^^Chapter title credit: Song by INXS.^^

{Geoffrey}

Even though I felt a little better after what I said to Raina, I know it didn't help. We'd listened to Ettie helping Mila read her favorite story about a puppy, and then I picked up Ettie and as we went upstairs, she fell asleep on my shoulder. By the time I'd tucked her into bed, put the baby gate up, and turned out her light, my guess was proved right when I came back to our bedroom. Raina had fallen asleep without changing her clothes, but just by the fresh tear tracks on her cheeks I saw that's what she'd been doing before that happened. I took her shoes off, pulled the sheets over her, and then climbed on next to her, fitting my body against hers perfectly.

We wake up slowly, and this time I don't leave. I feel her stirring next to me, and that's what wakes me.

"Geoff?" she says softly into my neck.

"Hey." I kiss her temple. "Feeling okay?"

"If an emotional roller coaster is the same thing as okay, then yeah, I guess."

"Look, Raina," I sigh, threading my fingers through her hair. "I wish I could make everything better for you in one word. I hate to see you so traumatized still."

"You being here is enough." She runs a finger along my jaw. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that yesterday."

"Don't apologize. It's completely out of your control."

"I want to help you with this Ridley thing," she says, propping herself up on an elbow to look into my face. "If he's got a plan, it involves everyone. And it'll keep me busy."

"Raina, that could be dangerous." In fact, I know it is. And worse, he could use both Raina and Ettie against me to get me to do what he wants me to do.

"And you don't think I know that?" She cups my cheek, her eyes serious. "I'm not just your girlfriend anymore. I'm your wife, and I want to help."

"Then will you get some help for yourself?"

She bites her lip and nods. "Promise."

I smile, burying my hand in her hair. "I love you, my imperfectly perfect wife."

"And I love you, my perfectly imperfect husband."

She leans forward to kiss me, and I take that opportunity to roll her on top of me, running both hands down her sides. She sighs against my mouth and slides hers up, tightening in the short strands of my hair. I catch the backs of her thighs and pull her forward, so her legs straddle my hips. She makes a surprised noise in the back of her throat, but doesn't pull away. I don't want her to either, because being with her like this is the only thing that makes the whole outside world vanish.

That is, until the phone next to the bed starts ringing. Raina makes another noise, this time one of annoyance, and rolls off me as I reach over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, man, it's me. It's Matt. Remember me?"

"Hey, Matt." I sit up, and then stand. Raina sits up too, raking a hand through her hair. "Thanks for calling back so quick."

"Yeah, no problem. Hey, listen. Would you want to meet up sometime soon, to talk it out? Been wanting to catch up anyway, and Tori wants to meet Raina."

"Tori?" I can't ever remember hearing that name.

"My fiancée." There's a smile in his voice. "She's great. You guys'll like her, I think."

"Hey, when it comes to girls, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

Matt laughs, his usual loud bark. "True that. But seriously. I'm down in Manhattan for a few days before heading back to Providence. Think you guys could make it?"

"Yeah, definitely. I think this issue definitely needs some attention."

"Great. See you, man."

"See you."

When we both hang up, I find Raina glaring at me, arms crossed over her chest.

I sigh. "What?"

"'When it comes to girls, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours?'" She scowls. "What in the hell does that mean?"

"Well...considering how he felt about you back in college..." I shrug, realizing how bad it actually sounds.

"Don't even think about it." She climbs off the bed and gives my arm a smack with the back of her hand. "We weren't married then, if you remember."

"Okay, okay. I didn't mean it like that." I rub my arm and turn on my heel to follow her as she squeezes around me.

"Well, then what did you mean, Geoff?" She throws her hands up, and then drops them heavily.

"I don't know. It's a guy thing, I guess."

"Fine. Don't tell me. But I see you giving this Tori the eye, and you're sleeping on the pullout for the rest of the weekend."

When she goes into the bathroom and I hear the shower go on, I find myself grinning. God, even when she was angry, she was sexy. Not many other girls could pull that off.

