Layne's POV
After I'm sure everybody is asleep, I sneak back down to the laundry room, collecting my clothes (I guess they're mine now) and then returning to my room with my goodies. I lay out everything again, looking at the work that went into their creation. The paint. The designs. Somebody sat and planned these out. Put care and time into them. Maybe these were hers.....
I neatly fold them and place them in the same drawer where I'd previously stashed my notebook, before falling asleep.
***
I hear a door slam and jump awake. I glance at the clock. Eleven. On a normal day, I should've been up. I crawl out of bed and shower, my mind swimming with unanswered questions. Last night's dinner had confirmed ideas that were already floating around in the back of my head. Dil is hiding something from me. And I want to know what. And if I can't get anyone to tell me then I am just gonna have to figure it out.
I eat some of Dil's cereal for breakfast out of spite before going over to his room and testing the door and finding it locked. Excuse me? That's new?
I clench my jaw and relax on the couch, trying to think of a way around the door. When did he even start locking it?
There's a knock at the door and I hear keys jingling. I check the time. Normally I'd be out jogging.
"Well, hola...." I sit up on the couch and take in the Latina woman in front of me. I give her an up down and smirk. She sees me about the same time I see her and I smile, "Mira."
"Chica," she gasps, then frowns, "You aren't supposed to be here."
I fake pout, "Oh, so what? We aren't friends anymore, mi conejita?"
"Don't call me that," she states, clearly shaken by the use of my old pet name for her, "Your brother thought that now was a better time for me to come clean. You've proven that this is flawed thinking."
After I got out of the hospital, Dil hired Mira to check in on me as a maid type figure. She cooked. She cleaned. And then we fucked. A lot. For awhile, we were concerned that Dil or Dru would find out and fire her. Then a few months ago, she just disappeared. Poof. I thought she'd been fired. But here she was, in my living room.
I stand up and approach her, "Because you asked?"
She turns her head and looks away from me, "Please just leave me alone, güera."
I stop in front of her, and brush a strand of her coffee hair from her olive face, "You don't mean that."
She pulls away from my touch and mutters a string of curses under her breath before exhaling, "Ay Díos güera qué te quiero? What do you want?"
"I thought you'd never ask," I take her hand and lead her to my room, "You know exactly what I want."
***
"Layne-"
I kiss her, "Shhhhh. You never said bye to me. I forgive you though."
"You're brother is going to kill me," she breathes, "That is provided you aren't the death of me."
I chuckle, "I missed you too."
"I never said that," she replies.
"You haven't said that you didn't," I glance at her and catch a fleeting smile, "I saw that. That means I'm right."
I get up and get dressed again, "Want lunch?"
"I have to finish cleaning," She dresses as well, "You put me behind schedule."
I shrug, "Your loss." I head into the kitchen and make myself a sandwich, "So you have keys to everywhere you clean right?"
"Well yes... Why?" she stops and looks at me and I shrug, "No reason. I just find it interesting how they give you keys to everything. I be worried about thieving considering you stole my heart and all."
"Shut up," she cleans and I head back to my room, my mind more relaxed after our midday fling. Something catches my eye on the ground and grab it. Well speaking of keys....
I hold the set tightly in my hand, hoping that they don't rattle, and peep back into the living room, "Mira!"
"Yes?" she calls back from the bathroom.
"Just checking on you," I move down the hall in the opposite direction to Dil's room. At first, my plan is to just insert various keys until I find the right one, but then I see they're labeled. Oh, Mira... You should know better... I unlock the door and then go to find her, "You drop these?"
She snatches them from me, "Obviously. Who else is gonna leave a master set of keys out?"
"One of the other maids I'm fucking," I shrug. She gives me a dirty look. "What? I have a type."
"No- you have a problem," she pockets the keys, "Don't you have anywhere else you need to be?"
"Trying to get rid of me, huh? Fine. I'll go," I grab Max's leash, "I'm already behind schedule anyway."
By the time Max and I are back for our run, Mira is gone and we have the house to ourselves once more. I immediately run to the Dil's room and find it locked again. You have to be shitting me. I bang on the door and find a note attached to the front.
Nice try mi güera . -Mira.