Chapter 16
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The morning sun was out, shining in all its glory and giving life to the things beneath it. Raina walked into the living room with a slight frown, placing her purse down. Her eyes immediately trailed through the length of the massive staircase in worry. Roux Addington never came down for breakfast and she had no time to check up on him since the children were running late.
Coming back from dropping them off at school, she was surprised to see he still had not shown up. The events of last night still played in her memory, the ball, their meal under the moonlight, the dance, the freedom. She had not felt that way in a long time and she had Roux Addington to thank for that.
Taking a deep breath, she dared herself to go up the stairs, forcing her legs to move towards the direction of Rouxs' room. She just wanted to see if he was alright. Why was she so nervous? They were friends now, were they not?
With a sigh, Raina curled her fingers and gave three sharp knocks on the oakwood door, replied with an eerie silence. Raina frowned and knocked once again, " Roux? Are you alright? "
Her heartbeat spiked up in worry and she immediately twisted the knob and pushed open the door, walking into the dark room. She could hear grunts and shuffling coming from Roux Addington's bed and her feet immediately took her towards the curtains and she spread them open, letting the morning light seep into the room.
A groan left Rouxs' lips as he was blinded by the harsh sunlight, his weak hand reaching up to cover his eyes and shield them from the light as much as he could. Raina gasped at his appearance. His body was drenched in sweat, the strands of his hair sticking to his face as he rolled over. A box of tissue laid besides him with some crumpled pieces scattered all over. Her eyes widened in realization before she rushed towards him. Roux Addington was sick.
" Oh goodness! What happened to you? " Raina questioned in worry as she placed her hand on his forehead to feel his temperature. Roux Addington let out a groan as the feeling of her skin on his seemed to annex more heat to his body.
" A result of the junk I had last night " He rolled over and covered his face with a pillow, wrapping his large arms around the soft cushion to secure it. Raina glared at him for his words before snatching the pillow from his face.
" This has nothing to do with the hotdog, Roux. You have a fever " Raina got up from the bed and headed into his bathroom to find a health kit.
A moment later, she returned with the box (along with a small bucket filled with lukewarm water and a towel) and then pulled out a thermometer to place underneath his tongue. After sometime, she pulled it out and the digits showed he just had a minor fever. The scene reminded her of the time she had fallen ill. He had been there to aid her and now the roles had been reversed.
Dipping the towel into the water, Raina used it to repeatedly press down his body to reduce his temperature a bit. The dipping, squeezing and pressing method was over in no time and Raina tidied up the slightly scattered bedroom, disposing the crumpled tissue papers before she returned her appliances, walking back towards Roux.
He had been silent the whole time. Asides Meera Addington, no one else had ever taken care of him in such a way. Thea Addington would have immediately phoned his personal doctor and forced some medicine down his throat while he waited but Raina McCoy was different. He surprisingly liked being aided for by her, the feeling of her soft hand on his hard body. He wanted to bask in her presence.
" Just wait right here while I go make you some breakfast and soup for your fever. I will be back in no time " Raina told him and attempted walking away but he gripped onto her arm.
Turning to face him in confusion, her eyes caught on to the slight panic that flashed through his eyes. He did not want her to leave, " Caldwell can take care of that "
" I am aware but I will make them myself. You just lay down here and get some rest " She attempted walking away once again but he tugged on her arm, her smaller body stumbling and landing on him in the process. He did not flinch whereas her heart threatened to jump out of her mouth.
" Roux– "
" I want to come with you " He stated in a tone that left no room for opposition. Roux Addington was a demanding man, even as a child which earned him the middle name he loathed from his late mother. Asides that, he could be whiny and clingy. A child in such an intimidating body. Whatever he wanted, he got. That was Roux Addington.
Rolling her eyes, Raina wrapped the thick duvet around his body before helping him up. Silently, he trailed behind her as they exited the room, his blanket rolling on the tiles behind him like a cape.
Once they made it to the kitchen, it was empty as expected. Caldwell Loughty took the free time to go grocery shopping, something he loved doing. Some people would think the man had an obsessive compulsive disorder but he just loved everything being in place at all times.
Roux Addington perched himself on a barstool as he silently watched Raina bring out the ingredients to make his breakfast. The sight was a beautiful one, one he would want to cherish every single morning. Once again, Raina McCoy did something he had not experienced in a long time. Asides Caldwell Loughty, he had never had someone besides his late mother make him breakfast with such concern.
Roux could not help but imagine himself and his children alongside Raina living in a small house as a small family. Raina McCoy prancing around the kitchen barefooted while she stirred up some breakfast for the children to leave with to their public school and him to leave for his office, a place where he was not the boss.
Shaking his head, Roux snapped out of his absurd imagination. That scenario was only possible if Thea Addington never existed, or maybe she did but they had never met. And if he had never met with Thea Addington then he would have never met with Raina McCoy.
