Chapter 19 Raymond’s Place
Raymond’s Place
The darkness enveloped us, clutching us tighter as the moments went on.
A sudden, overwhelming feeling of dread gripped me.
My heart hammered against my ribs, sweat slicked my skin, and the feeling of spinning threatened to send me tumbling into unconsciousness.
The strange crackling sound, sharp and persistent, was the only thing that kept me cognizant.
That feeling of eating a bowl of Rice Krispies.
Snap. Crackle… Before the pop, tingles spread from my mind all across my body, like feathers being passed over me again and again.
The blanket of strange energy moved quickly, shifting with the cold of the darkness, but there was warmth there, against my back. Raymond.
Raymond.
Raymond.
I repeated his name in my head because it was the thing that kept me sane in the strange moment. He was there with me, his body against mine, his arms around me. The more I thought of him, the more of his warmth I felt. It was like an anchor bringing me back to my body, keeping me grounded.
Raymond.
When the darkness pulled away along with that crackling chill, we stood in an unfamiliar room.
Tall ceilings and walls painted a dark burgundy left me overwhelmed.
Long black curtains hung over arched windows partially opened, letting the moonlight filter into the space.
The room felt like a contradiction to the smell of oak, cedar, and smoke.
My eyes said opulent, my nose said simple cabin in the woods.
My heart continued to race, pounding in my chest as I catalogued the space. To the right of us was a plush red sofa draped in a soft cream throw. Just ahead, left of the window that let moonlight wash over my face, were two large paintings of strange landscapes that looked familiar and yet not.
The tall plants sitting in the corners of the room brought me comfort.
I could feel how healthy they were. Their leaves bowed to me like a greeting.
They were happy in this home. The last thing I could see in my peripheral was the bar to the left of us.
The light of the moon glinted off the glass bottles that lined the shelves above it.
This act of cataloging the space made me feel better, but a question still hung in the air.
Where was I?
“Relax.” Raymond lowered his lips to my ear as he spoke the simple command.
I realized how tightly I’d been holding my body. The lower half of my face was already beginning to throb with sharp pains as a direct result of my jaw being clenched so tightly. I took a deep breath, again inhaling that woodsy scent, and let the tension fall away.
“Where are we?” I asked, not moving away from him. I felt safer in his hold.
“My home,” he answered, tightening his arm around my waist, as if he knew exactly how I felt.
“This is where you live?” My mouth fell open. “Not at all what I imagined.”
“What did you imagine?”
“A pigsty,” I joked.
“Funny. Either way, we’re no longer in public.” His voice lowered to a rumble in my ear. “So, who’s in control now?”
That was enough to snatch me out of the semi-thawed state fear left me in. I pulled away from him and turned on him to put my finger in his face as I scolded him.
“That’s not fair,” I fussed. “You can’t just kidnap me to get your way!”
“Who said I played fair?” He walked away from me, heading over to the bar.
“Jackie is going to be worried about me,” I spoke as he went to work making a drink. “She’ll find me. She has ways. And when she does, she’s going to kick your ass.”
“No, she isn’t. I already told her I was taking you home.” He winked at me.
“And she just let you?” My mouth fell open. There was no way Jackie had agreed to this.
“Why wouldn’t she?” He continued working on his concoction. “I never thought you were the type to let someone else fight your battles for you.”
“I’m not.”
“Sure.” He finished the mixture, dropping a slice of lemon in it and handing it to me. “Drink this.”
“What is it?” I realized then that I hadn’t paid attention to what he was putting in the glass. “I’m not thirsty.”
“Something to prevent you from having a hangover tomorrow.” He stared at me. “We have a long trip ahead of us, and I don’t need you getting sick along the way.”
I put the cup to my nose and inhaled an earthy scent. “What’s in it?”
“Nothing toxic.” He smirked.
“You know, that’s not exactly the best way to convince someone to drink a suspicious liquid.”
“Fine. Let's find another way to convince you.” He stepped around me, and I followed his movement with my eyes, but my tipsy brain lagged for a moment when he lifted his hand in the air.
Whack! His hand landed firmly against my ass.
“Drink it,” he said after I jumped from the impact.
“Oh!” I looked back at him. “Are you serious right now?”
“You need another?” He rubbed his palms together, squinting as he focused on his target. “How many will it take?”
