She's His Everything (He's My Body Guard Sequel)

(27) Liability

Rayner and I sat in his driveway for a long while, I took notice that his yard was quite overgrown, his shrubs were growing wild, and the ivy on the bricks had taken over a large portion of his home. All the lights were out and his porch was dark and uninviting. "Are we going to go in?" My voice was quiet but it sounded much louder in the silence. He jumped to attention nodding his head immediately shutting off his car. I tossed my bag over my shoulder holding Kato by his collar leading him to the front door Rayner had shoved his key into.

He turned around his cheeks tinted red. "I haven't been home in awhile..." I wasn't sure what that meant but when he stepped to the side I saw what he was talking about. His place was quite messy, random articles of clothing spread around the living room. His couch had his comforter laid across it along with a pillow from his bed. There were also a few fast food bags on his coffee table that he quickly crumpled and threw in the overflowing garbage can. I wasn't even going to mention the slight odor emanating from the kitchen. He immediately tied the bag of trash rushing it outside to his can. I waited in the space between the kitchen and the living room trying to decide whether I should start helping or if that'd be crossing boundaries.

Once he was back inside he went back to work grabbing at the laundry around the room tossing them into the washing machine that was behind sliding doors in the kitchen. "Rayner, you don't have to worry about all that tonight. I don't care." I told him while he was shaking out a fresh trash bag. He lined the can with the bag nodding his head quickly washing his hands in the sink.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" I shook my head but he wasn't one to listen to me. He opened the fridge sniffing a few containers before finally shutting it then plucked a menu for a 24 hour Chinese take out from under a magnet. "I'm gonna get a few things for us, you should eat something." He decided leaving me in the kitchen to make the phone call to the restaurant.

The tension was thick and I wasn't sure how to act now after everything that had happened between us. I decided to let Kato outside in the overgrown grass not that he minded and sat at Rayner's small dining table taking deep breaths. My mind was finally grasping everything I'd seen in that small envelope trying to process what it all meant for me. I was so deep in thought I hadn't noticed Rayner watching me from the entry way. "We are going into the station first thing tomorrow. We will go straight to my commander. I trust Chief Beck with my life he wouldn't do us dirty Tori." Rayner crossed his arms waiting for me to respond negatively I assumed. I didn't have it in me to argue his opinion anymore.

I nodded my head running my hands through my hair. "Okay." I agreed and the shock was evident on Rayner's face but he didn't say any snide remarks. "Shouldn't you be on Eliza duty tonight?" I remembered suddenly and immediately felt guilty for making him come to my rescue when his career was at stake. His jaw clenched like it often did.

"Yeah... I'm going to be in deep shit." He shrugged making eye contact with me and I felt my entire being shutter with pleasure. "I'll go make up the air mattress you can take my bed." Just like that I felt my body go cold, he wanted to sleep separately. I didn't want to seem like his decision had bothered me too incredibly so I just nodded my head offering a smug smile.

We ate in silence and then I'd locked myself away in his room. I showered washing with his soaps allowing tears to slip from my eyes for the first time in a very long time. The smell of Rayner was too much and I knew I was just feeling sorry for myself when I'd royally screwed this up. He had definitely contributed to the fall of us but I was overwhelmed with the feeling we wouldn't fix this and I didn't know why.