for June

21. Blink and you'll miss it

"You all right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You seemed a little nervous talking to the cops."

"Wouldn't you be? I mean, a stalker, Chad. You have a fucking stalker, who somehow completely fooled me for half a day, pretending to be your wife." June dropped on the couch with all the weight of his world. "Now what happens?"

"Now, I need your help." He stood across from her, memorizing every detail of her terrified face for the future. He never wanted to see that expression on her face again, so he had to remember it, part fear, part astonishment, and part disgust. Which of those feelings were targeting him, he had no idea, but none were suitable options. "Last time this happened, there were several sensitive and personal items missing from the house, things that should never leave this house."

He held out a hand. "Help me comb the house. See if anything that shouldn't have left did." He couldn't look at her, still embarrassed by the whole thing. He concentrated on his hand instead, wondering how her hand would feel in his. Would she take it? He hoped she would take it. It was a simple way to hide his wants, and he wanted nothing more than to feel her hand safe in his. Like he could do this, protect her if it came to that.

"Chad? You coming?" She startled him, already waiting by the foot of the stairs. She hadn't taken his hand.

"Why didn't you?" he started but abruptly stopped. This wasn't him. This petty guy, all because she didn't need his help to get off the couch. He was off his game because of Cassie, if he'd ever had one.

"Why didn't I what?"

"Never mind, you're already late to work because of me. You have better things to do than play paranoid-Chad alongside me." He brushed it off, deftly shoving his hands in his pocket before she could catch on.

"You helped me out when I needed it. It's my turn now," she said with a smile. "Besides, I messaged Ben saying already to say I might be a couple of hours, so I have a bit of time before I need to go. Now come on, we can start from the top down."

Chad nodded and followed her up the stairs, a little dazed yet glad June was no longer uncomfortable around him after the naked fiasco.

♡

An hour into the search, when nothing seemed missing from his room, June suggested they get some wine before tackling the rest. She bounded downstairs merrily when her bedroom caught his attention.

"We should check your room too."

"Why would she take anything from my room?"

Chad hovered on top of the stairs, unable to shake the feeling that something was amiss there. 

"Go on then, check." Her smile bordered on playful.

"Me?" Chad shook his head. No way. Not after his recent error in judgments.

She ran back, laughing. "I'm only checking so you stop freaking out."

She threw open the door, gave the room a quick glance and nodded. "Bed, mattress, tallboy, photo frame, and laptop. Check, check, check." She turned around with an exaggerated sigh. "Everything accounted for. Happy?"

Chad glanced at her room over her shoulder. Everything looked as it always did, sparse and very 'June', neat yet with a touch of abandon. Her pyjama lay on the edge of the bed, hanging onto dear life where she must have thrown it this morning.

"Shall we continue on, Mr Gilligan?" She threw out a crooked arm for him, ready to escort him away. Chad looked at it uncertainly.

"Oh, stop being so proper. You've practically seen me butt-naked." She grabbed his hand and ploughed ahead, dragging him behind her all the way down. "Wine and dine me before we begin again though. I am starving."