I busied myself wiping down the counter, though it didn’t need wiping. “He’s making sure I don’t overdo it.”
“And you’re letting him,” she said, clearly taken aback.
“That is a temporary arrangement.”
Robin leaned in slightly. “Are you safe?”
The question landed softly but firmly.
I met her eyes. “Yes.”
She held my gaze a second longer, searching for cracks.
“Babe, 100 percent I feel safe,” I said, reaching over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. There was more honesty in thatstatement than I cared to admit. I hadn’t felt as safe as I feel now in a long time.
“He’s intense,” she said, scanning him up and down.
“He is.”
“And you don’t do well with intensity if it tips into control.”
“I know.”
“And?”
“And it hasn’t.”
That seemed to matter to her. Her posture eased just a bit.
“Okay,” she said finally. “I trust you.”
She glanced over at Raphael again. He inclined his head politely, as if aware he was being evaluated and choosing not to bristle at it.
Robin turned back to me. “You look . . . different,” she said.
“Different how?”
“Softer.”
I snorted. “It’s the brace.”
“It’s not the brace.”
Heat crept up my neck. She smiled, but didn’t push further.
“Just make sure,” she added quietly, “that you’re choosing this, not just surviving it.”
I nodded, because for once I was lost for words.
As I rang her up, I felt Raphael’s steady presence across the room. I was still irritated that he thought I needed supervision. And I was still very much aware that my heart did a strange, inconvenient flip every time he looked at me like I was something worth guarding. Balancing independence and being cared for was going to take practice.
By the time my shift ended, my knee was reminding me that sitting still and “not overdoing it” were two very different things.
Raphael had, true to his word, not interfered. He hadn’t hovered at the counter or intimidated customers. He had simplyexisted in the corner with a cup of black coffee, occasionally glancing up when I shifted too quickly or reached too far.
Soon, the door opened, and James had returned. “You’re a lifesaver, Belle. Thank you for covering.” Raphael was already on his feet.
“I told you I was fine,” I said as he moved toward me.
