RAISE YOUR HAND

Chapter 14

"Dante," he corrected.

"D-dante, I don't have to take up your home anymore. I can move back into my house."

He looked thoughtful, "Do you like your house?"

"It doesn't matter if I like it or not. I shouldn't be monopolizing your time or property."

Dante smiled. "Monopolizing? You're not."

"I am. You can't rent the property out because I'm in it."

"I don't care. Trinity, I'd much rather have you living closer to work than where your house is located."

"How do you...how do you know where I lived?"

His brow wrinkled amused, "Your application."

"Oh yeah. Sorry. I'm paranoid, I guess."

"Yes, about that. Trinity, I may be overstepping but how would you feel about seeing a therapist?"

Her eyes shot up to his surprised. "A therapist?"

"You've been through more than what anyone should ever have been put through. Perhaps it would help to speak with someone you don't know to get it off your chest and help you heal. Our insurance is excellent. You wouldn't have a bill."

"I-I'm not past the probationary period here. The lady in human resources told me I have another month to go before I am offered health insurance."

"Pff. Nonsense. I'll see to it you're added immediately."

Trinity stared at Dante in disbelief. "Why are you helping me so much?"

"Why not? Do you believe you're not deserving of it?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. You don't know me. I haven't earned anything."

"And you don't know me. I suggest you take me up on my offers while you get back on your feet."

"And when I get back on my feet? Then what? What do you want?"

She knew she just asked some bold questions judging from Dante's face. Oh well. If he decided helping her was a mistake, she could always go back to the house she owned. She could find a job and make a new plan.

"I want you to keep working. I want you to climb the ladder here in this company. You're smart. I need smart people."

Smart? She wasn't smart. If she were smart, she would have found a way out of her situation without having been rescued.

"You think you're not smart," he watched her intrigued. "Let me assure you, you are."

"You wouldn't have thought that last week. The day David died."

"Why do you say that?" he frowned.

"I was upset that night...,"

"Naturally."

"I drove to the morgue to see him."

Dante's hands lowered to his desk, his expression turned stoney. "What did you say?"

His voice was so quiet, she strained to hear him. If she wasn't mistaken, Dante seemed angered by what she just divulged. As if he didn't quite believe his ears. She blinked a few times, trying to mask her surprise. "I-I-I s-s-said, I went to see him in the morgue. To say...g-goodbye."

Pushing his chair away from his desk, Dante stood and went over to the window to look out. His wide back blocked her view of his face. How puzzling. Why was he so upset? Trinity shifted in her seat uncomfortable. It was suddenly too warm in his office. The space feeling as if it had shrunk.