Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,22
Penny, open up!”
I push myself out of bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. The door is ajar about an inch, and a stream of light floods in from outside. I’d forgotten that I’d hooked the door chain when Rich left. I open it and let him in.
“You look a lot better,” he observes. “You get some rest?”
“A little,” I admit. I look around, but don’t see a clock. “How long have you been gone?”
“Just over an hour. Here.” He lifts a plastic bag. “I got you some food. I figured you’d be hungry?” For some reason, he forms it as a question.
I smile and nod. “Famished. Thanks. I wouldn’t think you’d have realized.”
“I’m pretty attentive,” he says as he closes the door and sits on the bed. The delicious aroma of mozzarella cheese wafts from the bag. I sit beside him as he dumps out the contents. There’s a large pizza box, along with some unfamiliar-looking candy bars.
I reach for the pizza, but he stops my hand with his. “Have one of these first,” he says, handing me the candy bar. I give him a funny look, and he explains, “They’re protein bars. I know they don’t taste great, but they’re the quickest way to get some good nutrition in you.”
“Thanks,” I say, unwrapping the bar. His concern for my diet is kind of sweet. A strong chemical scent assaults my nose. My stomach grumbles at the thought of the nearby pizza.
I take a bite of the bar to appease Rich. It’s hard and sticks to my teeth. But overall, it’s not that bad. Well, not revolting, in any case.
Rich smiles and seems to relax at my first bite. I give him a look. “I didn’t think you’d care about what type of food I eat.”
He shrugs. “I pay attention to those things.” He unwraps a bar and starts chewing it.
“So?” I ask. “What did you figure out while you were gone?”
Rich grunts. “Not a lot. I haven’t had much time yet. But I found a safe place for you to stay.”
I perk an inquisitive eyebrow. He continues quickly, “I know you only agreed to stay today, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it won’t be enough time. I wouldn’t feel right sending you back on your own, knowing you might be in danger because of me. So, look. It’s Thursday now. Give me tomorrow, and then the weekend, to sort things through. I don’t know if I can settle all my issues by then, but at least I hope I can convince the people who are after me that you’re not involved.” He pauses. “Please.”
I look at him. His eyes are sincere. “Okay,” I agree. “You have until Monday.”
Relief washes over his face like a tidal wave. He exhales a huge sigh. “Great. You don’t know how much that simplifies things, Penny.”
“You mentioned a safe place for me?”
“Yeah. It’s with a friend of mine, on the other side of the state. It’ll take us a few hours to drive there, but that way, I don’t have to worry about anybody finding you while I’m back here sorting things out.”
“And I just wait there?”
“That’s right. My first worry is getting you detangled from all this. Hopefully, by Monday, you’ll never need to deal with me again.”
“You’re sweet,” I smile. I don’t know if it’s the comfort of a full belly, or the feeling of being looked after that makes me do what I do next. I lean over, and give Rich a kiss on the cheek. He blinks, surprised, then clears his throat and looks away.
“Don’t do that,” he chides gently, “or I might start getting attached.”
I laugh and knuckle him in the arm. “You? Playboy extraordinaire? The man who says he doesn’t do relationships? Come on.”
Rich gives me a weak grin. “You don’t know me half as well as you might think.” He clears his throat again, and the levity fades from his voice. “I think we should agree not to let things get personal between us. I know we’re going to be spending some time together, and I know that we… shared… something special last night. But, I don’t think you want to jump into my world right now. There’s too much trouble there as it is. I know you have your own things to deal with without being overwhelmed with any of my shit…” He trails off, then looks at me, his eyes pleading.
“Right,” I nod. I feel a pang