“Just let it out, Raya, and don’t worry, the cops will find him.”
She sits up with panic in her eyes, “What do you mean find him?”
“He escaped from the raid. They are trying to locate him, but he’s in hiding.”
She begins to breathe erratically and her eyes glow in shock and horror. I reach out to touch her face, “You didn’t know he got out? Weren’t you there?”
“I got shot and I was so fucked up on drugs, I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Duke, what if he finds me again? What if he tries to hurt you or Melanie?”
“Relax, Raya, please. The feds are working on it and now that Craig’s been charged, hopefully he may want to make a deal with the prosecutors.”
“Craig? What does he have to do with this? Isn’t he in jail?”
Oh fuck, she doesn’t know about that, either? I comb my fingers through my hair and sigh deeply.
“Raya, Craig knew Derrick. He’s the sole owner of the rings. He’s the mastermind behind it all. Where do you think he went on all of those business trips? When Craig got arrested, he sent Derrick after you. Raya, you weren’t just a pretty face that he picked up. You were his target.”
And with that, she jumps off the sofa and runs to her room. I follow her and find her putting clothes into a suitcase.
“Raya, what are you doing?”
“I have to get out of here. He’s coming for me. I won’t jeopardize your safety.”
I walk up to her and stop her from packing, “Derrick will not get to you. Everyone is looking for his ass right now. He won’t come out of hiding.”
She pulls her arm out of my grasp, “You don’t get it, Duke! He wins! He always wins. He’s coming for me, I know it. He told me that he will always come after me, no matter what I do or how far I run.”
I grab onto her and she tries to shake out of my grip, “No, let go of me, Duke! I have to leave now!”
“You’re not going anywhere. I won’t let you just walk out of here with nowhere to go. Please, trust me. I can keep you safe. Listen, how about we stay here for the night and then head up to Long Island for a while? My parents own a home there and we can lay low there until Derrick is found.”
“Derrick can’t be found. He has a safe house. He told me.”
“He did? Where is it?”
“I don’t know. He was going to take me there until…until West stopped him.”
“Okay, I’ll call Davis in the morning and let him know that we’ll need to leave. He can keep an eye on Melanie for me.”
She continues to tremble in fear and I pull her into me. “We will get through this, but you have to trust me. You have to have a little hope in us, Raya. That’s all I’m asking for. Trust me.”
“I want to, I really do. It’s just…it’s just—”
“I know, Raya. I know.”
I continue to rock her until her crying subdues. I look at the time and realize it’s past eight o’clock.
“We didn’t even eat dinner. Are you hungry?”
“No, I just want to lie down.”
I let go of her and begin to walk out until she calls to me and I turn to look at her.
“Can you stay with me? I don’t want to sleep alone”
“Of course I will. Let me go change and grab an extra blanket.”
After we wash up and change, I head into her room and make my place on the floor next to her bed. I whisper goodnight to her and stare at the ceiling, thinking about everything she told me earlier that night.
As I think, she whispers, “Are you still awake?”
I smile, “Yeah.”
“I can’t sleep. I’m too scared to close my eyes. If I close them, I feel like when I open them I’ll be right back in that dungeon. What if this is all a dream, Duke?”
I get up off the floor and sit on her bed, “It’s no dream. I’m real.”
“My mind’s not playing tricks on me?”
I shake my head, “No, I promise.”
She reaches her hand out to me, “Duke, can you stay here and sing to me until I fall asleep?”
I smile, “Of course.”
I scoot over next to her and take her in my arms. “Any requests?”
“No, hearing your voice always soothed me. Sometimes I used to imagine you singing to me whenever I felt alone and scared.”
I squeeze her gently and start to sing, Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne. She hums along to the music and tears fill my eyes as I hold on to her. I sing the lyrics with as much truth and intensity as I can, hoping that she’s listening to them. I need her to stay strong and believe. With that, we can fight and make it through anything.
Raya
The warm sun shines on my face and fills the room with bright light. My eyes squint at the light as they slowly open to welcome the day. I glance around the room, checking to see if Duke is with me. His blankets are off the floor and he fixed up his side of the bed. I stretch my arms and yawn, letting out the last bit of sleepiness. I hear the clang of pots and pans as the aroma of bacon fills my nose. My stomach immediately growls and my mouth salivates with desire. I flip the covers off of me and sit up, ready for the day.
There’s a pink daisy placed in a small vase resting on the end table with a folded piece of paper. I climb out of bed and pick up the note, noticing it has my name on it. I unfold the paper and read the contents: Every day is a second chance.
I smile as I read his words and a hint of hope fills my soul as I bend down to smell the daisy and inhale its natural, sweet scent. It’s as though my senses are brought back to life by its pure essence.
Seconds later, a soft knock taps on my door and Duke slowly pushes it open. He peeks in his head and smirks at me.
I return the smile, “Hey.”
He enters the room and walks toward me, “Hey.”
“Thank you for the flower and the note. I loved it.”
“You’re welcome. I made breakfast. Are you hungry?”
