Remy was nervous about her sister, mother, and brother staying at her and Arden’s house. Her brother hadn’t said a word and her mother wouldn’t stop crying. Nara, though, didn’t leave her side. Remy wasn’t used to having a constant shadow.
Once the meeting ended Arden had gone to his office and printed out basic sheets of sign language to put up around the house so Remy could start learning to talk to her sister without having to have Kane or her mother interpret.
Grayson had gone to his house to pack his things so he could move in with them. The house was going to be packed full of people. Grayson hadn’t been happy to leave Nara, but Remy wasn’t letting her go to Grayson’s house and Nara hadn’t wanted to leave her.
They had driven to the house in Arden’s car and were now parked out front. Remy looked at the neat little brick house with its white trim. The yard needed to be mowed, but the flowers she’d planted looked good. Getting out of the car, she opened the back car doors and walked to the front door, trying to remember if she’d vacuumed and cleaned up before she left.
She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning back as Arden’s arms came around her waist. “Stop worrying,” he whispered in her ear.
Wiggling out of his hold, she opened the door and walked into her home and down to the family room. Everyone followed her, and they stood there looking uncomfortable.
“Sit,” she told them.
They looked down at themselves and then at her clean sofa.
“I’m so sorry. We have two bathrooms. One of you is welcome to use ours. Come, I’ll give you each some clothes. My brother…I’m sorry does he have a name?”
“Emmett.” Remy’s mother turned to Emmett. “Stay with Arden. Mummy is just going to go shower and get dressed. I’ll be back.”
Emmett looked back and forth from Arden to his mum before he settled on his mum. “Okay, but only if you promise to come back.”
“I promise.” Remy’s mother hugged him and then nodded to Remy. “Let’s go. I’m eager to be clean.” She held Nara’s hand and they followed Remy down to the first bathroom.
“Towels are on that shelf. There’s a lock on the door. Come on, I’ll give you some clothes.” They followed her to her bedroom. She walked to the closet and got out two pairs of yoga pants and two tank tops. Going to her underwear drawer, she took some out, then handed all the items to her sister and mother. “They are all clean. Tomorrow we can go and get you some clothes.”
“I’d like that. When I get a job I’ll pay you back.”
Remy waved her mother away. “Don’t worry about it.” She walked into her bathroom and went to the drawers, getting out two new body scrubs. “I have strawberry scrub or mango scrub.” She passed them to her mother to sort out. Going to the bottom drawer she got toothpaste and spare toothbrushes. “I have three of these, enough for Emmett when he has a shower or a bath when you are both done. I’ll get some clothes sent over for him.”
“Thank you. Thank you for all this.”
“It’s okay. We are family.”
“Yes, we are. I’m sorry, Remy. I shouldn’t have left you with Mum. If it helps, I didn’t know I was pregnant when I left you there. When Nara was born deaf I knew my mother wouldn’t be able to handle her, so we kept her and tried to stay one step ahead of the demons. I thought if you were gone they’d leave us alone. Ha, you can see how well that worked. We had run out of money and were on our way back when they got us.”
Remy didn’t know what to say, so she nodded. “Well, that’s everything. I’ll leave you two to sort yourself out.” Remy almost bolted from the room. She needed air.
She ran right past Grayson as he came into the house. She sat by her flowerbed and sobbed. They weren’t coming back for her. They were coming back because they were out of money. How stupid could she be to hope that they wanted her? They were only there now because it was safe and they had nowhere else to go. No money and no one else. She had saved them. She’d had hope.
Remy covered her stomach. “We don’t need them. I have a family.”
“Yes, you do, one that loves you and can’t live without you.” Arden sat beside her and gathered her onto his lap.
“What about Emmett?”
“He’s with Grayson.” Arden tilted her chin up and brushed his lips over hers. “I love you, Remy.”
“You love me?” Remy felt her heart soar. Arden hadn’t told her he loved her, although she’d told him.
“Of course I do. How could I not? You’re always thinking of other people.”