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“Thank God!”
Ben dropped his hand from his mouth. “To be fair, Riles, what happened had nothing to do with rushing back. It was just wrong place at the wrong time…” His voice trailed off, regret immediately tying a knot in his belly. Jeez, did you break your brain when you flew off that bike, too?
“You think?” A sardonic tone tainted Riley’s retort.
No, not really. Damn, I wish I could take that back. Ben’s eyes fell to his jeans, the knees torn and dirty, a large Band-Aid visible through one of the rips. Today’s mess has everything to do with rushing back. If I hadn’t been in such a tizz over being bored at home, I wouldn’t have touched that bike. I wouldn’t have been rushing, trying to deliver those packages. I wouldn’t have been at the hospital or the cop shop. This conversation wouldn’t be happening.
Frowning, he raked a hand through his hair. “Actually…no, I don’t. I’m a fucking idiot. I should’ve waited. I’ve been so restless and down about things, and it was starting to get to me, you know? It sucks not earning any money. I hate that Maggie’s crowdfunding cash has been paying for me. I’m not a sponger.”
“Of course you’re not! Ben, you know the surgery and recovery costs are always paid by the recipient.”
“I know, but I feel useless.”
“You’re hardly useless. Your liver saved my mom’s life! Still, I get it. Being broke and stuck at home would bother me, too.”
“It’s been almost seven weeks…I thought I’d be back to normal by now.” A lump grew in his throat. “I’ve become a burden.”
“You are not a burden. Come here.” Riley pressed a kiss to his lips and pulled him in. “I can’t imagine how hard it’s been. Sitting still isn’t your thing, is it? And missing out on the foods you love, drinking pints, sex—God, I miss sex with you!”
The softness of Riley’s sweatshirt, the scent of her shampoo…Ben’s chest began to ache, but it had nothing to do with the accident.
“Maybe now that you’re in the city again, you’ll start to feel more like yourself? Independent, back in Hunter’s man-maze of bicycle parts.” She giggled and curled her fingers in his hair. “I love you so much. It scares me half to death, though, thinking I could’ve lost you today.”
Oh, Riley. Deep in their hug, looking over her shoulder, the window began to blur. He blinked quickly, suppressing his tears. “Hope—”
“But I didn’t, and you’re here, and we’ll get through this together. Maybe Hunter can really give you some paid work in the office. And then in a few weeks, you’ll go back to the diner, start auditioning again. We’ll have Christmas together—everything will be okay, you’ll see.”
“But it won’t be,” Ben mumbled in her hair.
Riley pulled back. “Won’t be—what?” Her wide eyes glanced down at his t-shirt. “Did something else happen? Ben, you hurt your liver?”
My heart… “Riles…” His voice cracked and he shook his head slowly. If I could do it over again, I wouldn’t have touched that stupid bike. “The police ran an immigration check on me.”
“Yeah, so? That’s normal, right? If you’re not a citizen, they’d totally do that.” She caught the slight quiver of Ben’s chin and froze. “But…”
“I have to go home.” He gulped, fighting the urge to cry. “The diner isn’t renewing my visa.”
“They’re…?” She jerked forward, eyes wide. “But they promised!”
“Stavros left. I found out yesterday. So, I told Hunter and he said—”
“Wait? You told Hunter…before me?”
“I told him because I needed help. He knows people, Riley. He was trying to hook me up with a job in this bloke’s bar. The guy’s gotten visas for staff before and…” He stared up at the ceiling and the twinkly lights overhead. So many beautiful memories made, so many secrets shared under those dollar-store stars. “Then, today happened, and when I finally got to the police station after the hospital, an immigration officer was waiting for me. Apparently, the diner was obligated to notify immigration if my employment ended before my visa expired. So, I was flagged in their system. They just had to find me, and they did—with a broken wrist on West 54th.”
“But you’ve got three weeks left on your visa.”
“It doesn’t matter. If I don’t have that diner job, the current visa is void. I’m here illegally now.”
Her breath began to quicken. “You have to go?” She held his left hand and Ben reciprocated, squeezing it tight. “When?”
“The lawyer at the station recommended voluntary departure.”
“What does that mean?” Tears gathering in her eyes, she blinked quickly.
“I agree to leave the country quickly and voluntarily so I won’t be kept in custody or have a removal order on my file. I’ll also avoid a period of inadmissibility.”
“Meaning…what? You wouldn’t be banned from returning to the U.S.?”