Nevertheless, Fate had it's own way of creating it's own connection. Whatever was meant to be would be and no length could hinder that. And even if fate decides who comes into your life, you heart decides who stays.
Raina did not have a degree, she was not the best graduating chef in her cuisine class like Caldwell Loughty was but Roux Addington would pick her meals at any day or time. Like she was a fairy which anything she touched became perfect.
Some minutes later, Raina placed his breakfast before him on the kitchen island and Rouxs' nostrils were immediately attacked with the aroma of different dishes, all combining to form a celestial fragrance. Albeit, his smile immediately turned upside down when she slammed some pills besides him.
" Eat up "
And he wasted no time in doing so.
•
It was the early afternoon hours and as usual, Raina McCoy's nose was stuck between the pages of a book. Albeit, this time around she read in the sunroom with Roux Addington sleeping soundly with his head rested on her lap and a blanket draped over his body.
He had been clinging to her all day like a bee to a honeycomb, finally falling asleep after she had given into his pestering request of another bowl of soup. Her fingers were nestled into his massive curls, savouring at the bounciness of his soft hair which he had inherited from Meera Addington.
Flipping to the next page of the fantasy novel she was yet to finish, Raina's eyes drifted to the round clock hung on the wall and she noted that it was time for her to leave to pick the twins up from school. Her gaze shifted to Roux who was still sound asleep. She already felt miserable for having to wake him up. He looked too cute, especially as his long lashes brushed against his upper cheeks as he slept.
Releasing a sigh, Raina placed the book down on the side table and patted Rouxs' cheeks in attempt to wake him up. Slowly, his face contorted into a frown and his eyes slowly fluttered open, her breath halting at the view of the gray eyes she loved staring into.
" You have to get up, Roux. I have to go pick Ethan and Emma from school " She brushed his hair and he stared at her for a moment before his eyes shut again, his face turning towards the other direction.
" Roux? Come on, you have to get up and go to your room " She shook him and froze when she heard him growl with a mixture of anger and annoyance.
" Roux..? "
" Alright then, don't bother getting up. I will never make you another cup of coffee or soup again " She huffed and a smile broke out on her face as he slowly lifted his head from her lap, clutching the blanket with his hands.
His eyes drooped as he got up on his feet and she assisted him, leading him out of the sunroom and into his bedroom which was just some rooms away. She had him wrapped around her little finger and a sense of content spread through her heart at the realization that he was in love with her cooking.
After tucking him in, Raina slipped into a simple sundress and some flats before heading out to pick the twins with Wilbert Walker.
Minutes later, the children talked Raina's ears off, telling her about their day at school and their new teacher who was a man from the western part of Africa. Once their rants seized, Raina let out a sigh and plopped down on the leather seat, her head hurting a bit from the continuous nodding and exaggerated inquisition.
Wilbert Walker cast her a glance from the front mirror of the SUV, a secretive smile breaking out on his face. He was happy with the woman Raina McCoy was. She was the perfect mother to his boss' children and a perfect wife to his boss. Asides that, she was a perfect woman.
" Why didn't daddy come down for breakfast today? " Emma Addington questioned with a pout and her brother looked up from his colouring book, both the children awaiting an answer.
" Well daddy got a fever and so he had to stay in bed so he could be fine again " Raina smiled at the girl and placed a kiss on the crown of her head. Ethan pouted and she did same to him with a small laugh. Such a jealous brother. He reminded her of the man she had left back at the mansion.
" You will always take care of daddy, won't you mommy? "
" Definitely "
Now, Raina stood before the kitchen counter as she whisked some eggs to add to the batter of her cheesecake mix. Earlier, she had gotten the children to take a bath with the promise of baking them some cheesecakes and they took off without a second thought.
Growing up, Raina loved cheesecakes, especially the ones made by her mother out of bananas. The woman would always use the delicious pastry to blackmail little Raina into doing as she wished. Just like she was currently doing same to Emma and Ethan Addington.
A yelp escaped Raina's lips, snapping her out of her thoughts and she froze as she felt two large arms wrap themselves around her thin waist. Turning her head, she let out a sigh when she saw it was Roux and her cheeks heated up before she continued to whisk her eggs, trying to mask the shaking of her hands.
" It is just me Raina " He chuckled, his mouth unconsciously watering at the aroma of the batter she placed at the side, " I came to thank you for taking care of me today. I feel much better already "
" You do not need to t-thank me, Mister Addington " She mumbled shyly and Roux smiled down at her.
" Call me Roux, we both know you are not my employee " He stated with a smile and her jaw almost dropped when he bent to place a kiss on her cheek before walking away like nothing happened, swiping some batter with his finger on his way out.
What was happening to them both? Was that a usual tension between friends? Raina had no idea but her cheeks hurt from blushing so hard.
That was just a friendly act.
Or was it?