≈

We leave almost right after I come home from work. Despite the fact that Raina still seemed a little miffed when I left, she's packed a bag for me too. We entrust Ettie's care to Mila, and because we won't be here, there's no reason to make them stay. So Mila's taking Ettie to her place.

"So when were you going to tell me you talked to Matt?" Raina says when we've pulled out of the driveway and onto the road.

"I didn't think it was important."

She looks over at me and raises an eyebrow, the only indication that I've said the wrong thing. Probably doesn't want to make a scene in front of Roberto. "I would think, Geoff, since we both knew Ridley in college that you'd at least keep me informed."

"Look, Raina, it probably just slipped my mind, okay?" I wish I had infinite patience, but this thing that happened with her dad yesterday seems to have made her a little more prickly than usual, and it's irritating.

She seems to take that, not pursuing the subject anymore. "How do you suppose Ridley even knows how to find you?"

"He's Ridley. He's probably having us followed, or something."

Raina looks out the back window, worry and fear clearly showing on her face. "I don't like that idea."

"Well, nobody likes the idea of Ridley either, but he still exists."

"God, if he..." She covers her face, pressing her fingers into her eyes. "If he comes near my daughter, I'll kill him myself."

"Easy, mama bear." I catch her hand and squeeze. "I won't let him get within an inch of either of you. How's that?"

"Reassuring, I guess," she says with a sigh. "But unless you want another baby, you won't call me that again."

I grin and wink. "Noted."

And despite the fact that she's probably still mad at me, I catch her blushing before she turns towards the window.

≈

She sleeps most of the way. I see the city buildings appear on the horizon at around seven, and that gets me to thinking about the reason Matt and I are doing this in the first place. We couldn't fight Ridley by ourselves, especially if he still had the technology to make his green stuff. We'd definitely need some help, and I think that while we're here, we ought to talk to Hank too, and the Thomases. If there's one good thing about all of this, it's that they're all in one place.

"Raina." I shake her shoulder as Roberto pulls around to the front of the hotel, one that overlooks Central Park. I reserved it specifically for the view. "We're here."

She groans but sits forward anyway, rubbing her eyes one at a time. "Did I fall asleep?"

"Just a little nap."

We check in, and I only realize how happy I've made her by doing this when she turns away from the window to kiss me, wrapping both arms around my neck.

"How'd you know?" She pulls back, her smile trying but failing to stay away.

"Because I know you." I slide both my arms around her waist. "And I know you wouldn't truly believe we were here until you saw it."

She breathes out a laugh and kisses me again, one of her hands running through my hair. I turn us around, walking towards the bed. Her knees hit it first and she goes down, and I catch myself on my elbows so I don't crush her.

"Twice in three days?" she says when I pull back to strip off my shirt. "This is a record for you, Geoff."

"Well, when else am I going to get you all to myself for an entire weekend?" I tangle my fingers in her hair.

"I see your point." She cups my face in both hands. "You want me, you have me."

"Don't mind if I do."

≈

Once again, we wake up next to each other. Seeing Raina completely fearless about her scars for once is refreshing. I love that she's confident enough. I feel her stir next to me, her hand twitching. Having her nestled into my side, one arm across my chest and one leg tangled with mine, is pretty distracting.

"Morning," I say into her hair, running my fingers through it.

I feel her kiss my chin. "Morning."

"You hungry?" I hear my stomach growl. "Personally, I'm starving."

She smiles, and her hand runs down to rest on it. "I know. I heard. And yeah, I could go for some food."

"Want room service? Unless you want to get up and get dressed..."

"Well, when you put it like that..." She props herself up on one elbow to kiss me. "How could I refuse?"

When it comes, we pick at it without getting dressed. I never dreamed that I'd be sharing breakfast with her, and that she'd be wearing my ring on her finger. When she feels me staring, she looks up at me with a shy smile.

"What?" She rubs at her mouth with a finger. "Do I have something on my face?"

I grin. "Do I always need an excuse to look at you?"

She blushes. "Geoff."

"But you do have something on your face." I slide my hand along her cheek. "It's right there."

