Chapter 5 - Love, you can do this.

"I can't do this," I say as I stare at a guideline that Mira quickly prepared for me along with some psychology books on how to approach a person with disabilities. It's not the help part I was worried about, it was the lying aspect of it. Mira told me about how a blind person gets by in life, and how one recognizes space. Frequent movements include body rocking, repetitive handling of objects, and hand and finger movements all that seemed easy, but it felt like that because I wasn't in those shoes.

"Love, you can do this. That man needs help and you need the job. Both of us need you to get the job." Mira says as she hands me the cane.

I take the cane from Mira, my fingers trembling slightly as I feel the smooth, cold metal in my hand. It’s heavier than I expected, but I know this is the first step in the lie I’m about to step into. It all feels wrong, a twisted game I’m not sure I’m prepared to play. And Christian... what about the instant attraction I felt for him? The kind of attraction I haven't felt in a long, long time that lit a flame inside me that I thought was forgotten. I dreamed about those dark honey eyes but once I go along with this lie I will have to forget about ever searching for my reflection in them. But I also owe it to Mira, this job will the roof over our head that has fallen greatly over her back.

"I'll just keep my eyes blank and not react to anything that happens before me. I'll try to use the sunglasses as often as possible." At least that way I can avoid eye accidental eye contact.

"Ask him to give you the tour of the house and pretend to count your steps, I've seen patients do it," Mira says. "A part of me wishes I could come with you but I need to go to work. Call me as soon as you leave and I hope everything goes well."

"Me too," I say not too confidently when Mira stops to look at me.

"Do you think I'm a bad person... for making you lie like this?" She asks me. I've known her for years, she is my family and no, she wasn't a bad person but she always said that people are far too complicated to define them as good or bad and she was right. If I were to put her on a scale the number of good things she has done would weigh more.

"You’re not a bad person, you’ve done more for me than anyone else. And... I understand why I need to do this." I say as she walks over and hugs me.

"You Love are an absolute angel and I have no doubt you will help that man to love life again." She says as she brushes my curls with her hands.

"Now go, or you are gonna be late." Mira hands me my bag and takes some cash out of her pocket. "For the taxi, it's waiting for you downstairs, I called for it. Take it." She puts the money in my hand.

"But, that is what you managed to put aside for the rent."

"It's incomplete anyways so it doesn't really matter and besides it's for your new job." I dont know what would I do in this life if it weren't for her.

"Thank you, Mira. I'll see you later." I say as I hug her before heading out the door. I put on my sunglasses and extended the cane as I reached outside. I wanted to practice and see how other people would react to me.

The driver saw me approach slowly as I taped the cane to the floor and he got out of the taxi to open the door for me.

"Thank you," I say before reaching inside my pocket for the card Christan gave Mira yesterday.

I sat in my seat facing forward, not trying to look out the window or reach for my phone. I kept my eyes focused even tho the driver couldn't see them behind the glasses. The drive was for about half an hour and when they pulled up in front of the beautiful mansion.

"We are here, Miss." The driver says but I'm stuck in place.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"This is the address written on the card." He says as he gets out and walks to my side to open the door for me.

I slowly get out and try to control my mouth from falling open at the sight of this estate as I stand at the bottom of the stairs until I hear the taxi drive away. Christian gave me well-off vibes, he was dressed elegantly in his long coat and shiny shoes. It is the name by the door that catches my attention. Callahan. It can't be the same Callahan I'm thinking about. Not the crazy rich, gold mine owning family thriving in the jewelry business... could it be? But why would a man this rich chase after a thief? Pity... compassion... after all he did think I was blind.

"Good morning, Love." I hear his deep voice behind me and it makes me jump a little when he grabs my hand to steady me. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," Christian says. "You didn't hear me..."

"I got a bit lost in my thoughts, sorry." This is not a good impression on the first day of work. If I even get the job.

"Do you mind if we go inside?" He asks, his hand still on me.

"Yes... I mean, no. I dont mind." Fuck my brain. "We can go inside. Sorry, I am a bit nervous." Now that is as true as it gets.

"Dont be. I dont want to scare you but in order to do this job you are going to need to be more self-assured in turn for him not to drive you away like the others." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. That was my second mistake, Christian smelled smooth and grounding like sandalwood yet deep and sensual like woodsy musk... I did not need that to further cloud my judgment.

"No, I'm ready to do this. I'm ready to help." I say while trying to put an honest smile on my face. "Let's go in."

"Alright, now watch your step. There are seventeen steps in front of you and then there is about a meter of open ground before reaching the door." He was giving me directions, something I as a blind person should appreciate.

"Thank you," I say and we start slowly walking upstairs followed by the sound of my cane clicking against the stairs tiles. Going through these doors I entered a new world. Growing up with my parents I knew what it meant not missing anything but this, this was the house of a person whose world was their own. Their limit was as about high as their ceilings and boy was it high.

"Now the layout of the house is pretty open, the furniture is spaced to allow you easier access around it. There are vases and decorations but they are adequately pushed back or to the middle of the table so you won't walk into anything." Christian said as he walked me through the house.

"And your brother? Where is he?" I ask and Christian stops.

"Sebastian prefers not to leave his room and sit in the complete dark no matter how much I've tried to make him come out. I have to warn you he might be rude towards you, he has been to the others." Yet others may not have been as desperate as I am to keep this job.

"Do you mind me asking about his condition? Or rather how he got into it?" I ask respectfully.

"Years ago there was an accident, he got injured and even with a lot of broken bones and multiple surgeries, the worst for him was not being able to see. After several consultations, it was said he wouldn't be able to see ever again and he got depressed, he closed himself off and it's only been downhill from there." The sound of his voice significantly dropped the more he talked about it, his gaze dropped to the floor.

"He feels useless and neither I nor our mother was able to convince him otherwise. You will meet her some other day, she is out of town right now. That is, if you stay."

"I have every intention to help," I say and I mean it. "Let me meet him." Christian stared at me for a second, not saying anything, and then when it seemed like he was about to he simply shook his head.

"Let's go then." He says and we start going upstairs. My hand was on the handrail as we walked, my lips silently counting steps until we reached the room door.

"Ready?" He asks me and I nod my head as he proceeds to knock on the door...