“You can’t just spank me and make me do what you want.” I protested.
“Let’s test that theory.” He pulled his hand back, targeting my left cheek.
“Okay!” I said, stepping away from him and quickly chugging the drink. It tasted the way it smelled: earthy. A frown creased my face as the thick, cool liquid coated my tongue with a chilling, almost violent descent to my stomach.
“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”
“That tastes like dirt.” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Why would anyone drink that?”
“Just wait for it.” He moved to sit on the stool next to the bar and watched me.
Moments later, I felt it: the energy surge just beneath my skin.
It moved from my toes up to my head and, like a magnet to metal, pulled away the intoxication left behind by many fruity drinks.
As the seconds passed, I felt surer on my feet, my mind cleared, and the slight nausea went away. And then, I was…sober.
I felt like I had just woken up from the best night of rest. Even my skin felt clean, like I’d showered for an hour. How the hell could a drink do that?
“Woah.” I looked at the cup as if the secret to what I experienced would be written inside it.
“Do you feel better now?” he asked with raised brows that told me he already knew the answer.
“That’s absolutely amazing. How does it work and where can I get more?”
“Do you need more?” Judgment laced his question. “Since when do you drink like that?”
“Since I’m planning to leave the planet for a new world where I might die.” I put the cup down on the bar. “Something like that will push a woman to do strange things, like knocking back six suspiciously fruity drinks.”
“Interesting.” He stood, sliding the cup into the sink behind the bar. “So what you’re telling me is you become reckless when you’re afraid?”
“That’s not what I said,” I defended myself. “I let loose one night. Do you think I’m not allowed that? This coming from the man who keeps trying to convince me to stop being in control of everything. Isn’t that hypocritical?”
“You could consider it to be, but when I tell you to stop trying to control everything, I mean, let other people do things for you, not put yourself in a spot where you can be hurt,” he scolded me. “There are demons after you. They will take any opportunity they can to hurt you.”
“I considered that, and I let Jackie handle it for once.” I started to defend myself then stopped, because I didn’t have to justify a damn thing to anyone. “Wait. I didn’t do anything wrong. Why do I feel like I’m in trouble?”
“Because you’ve been a bad girl, Jericha,” he said in a forceful yet playful tone before phasing out and appearing again behind me. “Bad girls have to be punished.”
Punish me!
“Bad girl?” I shook my head; why the hell was I excited about the idea of being punished by this man? “I haven’t been a bad girl.”
He smacked my ass again, holding on for a moment before rubbing the spot where his palm met my ass. “Don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying. What do you think I did wrong?”
“You told me you were okay when you weren’t.” His hand slipped around my neck. “Jackie talked to me. She said you’re afraid. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m going to kill her,” I muttered. “Since when is she so open to men? She hates y’all.”
“It took some convincing.” I could hear the humor in his tone. “And about five hundred dollars’ worth of sushi. I have never seen anyone inhale fish so quickly. It’s concerning, really.”
“I’m glad you two got close.”
“Now.” He tightened his hold on my neck. “Tell me why you lied to me.”
“Because I’m not used to feeling this way.
” I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining I was driving down the highway, ranting to the universe like I often did.
“Everyone keeps telling me how I’m supposed to be.
Loosen up, pull back, delegate. None of you are thinking about how incredibly uncomfortable that makes me feel.
It’s strangulating to think of having anyone else take care of things.
If they mess up, it’s on me. I have always had to be prepared for everything.
I couldn’t mess up because there was no one there to catch me if I fell.
I have no family left, and all my friends, while I love them, have their own burdens.
I never want to lean on them too much because I’m afraid that will break our bond.
So, I prepare. I over-plan and I double check everything.
But how could I have ever prepared for something like this, Raymond? ”
“Again, I ask,” he spoke, “why didn’t you tell me? What makes you think you couldn’t share that with me?”
“You’re acting like I purposely hid something from you.” I pulled away from his hold, and he let me. “It never crossed my mind. Honestly. I handle my own shit, Raymond. You know that.”
“If we’re going to survive this, if we’re going to be together, you have to drop that.” He moved closer to me, bringing a fresh wave of that woodsy scent with him. “You’re going to have to consider me.”
“Be together?” I swallowed. “Suddenly, this feels like we’re talking about something very different.”