Forbidden Deception (Deception)

38

“R afael?”

“Yes, my love?”

Don’t call me that. You’re making this decision harder for me.

“Can you please come out?”

“Are you outside?”

“Yes.”

Rafael’s glass mansion sits tall and vast. The grand fountain in front of his castle-like home is surrounded by only two cars, the rest are probably in his garage today.

I look up at the sky.

Dark and cloudy. Perfect weather for a lovers’ heartbreaking end.

My heart quivers and begs me to run away from this situation. The tall black mansion in front of me holds memories of me coming into his home to cook with him. I can hear my laughter as I run away from him after throwing flour on him. I can still feel my heart pound when he nuzzled against my cheek, covering me with the flour too.

The beating of my heart is ferocious, and tremors shake my hands.

A small click sounds, followed by the door opening.

I look at the door to see Rafael walk out with his white dress shirt opened at the top, sleeves rolled up, and brown trousers. I’m still in my jeans and jacket. My hand around my bag’s handle tightens as I watch the harsh lines around his face soften when his eyes land on me.

Rafael, despite being older, despite being my boss, despite being my brother’s rival, has given so much of himself to me that I feel lost without him now. What do I do with myself?

He’s walking leisurely towards me, one hand in his trousers’ pocket, his eyes doing a slow sweep of me like they do every time I come into his view. He looks at me with so much love that I struggle to keep my emotions in check.

How do I explain that my heart is bursting at its seams?

Our love will turn so sour that it will end up killing me.

Rafael reaches me and lifts a hand, running his knuckles on my cheek.

He leans forward and steals a kiss.

And my heart finally bursts.

I drop my head to his chest and hug him.

I can’t breathe.

I can’t think.

I can’t do anything but hide in his arms.

“What’s with all this affection? Did you seriously miss me that much in the hour since we finished work?”

I nod stiffly, words escaping me.

He tightens his arms around me.

Lightning flashes in the heavens above us, then thunder booms.

That second of light is enough for me to catch Rafael’s face basked in love. It’s enough for me to see the love confession written all over his face, and my chest tightens painfully.

A raindrop falls on my burning flesh.

Another falls on my cheek.

“Rafael?”

“Hmm?”

“Would you dance with me?” I lean back and look him in the eyes.

The air between us thickens. It stretches taut until I am sure that one word from me will destroy this safe haven we have.

Breathing feels difficult.

Looking at him feels torturous.

“When have we never? Without music?”

I nod. I still do not have the strength for words. If we put music on, I will not be able to handle myself or walk away today.

Rafael lifts my hand. I drop my bag and lift the other to his shoulder.

Forcing my cheeks to lift, I take a deep breath and start to guide him. He follows.

Our eyes never stray, they never waver, nor do they ever tremble.

“Did you come here because you fancied a dance with me?” Rafael asks, humour lacing his voice. The hair I love is growing damp; one strand after the other falls onto his forehead, slicked to his skin.

“What? I need a reason to visit you?” My strained smile catches his attention, so I look away.

Rafael speeds up and pulls me out and twirls me back in. My cheeks lift higher into a wider smile.

The wet pavement below us allows us to move swiftly around his driveway.

“Of course not. It’s why I love your personality. You know what you want, and you aren’t afraid to step back when you need to.”

Please don’t remind me why you chose me.

“It’s why I am dancing with you in the rain, with no music. It’s crazy what I’m willing to do for you,” he whispers, his eyes so clear, emotions and love and adoration spilling easily out of them.

I faintly catch his security detail surrounding us, the twenty guards emerging from their assigned spots. I bet they are confused as to why their strict boss is dancing with his girlfriend in the rain without music.

“And I love how soft you are under that tough exterior. I love your love for your family, your care, your emotions that show so clearly through your face,” I whisper.

The rain gets heavier, but we continue, like we have all the time in the world.

Truth is, we don’t.

We only have these few minutes together.

Rivals collide. They don’t unite.

And finding love and a future with my brother’s rival is insanity.

“Rafael, what would you do if someone tried to take me away from you?”