My stomach growls again and I place my hand on it, “Yes, starving!”
I follow Duke into the kitchen to find a ton of food served and ready to be eaten—two plates of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and biscuits. Steam is rising from the soft, warm biscuits and I pick one up, taking a huge bite. I savor the delicious taste as my entire body revels in the glorious flavor.
We eat in a comfortable silence and soon begin to clean up. I offer to help wash the dishes but Duke insists that I get some rest. Heading into the bathroom, I take a quick shower and try to think about what’s in store for me. Maybe I should follow what the note says and live life as a second chance. As I turn off the water, there’s a knock at the door.
I reach out and grab a towel, “Yeah?”
“Sorry, just checking in on you. Do you need anything?”
“Nope, I’m good.”
“Okay, we are going to be heading out soon. Give me about twenty minutes.”
I dry off my body and wrap it in the towel, “Okay.”
Duke walks to his room and shuts the door. As he changes, I scurry out of the bathroom and into my room. Picking out a comfortable outfit, I roll on my panties, clip on my bra, squeeze into a pair of jean shorts, and button up a white blouse. I comb through my tangled hair, brushing out the knots, and layer it past my shoulders and down my back. Throwing the rest of my belongings into my suitcase, I pick the note up off the end table and stuff it into my back pocket as I take a final spin around the room, just in case I missed anything. Shit, the daisy. I grab the vase and glance around, not knowing what to do with it. I don’t want to leave it behind. I guess I’ll just carry it.
I realize I’ve been talking out loud to myself when Duke chuckles behind me, and I spin around to find him staring at me from just outside my bedroom door.
I snicker, “What’s so funny?”
He chuckles and strolls up to me, “You are.”
He takes the vase out of my hands, pulls the daisy out, and p
laces the vase back onto the end table. Then he lifts his hand to pull a piece of my hair behind my ear and inserts the daisy into my hair. He looks at his work of art and smiles proudly.
“Beautiful.”
I smile, “Yes, I love the flower.”
“I wasn’t talking about the flower,” he says with a smirk and walks out into the hallway, leaving me standing there stunned at his remark.
A few minutes later, we head out the door and trek to his Mustang. I help him pack the suitcases into the trunk, and before I step inside, he holds the car door open for me. A true gentleman. He climbs in on the driver’s side and starts the car.
I smile at the familiarity, “I can’t believe you still have this car. I figured you would have traded it in or something.”
He pulls out of the parking spot, “Why would I? I love this car.”
I shrug, “I don’t know. I guess I thought you would have wanted to find something newer?”
He pulls onto the interstate ramp, “Why would I want to find something new when the old is worth so much more to me?”
He glances at me and smiles as I feel a slight warmth spread throughout my body. I look away and out the window, feeling a slight blush come on. As we drive further and further away from the city, my mind goes to dark thoughts and my nerves creep back to me. I try not to think about Derrick but I can’t help it. My legs begin to shake and I start to pick at my fingernails.
Duke notices my uneasiness and reaches out to grab my hand.
“What are you thinking about?”
I breathe out, “Nothing good.”
“Don’t think about it, Raya. Think about something else.”
A thought comes to mind and I look at him, “Okay, what did you do while I was…gone?”
“Oh…umm…okay. Well, I went to college and got my degree in Criminal Justice.”
“Yeah, about that. What happened with lacrosse?”
“I…after you left, I didn’t care about lacrosse anymore. I just wanted to do everything I could to find you. So, I figured that was the way to go. And it paid off, didn’t it?”
I frown a little, “Yeah, I guess it did. How are your parents?”
“They’re actually in Connecticut now, but they’ve been well. My mom is extremely happy that you’re home. She’s been raving about it ever since you arrived.”
I smile, “Maybe after all of this I can pay her a much needed visit.”
He squeezes my hand, “She would love that.”
“So, besides Melanie and Rob, have you talked to anyone else from Lehman?”
“No, not really. I heard Taylor got into some MMA a few years back, but haven’t heard anything since.”
I look out the window as the city passes by and we make our way to Long Island. Being back home is still so surreal. It feels like a dream. Like I’m not supposed to be here or something. What if this is not supposed to happen? What if things turn out badly?
I feel Duke gently squeeze my hand again, “Hey, how about a little music, huh?”
I nod, “I haven’t heard music in years.”
He lets go of my hand to touch the dashboard and selects the music app, and “Anything Could Happen” by Ellie Goulding starts to play.
I cheer, “Oh I love this song!”
He laughs at my enthusiasm and raises the volume as I sing along to the words. Hearing music again refreshes my soul and I feel replenished. I sing along to the song word for word; the lyrics are still perfectly memorized. As the beats of the song fuse together and melt into my soul, I feel a sense of solidarity and contentment. I groove in my seat as Ellie sings her heart out.
“She has such a beautiful voice.”
Duke looks at me, “She’s not the only one.”
