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"Did you go to work today?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Yes," I lied. As much as I wanted to comfort her, we had other things to do, and I could not afford to have her poking around and finding out the truth."Hey, isn't Family Feud on right now?" I asked, glancing at the clock.
My mother gasped excitedly and went back to the living room. Within a minute, she was back to her usual self, a zombie in front of the glowing screen.
I shot Sasuke an apologetic look. "Sorry, the house is a mess."
Sasuke shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said with a pause. He took in a tight breath. "I know what it's like. When my father died... well, my mother never recovered."
I stiffened. Was Sasuke opening up to me?
It was hard to believe, but he seemed genuinely sympathetic. I understood the pain of losing a loved one and seeing them slip away. My mother was hanging on by a thread, and I dreaded the day I would lose her, too.
"We should stay here with her," he added. "No reason to leave her alone. In fact, it would probably be safer."
I was surprised, but I had to agree. Even if he was my captor, I was, ironically, safer with him around.
I felt another surge of emotions before stomping them back down. No, this guy was a jerk and a killer. Whatever happened between us in the hotel was nothing to him and so it should be nothing to me.
"I need to call my work, too," I said, pulling out my phone once I was sure my mother was completely consumed by the television.
"That is if I still have a job," I added. I hadn't listened to the dozens of voicemails yet.
"You can't go to work," Sasuke said.
I turned to look at him. We were alone in the kitchen, and the realization sent a burst of lustful thoughts through my head. "What do you mean?"
"You can't be alone. Harris is out there, and he's made it obvious that he's done stalking you from afar."
"Because of you!" I countered. "Seeing you with me probably drove him to it." I shrugged. "It doesn't matter; we have bills to pay; I can't skip work."
Sasuke snatched the phone from my hand. "No. I'll pay your bills; don't go out there alone," Sasuke said firmly.
"That's impossible," I argued. "I need to be able to provide for my mother, and she needs her anxiety medication. We have bills and debt."
Sasuke leaned in close, his lips nearly brushing my ear. "I told you already, I will protect you." There was finality in his tone, leaving no room for argument.
I stared at him in disbelief. This man was unpredictable and dangerous, yet somehow, he managed to make me feel safe. My brain was conflicted.
My captor handed my phone back to me. "Tell them you need time off," he said. "I'll take care of the rest."
***
After two long andawkward phone calls with both of my bosses, I was free for the next two weeks. Somehow, I'd avoided being fired, thank God.
I went back to the kitchen and found Sasuke washing dishes.
My brain went numb with confusion. "Um, what are you doing?"
Sasuke looked over at me and then glanced back at the pile of dirty plates. "Cleaning up."
Embarrassment washed over me. The house was a disaster, and it was all my fault. I was so busy working that I'd forgotten to take care of basic chores. Mom was too much of a wreck to do anything, and by the time I got home most nights, I normally passed out before even thinking about cleaning.
"You don't have to do that!" I gasped.
"Don't worry about it," Sasuke said. His expression was softer and sympathetic. "I get it."
My face burned red with shame. "Please, let me help at least," I offered, reaching for a sponge.