He frowns down at me, stopping mid dance. “That’s not a question. I wouldn’t let them. You are far too precious to me to ever let out of my sight. Not only will I destroy them, they will crash and burn. I will make sure their ashes alone won’t get a place near you.” He steps closer to me, his words shredding my already weak heart.

And what if I was the one who walked away to keep you safe?

“Forget I said anything. I am too stuck in my mind these days.” I laugh, then gasp when another flash of lightning cracks the sky. Thunder peals, loud enough to shake the windows. The rain turns torrential.

“Come on, get inside, or you will get a bad fever.” Rafael starts to turn, but I stop him.

“Please, stay here for a minute. Enjoy the weather with me.” I smile through the blur of the rain.

Rafael’s brows twist. He takes a moment to watch me, his shoulders pulling taut, the shirt across his chest drenched. I can see every breath he takes, every calculated twitch of his eyes, which are fixed on me. His hand clenches at his side, then he turns and hugs me.

“I’ll wait for you to tell me what is bothering you. Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it. Trust me.”

“But this one you can’t,” I whisper, but he doesn’t hear it through the rain.

I press harder into his chest, seeking comfort, wanting to embed myself there. Biting my lower lip to stop its tremble, I shut my eyes tightly.

“I’m yours till infinity, Venezia, and I hope you are mine, too.”

My resolve cracks.

My body shakes as sobs wrack me.

I break apart.

Rafael pulls me back, his mouth open and hands holding my shoulders while I shake, unable to control myself.

“Venezia, why are you crying?”

I sob harder, my cries piercing the sky.

“Baby, tell me,” he begs.

I shake my head.

My knees weaken, and I drop to the ground. Rafael follows, both of us on our knees now.

“So many…times my mornings were filled with the thought of you, with the intention of seeing you. My mornings, my nights, my tongue, and my body only sang praises in your name. You consumed parts of me that I loved. Now your name is written across the stars, and I won’t change it for the world.” I confess.

“Rafael, I…You are the first man I’ve fallen for and felt so vulnerable with, and you will be the last one, I promise.”

Rafael grabs my cheeks and pulls my head up. My gaze instantly locks with his troubled eyes.

“I just can’t…I won’t ever pull away from you. I won’t ever betray you. I don’t want to shatter and break you,” I whisper knowing it’s too late for this.

My lip trembles as does my hand when I lift it to his cheek. “You are my everything.”

A small smile curves his lips. It looks shaky; it looks a bit pained and a bit broken, but it’s sincere, and it’s there.

“You know, Mikko told me something,” he says slowly. “He told me I was a fool in love when I was falling for you.” He jerks my face closer to his, the wet rain a barrier of sorts between us. “And I didn’t deny it. The truth is, the minute I called you my love, you became the one for me. You are my eternal love, in this life and the next. I will ask God for you in every life, because there isn’t anyone more perfect for me.”

“Stop—”

“Maybe people like me don’t even get to meet God, let alone ask for something so selfish, but I will beg on my knees until they are bruised, and I will do it all for you.”

“Rafael, stop.”

“I love you, Venezia. I love you enough to plant sunflowers in my gardens for you. I love you enough to kiss your scars, enough to watch horror movies and put face masks on. I love you enough to let you into my home. I love you enough to—”

I pull away from him and stand up. I can’t do it. I can’t hold him like we are going to last forever.

“Where are you going?”

“I realised I forgot about my doctor’s appointment in a hurry to see you,” I blurt, then stride away.

I look at him over my shoulder as I reach my car. I want to just take one last fill of him.

There he stands in the rain, watching me. His broad shoulders show through the white shirt that has turned transparent. His hair falls into his eyes, wet and curled. The corded arms that hugged me, that touched me, hanging limp at his sides. The lips that I kissed twisted down.

I weakly smile at him. “I love you too, Rafael.”

He raises his hand towards me, but I turn and get in my car. He steps toward me, but I drive away.

The glimpse of him in the mirror, standing alone in the driveway, makes me cry all the way home.

How could this be the end?

How could this be my last time seeing him with that tender look on his face?