Chapter 21
21
Reuben heard her return.
He forced himself not to rush into the other room to check on her. To ask her if she’d been drinking her water.
He checked the time and saw that she’d only been gone two hours. In his experience, that was a very short shopping trip.
Hopefully she’d gotten everything she needed.
You’re becoming obsessed.
Yet he couldn’t find it in him to be concerned.
A timid knock on the door. Hmm. She hadn’t knocked on the door like that since her first week.
“Come in,” he called out.
She walked in, carefully carrying a cup of coffee.
Fuck.
It wasn’t usual for him to feel regret. But he didn’t want her to worry about doing something accidentally, like spilling a cup of coffee.
The only thing she had to concern herself with was obeying him.
Faith put down his coffee without looking at him.
That wouldn’t do.
Reuben stared at her, daring her to raise her gaze. But she didn’t. She simply slid her hand into the pocket of her skirt and drew out his credit card.
“Here you are. Thank you.”
Always so polite.
He reached for the card, but instead, he grasped hold of her hand. “Blossom.”
She stilled.
“Look at me.”
Her gaze rose to his. Her lips tried to form a smile, but they trembled slightly. Reuben took her in, the paleness of her skin, the dark marks under her eyes she’d tried to conceal with makeup.
He didn’t like that one bit.
“What’s wrong? What’s happened?”
Surprise filled her face. “Happened? Nothing happened.”
Relief filled him. “You’re all right?”
“I’m fine.” She raised her hand to touch her temple and he saw that it was visibly shaking.
Fine.
Sure she was.
Did she always lie this much?
Or was it that she was so used to ignoring her own needs in favor of everyone else’s that she really didn’t notice how exhausted she was.
“Did you get everything you needed?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you. I need to get to work now.”
He frowned as he studied her. “All right. Did you drink your water?”
“Yes.”
“Good girl.”
Her eyes lit up at that. She liked being his good girl.
She practically stumbled as she walked out to her desk. Yeah, that wasn’t going to work for him. Grabbing his phone, he ordered some food.
Faith was going to have lunch, then he was putting her down for a nap.