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Then I turned and walked away.
11.
Maggie
A yellow weather warning was announced on the news the next morning as I got ready for work. I was still all mixed up over Shay, full of intense feelings about him kissing me, but dismayed he’d revealed something personal about me to Rhys without asking permission first.
I honestly couldn’t tell if I were overreacting.
He’d sent a text last night that read, Did you get home okay?
I’d responded with a thumbs up emoji and left it at that.
Well, at least it was Monday, and I only had Jonathan Oaks’ empty penthouses to clean. I put on my raincoat and grabbed my large umbrella before heading out. It was raining moderately heavily, but if the forecast was anything to go by, it would worsen as the day went on. I wasn’t looking forward to trudging through the wind and rain on my way home that evening, but at least I could have a warm soak in the tub when I got back.
A bubble bath always made life infinitely better.
Shay waited under the shelter when I arrived at the bus stop. He wore a raincoat, too, but his face and lower half were soaked. His eyes flared when he saw me, still as questioning as they’d been yesterday when I’d left his house.
“Didn’t you bring an umbrella?” I asked, worrying my lip as I cast my gaze over him. He shook his head, and I frowned. “You’ll catch your death.” Shay shrugged, still eyeing me like he wanted to say something. I blew out a breath, closing my umbrella as I stood next to him and glanced at the monitor. The bus should be arriving any minute, though the estimates weren’t always accurate.
A moment of quiet passed before I spoke. “I’m sorry for leaving so abruptly yesterday. I was just a little upset you told Rhys about me. About my dyslexia, I mean.” I glanced at him, searching his gaze, and saw surprise there. He started to shake his head, then reached into his pocket for something when the bus arrived. We climbed on board and sat. Shay retrieved his phone and what appeared to be a set of air pods. He handed them to me, motioning for me to put them in. I did, curious as to what he might be up to. Then he lifted his phone and began typing. A few seconds later, a prim AI voice that sounded like a generic British man spoke in my ears.
“I didn’t tell Rhys about you,” the voice said. It pronounced the name wrong, Rice instead of Reese. Other than that, it was impressive. I glanced at Shay in surprise.
“Was that you? You’re using the app?”
“Yes,” the voice replied, and I couldn’t hold in my amazement. I was admittedly not great with technology, so it was blowing my mind a little. The woman sitting in the row in front of us turned her head, her expression curious, but she quickly turned back around, not wanting to appear nosy.
I glanced at Shay. “You really didn’t tell Rhys about me?”
“No,” he answered through the tiny buds in my ears. I felt like an idiot for getting upset over nothing. Why hadn’t I stayed and asked him to clarify things instead of rushing off like a fool? It was embarrassment and shame. The two things that typically made me act in ways I ended up regretting.
“He suggested this app because he thought it might allow us to communicate better, so you could just speak and listen while I type. I was hesitant to use it because I worried you might take offence. I honestly don’t mind waiting for you to read my messages.”
“I wouldn’t take offence. You’re always so patient with me,” I said, my mind suddenly racing at the possibilities. The app would be a game changer for us. Now that I knew my privacy hadn’t been intruded upon, I could appreciate how thoughtful it was of Rhys to suggest the app. I mean, it was admittedly strange having Shay talk to me through the bland computerised voice, but it was far better than what we’d had at our disposal so far.
I shifted my body, turning to face him. “I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”
“You’re not an idiot,” he replied, and I noticed his eyes were still on mine. He was so skilled at typing on his phone he didn’t even have to glance at the screen while he did it. “I should have explained myself better. I would never reveal private information you told me in confidence to anyone, Maggie. You can trust me on that.”
It really was odd and honestly, overwhelming, to suddenly be able to talk to him so smoothly. The back and forth was so much faster than before. “I do trust you,” I told him, swallowing thickly as I glanced around the bus. Most of the other passengers were either absorbed in their phones or trying to catch a few extra winks of sleep before they arrived at their destinations.
