Home is Where You Are

Chapter 19

She calls in sick the next day. 

She doesn't call him though, she calls Finn. 

By that afternoon, he's panicking. She won't answer his texts. Her phone is turned off. 

He's useless. The office is closed starting tomorrow and for the next five days. If he can't talk to her or find her, a week will have passed until she has to come back to work. 

One thing he knows for sure, she's not sick. He feels it in his gut. Something is wrong. She's upset with him. 

"Finn, where is she?"

He's pacing in front of Finn's desk. 

"Ben, I've been told she needs space and that's all I can say. Please don't pull me into this. You cannot put me in the middle."

"I'm not, Finn! How can I fix it when I don't know what I've done??" 

Finn rubs his forehead. 

"You can't but you have to respect her enough to do what she asks! She never calls in and the office is closing. It's not like she left you with work to do. I hate to tell you this…."

Finn trails off because he knows he's about to get blasted. Ben stops pacing long enough to stare. Finn takes a deep breath. 

"You are only her boss. You want boyfriend privileges but you are just her boss!! If you had told her how you feel you'd earn the right to more! Now, get out of my office. I've got shit to do."

Ben storms out muttering under his breath.

"Asshole tells me to get out he forgets I sign his damn paycheck…"

Finn actually laughs. These two make him tired. 

Ben would go pester his brother but that asshole left yesterday to go see his girlfriend before Thanksgiving. 

Ben grabs his phone, again. 

Rey, please talk to me. I don't know what's happening. I'm worried. I don't understand why you need space. Please call me. I miss you. 

He finally calls it quits and leaves work, headed to his Mom's for the holiday. He had planned on asking Rey to go but oh well for that. 

   _____________________________

"So," Maz starts, sitting down at Rey's head as she watches Marriage Story again on Netflix, "are you here to visit or are you ever going to tell me what's wrong?"

Rey's response to bury herself deeper under the blanket covering her. Oh and to eat more chocolate. Maz gently plays with Rey's hair. 

"Reyna…." Maz implores deeper. 

"Men suck," is Rey's replied murmur from under the blanket. 

"Ahhh...I see now," Maz responds, "pray tell, is this anything to do with your hot boss?"

Rey turns her face up at her foster mom. 

"How'd you know he's hot?"

"So he is hot?" she replies with a grin.

Rey sighs. She's not ready for Maz's Mazness, as her and Finn call it. 

"Yessssss, dammit….how'd you even know about him? Lemme guess...Finn?"

Maz smiles. 

"Sort of. Rose told me that you and your hot boss man have become close?"