Then I lean in and kiss her. She smiles against my mouth and kisses me back. I can't believe I have her all to myself this whole weekend. I'm planning on making the most of it.

It's when she goes to take a shower that the problem really starts. The telephone rings, and I have to get up and cross the room to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Geoff," says a familiar female voice, one that makes my stomach drop out through my heels. "I was wondering when I'd hear your voice again."

"Felicia?" I lower my voice to a hiss. "How'd you get this number? How'd you even find me?"

"Remember what I told you before? I have my ways." Her voice is sultry and smoky, like she knows exactly what effect she has on me.

"Don't call me again," I say, right as I hear the water go off and the bathroom door open. "Goodbye."

"Who was that?" Raina asks, scrubbing one hand through her wet hair while brushing her teeth with the other. She's wrapped in only a towel, showing off her killer legs.

"Wrong number," I say immediately, but instantly I feel a stab of guilt. I bet Felicia would love knowing that I'm lying about her to my wife. Some women didn't like being the other woman. But Felicia didn't seem to care. And that's how I know I've just bitten off more than I can chew.

≈

We meet Matt and Tori downtown, at a restaurant just a few blocks away from our hotel. At first I don't recognize Matt, because he's changed again. He's still broad in the shoulders and chest, but he's lost some of the weight around his middle. He got his hair cut again, but he still has a beard.

But I know it's him when he pulls me into a bear hug, giving my back a couple good slaps.

"Hey, man! How you doing?"

"Oh, fine, I suppose." I grin and give him some good back slaps back.

Then when he's done with me, he greets Raina with the same enthusiasm, dwarfing her with his size and his bulk.

"You look great, Raina. Glowing." He loops an arm around her shoulders and squeezes.

"Would it be offensive if I told you that you are too?" Raina grins.

Matt rolls his eyes, but he doesn't look offended in the least. "I'd give you a knuckle in the scalp, but I don't want to mess up your hair."

"So, Tori?" I say, changing the subject. Raina's and Matt's relationship was always amiable and friendly, but it'd been no secret that he liked her in college.

"Oh, yeah." Matt gives Raina's shoulder a squeeze, and she winces. "C'mon. This way."

He leads us to the back of the restaurant, to a big corner booth. I stop when I catch the first glimpse of Tori — warm brown eyes, curly brown hair with honey highlights, and skin the color of caramel. Not at all what I'd been expecting.

"Hi, Tori," I speak up first, once Raina and I get over the surprise.

"Hey," she says, with a flash of white teeth.

"Tori, this is my friend and former frat brother Geoff, and his wife, Raina." Matt slides in next to her, and we do the same on the other side.

Once we've all been introduced, I realize just how hard it's going to be to talk about what I wanted to talk about. Tori doesn't know anything about Ridley, most likely, and we don't know her well enough to discuss him around her.

So when she gets up to go the restroom, Matt slides over, sandwiching Raina between us, and leans in.

"What's this thing about Ridley? You said he came by your work the other day."

"Yeah," I say, hearing the same resentment in my tone. "Insulted Raina and then asked if I wanted to fund his campaign for office."

Raina scowls and bumps me with her elbow, but out of everyone, I feel the safest telling Matt everything.

"And you said...?" Matt's eyebrows go up.

"No, obviously," Raina says quickly, and then nods. "Tori's coming back."

"Oh." Matt slides backward, out of the booth, so she can get back in.

I wish we didn't have to be all secretive like this, but if we want a life without Ridley, we're going to have to keep it under wraps, just for now.

When we leave, I catch Matt again while Raina goes on ahead with Tori. "When can we talk again? Just the two of us? I think we really need to get something figured out."

"Tomorrow, probably." He glances over at Tori and Raina, watching us curiously. "I'll call you later. See if we can arrange it."

"What was that all about?" Raina asks as I join her, sliding an arm around her and pulling her against me.

"We're going to talk again before the weekend's out. Just the two of us." That would happen tomorrow, but there was one visit we had to make now. And that was to see Hank.