An hour later, we arrive at his parents’ home on the island and it’s absolutely breathtaking. The beach home is settled right on the waterfront, just a few feet from the vast ocean. The white house has a wraparound porch and a two-seater swing hangs in the corner of the porch. The open living space is decorated with colors of sea foam and coral. Vases filled with seashells are displayed all over the house. The house smells of the natural ocean but it’s not overpowering…it’s just right.
I walk over to the back door and stare at the ocean as a tear slides down my face.
Duke steps up behind me, “What’s wrong?”
I shake my head and wipe away the tear, “Nothing. It’s just…I’ve never seen the ocean before. At least not up this close.”
He stares at me, stunned. “You’ve never been to the beach?”
“No, I haven’t. That’s terrible, right?”
He slides the back door open, “No, it’s not. There’s a first time for everything. Take off your sandals.”
Raya
My eyes grow wide as I look at the ocean and carefully slip off my sandals. Duke kicks off his flip flops and hops off the step, sinking his feet into the sand. He looks back at me, reaching out his hand, and motions me to step down. I put my hand in his and he squeezes, pulling me down the step. I step down as sink my feet into the sand. The hot, tiny grains tickle my feet and I giggle. Duke laughs at my reaction and pulls me further onto the beach. I feel the sand grind under my feet as we make our way to the cool water. The summer breeze blows and whips my hair wildly.
I look down as we walk and kick up my foot, spraying sand all over the place. I laugh and rejoice at this newfound experience. Duke plays along and begins to kick the hot sand toward me. I let go of his hand and run away from his threats, laughing hysterically.
He smiles, “Oh, come on! It’s only sand. It won’t hurt you!”
I yell back at him playfully, “No, but you have to catch me first.”
He accepts my tease, “Oh feisty one…” and runs straight at me.
I scream and try to fun as fast as I can but he grabs hold of me and tackles me to the ground. He pours mounds of sand on me and even stuffs it in my hair. I swipe at him and laugh as he continues to bury me. After several minutes, he’s successfully buried me completely and I can barely move.
He stands up to take a good look at me and bursts into laughter, “Ha-ha! I wish I had a camera because you look hilarious, Raya. I think this new look suits you.”
I scowl at his remark, “Shut it, Duke. Now let me out.”
He grabs my hand and slowly pulls me out of the sand, “With pleasure.”
Suddenly, he hauls me over his shoulder and races toward the water.
I scream, “Duke! What are you doing?”
“You’re all dirty. You can’t go inside the house with sand all over you.”
I glance at the water and see we’re headed straight for it. My heart beats a mile a minute as the anticipation and excitement seeps into my bones.
He holds me tight, “Hold on!”
I squeal as he rushes into the ocean and the cold water shocks my body.
He shouts, “Holy shit, this water’s cold!”
He pulls me off of his shoulder and lets me stand up. My body adjusts to the cold temperature as the small waves ripple around us. I look up at him, only to catch him staring at me as I take in the feel of the ocean.
“So, how does it feel to be in the ocean?”
I smile, “Honestly, it’s everything that I imagined it would be.”
He smirks at me, and then he waves his arm into the water and splashes it right in my face. I spit the water out of my mouth and find him laughing at me once again. I growl and we go into an all-out splashing war. We slam water into one another, hit after hit, until we are completely drenched. I laugh so hard that my stomach begins to cramp and my cheeks ache from smiling so much.
We continue our water fight until my body starts to shiver in the cold water. Duke notices my frigidness and hoists me up in his arms.
“Let’s get you all warmed up.”
He carries me back to the beach house and I smile at him. Even though I’m wet and cold, it feels good
to be in his arms again. When we enter the house, he carries me upstairs to the bathroom and turns on the shower for me. He passes me a towel and turns to leave the room.
I grab his arm, halting his exit, “Duke?”
He turns to face me, “Yeah?”
I smile, “Thanks for today. It really meant a lot to me. I felt…happy again. And I haven’t felt that way in a really long time.”
He brushes his finger along my cheek, “That’s what I’m here for. I’ll go downstairs and make us something to eat. What are you feeling? Hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches?”
I think about my choice, “How about some pasta?”
He agrees, “Pasta it is! Coming up in twenty minutes.”
After we eat the delicious fettuccine alfredo that he prepared, I immediately become exhausted. With the combination of the past few weeks, the thrill and excitement from earlier today, and my stuffed stomach, sleep deprivation has finally caught up to me. I offer to help clean up but once he again, he refuses and instructs me to rest on the sofa. Within a few minutes, my body and mind slips away into sleep and I drift off into a deep slumber.
The sound of the crashing waves along the shore sound off in the distance. I hear the chirping of seagulls communicating with each other as they glide through the summer air. The cool breeze flows through my windows and into my room, bringing the salty scent of the ocean along with it. The bright sun warms my face and blinds my eyes a little as I open them.
What a beautiful morning. I stretch my arms, waking my body to life. I look over to the end table and see another purple daisy inside a small vase, with a folded note resting against it. I squeal a little as I reach over to read Duke’s note: You are amazing and don’t you forget that.
Little Things Page 24