow it down pretty well...he was in love. But Raymond knew you were off limits, not only were you just a young woman trying to figure out her life while he makes sure nothing happens to her and he was pretty sure you were in fact not interested in him, you were also his bosses baby sister. So he cleared his throat and let go of your hands.
"So...do you want me to tell your brother about this or should we keep it a secret for now?"
You frowned almost unnoticeably as he let go of your hands.
"I'd prefer it if my brother didn't know about this."
He nodded.
"Thank you."
You grabbed the glass of orange juice he made for you and tried to focus only on that because some strange and inappropriate thoughts started going through your head.