𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 is your average do-good lawyer on the rise to fame as a representative of young victims. Except her motivations aren't all that innocent. Rayne's only goal is to run from her past, to leave confrontation for the courtroom, no...
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RUEBEN HELD THE DOOR TO HIS OFFICE openand waited for Rayne to slipinside before following. With it closed, he motioned for her to take a seat, and as she did with silent compliance, he took his place beside her, leaning his hips on the edge of the desk.
He watched with a crooked look as she lifted her legs and curled into a vertical ball in the chair. Her knees were glued to her chest while her eyes drifted to a sight that was anything other than him. And just like the hallway, he had nothing to say. No way to bring her back here—to this moment.
If there even was anything to say.
It had only been ten minutes on the floor, but for some reason, it felt longer. Whether that was because the episode had been so charged, or if it was because of her reaction to Mason's light touch, he had no idea. But it hurt all the same. Her trauma hung so shallow, just the mere breath of a foreign individual sent her spiraling.
He couldn't help but imagine what would've happened if he acted differently yesterday morning in her office. He wondered if she would have killed him without the pause she had tonight. He wondered if she knew how many times a different Miller stood in her spot with the same actions.
"How did you know what to do?"
Rueben blinked out of his thoughts, "What?"
"In the hallway," she continued, still looking at the floor, "You knew exactly what to do and say to get me to calm down. No one ever has. How did you know?"
"Matteo," he said slowly, "He had similar reactions."
"Oh," her brow furrowed as if she had no clue, but she simply finished with, "Right," as if she did.
Rueben decided not to touch upon it.
It had nothing to do with him—despite his curiosity.
"Mason and Isaac know of them as well, so if you're worried about how they'll react to this, don't be. They're understanding people. They wouldn't be here if I didn't think so."
But Rayne was still lost in her mind.
All she said was, "Did Matteo tell you why we're like this?"
"No. He didn't."
Although the two of them had been as thick as thieves in those years they worked together, he had always been secretive about his home life. No matter how many times he pestered him, asked him, or tried to find proof himself, Matteo never relented. He constantly spent his days staring at his cell phone, completely oblivious to his surroundings, even on missions.
Whenever Rueben had offered to help him, or when he offered a simple chat, he would just smile and brush it off as if it weren't a big deal. And because of it, Rueben never pushed too hard. Seeing him so wounded every day hurt, but if Matteo wanted him to pry, he would have allotted it.
