Husband With Benefits

Lily was deep in thought as she made her way back to the sprawling mansion to continue her work. Preparing each room to be ready for guests at a moment’s notice might seem straightforward, especially with the place so empty, but in reality, it was a time-consuming process. Each unused room had to be carefully inspected – checking the water flow, testing the heaters, changing out the bed linens, and even fixing creaky floorboards. After all they could not have guests worrying about resident ghosts.

There was an endless list of small tasks that kept her hands busy and her mind grounded. Normally, managing and directing this routine work brought her a sense of calm, a comforting illusion of control over her world.

But today, her usual calm had been shattered, slipping away as if washed down a drain. She couldn’t shake the sting of her recent ’argument’ with her mother. The thing about hurtful words, she mused as she walked down the hallway, was that they rarely left a lasting mark when spoken by strangers. But when they came from family, they seemed to strike with ruthless precision. Her mother, of all people, knew exactly which buttons to press, how to spark pain in places that no one else could reach.

Shaking her head, Lily allowed herself a faint smile of relief. At least she had stood her ground, told her mother point-blank that she wouldn’t tolerate it anymore. Her father hadn’t been thrilled with her decision to forgo any more shared meals with her mother, but he’d seemed to understand. Tomorrow, at least, she’d be spared the tense, painful lunches in town that left her more worn out than any amount of physical labor ever could.

But even so, she could not help but stare down at the phone in her hand, almost tempted to call Cai and listen to his soothing voice. But she shook herself. That would almost be like needing to affirm that her mother’s words were wrong. It was okay to keep texting. He was a busy man. Even when here, he’d never really been vacationing, his mornings dedicated to discussions about patients that his team was looking for. She would not let her mother let anymore insecurities in her mind. She and Cai had formed a strong bond and that is how it was going to be.

***

Cai looked down at his phone, or rather the picture on it. It was him and her, sitting together in the snow with their little Bird Army. He smiled at the memory before sighing and falling back onto his bed. as he thought back to Rafe’s suggestion, to distancing himself from her- physically and emotionally.

The idea of it was as acceptable to Cai as chowing down on a cold bowl of vomit. Even just the thought of pulling away from her made his stomach churn. He had no intention of distancing himself. Not now, not ever. She was... well, she was everything to him.

But he couldn’t deny that Rafe might have a point. Outside, there were already whispers, stories swirling as the press gathered, ready to pounce on any opportunity to dig their claws into his life. Being with her at a time like this would only make things harder for her, open her up to the same brutal scrutiny that he was dealing with. The thought made his fists clench. She didn’t deserve to be dragged through the mud just for being close to him.