Riona

CHAPTER 11

"Ok so there's stir fry in the microwave and some mashed potatoes on the stove. Please eat and go straight to bed. I'll be back before you know it." Korra hurriedly pulls on her shoes and grabs her coat.

"Are you sure everything's going to be okay?"

"Yeah it's just the health department and their usual bark. They won't really close down the restaurant, they just want to make a huge deal out of the inspection." She grabs her keys and starts to head for the door.

"Are you sure? Cause I would gladly throw hands if I had to." I stand up from the couch but she rushes to me and pushes me back down.

"I know you would. I'll be fine. Just do what I say and stay put." She kisses my head and heads out.

"Yes mom." The door shuts and I run to my room with Sam hot on my tail.

I pull the box filled with Asher's things off the shelf. Korra made me promise to wait for her before looking through it but I'm bored now and I'm known for not listening to a word she says. Throwing the cover off, I empty the box on the bed.

There isn't much in it.

I place the picture frame of both of us on the bedside table. In the box is also the fake flower pot I got him for our first anniversary. I chuckle at the memory of the confused look on his face when he unwrapped the gift and listened to my explanation of why it was such a wonderful gift. I twist the pot right in the middle and it snaps open. The flash drive in the middle looks untouched. I guess he never used it.

"Ohh it's a... a flower pot?"

"Yeah but it's fake. I know you don't garden so I got you this. You don't have to do anything to it because it's fake so you can just use it to decorate your office or something."

"Umm... sure. Thanks."

"You're welcome. And it you twist it right in the middle, there's a flash drive inside. Just in case you need to hack into stuff, steal information. You know the usual."

"I just knew your gift wouldn't be complete if it wasn't spy related or illegal. There's no information to steal Ree, I work at a pharmaceutical."

I plug the flash drive to my laptop on the table and turn it on. There's a jacket neatly folded at the bottom of the box. I raise it to my face and take a whiff; it still smells like him. There's something underneath the cardigan, a book.

Tea with Hellbozah by Ted Dekker.

Where have I seen this book before? I feel like I've seen it recently but I can't remember exactly where. Or maybe not.

The laptop dings and I turn to it. A window pops up on the screen. Pulling the chair closer to the table, I take a seat. It turns out that there is something on the flash drive after all. Two videos and a picture; probably videos of us. And here I was thinking he completely forgot about the drive.

I click on the first video and it starts to play. A familiar but surprising face pops up first, Asher's boss – Mr. Matthews or something.

"I know what you heard and I know what you want to do but I'd rather you didn't, Asher. I like you, I really do, and that is why I'm telling you this for the last time, do nothing and forget about it."

There's no reply but his face contorts into a frown. He swivels in his chair before standing up. He towers above the camera a little, cutting his forehead out of the frame. He speaks again.

"You have a wife, don't you?"

He turns the desktop on his table around, displaying a very clear picture of me. Me?