Page 52 of Love Unwritten
As I head in the direction of the kitchen, I’m overwhelmed with the smell of freshly baked biscuits and a faint hint of bacon, and my stomach makes an outrageous noise.
“Hungry?”
“Starving, actually.”
“Hopefully the birthday boy is too because I made a lot of food.” He rubs the back of his neck.
“Nervous?” I ask.
He drops his hand. “Is it that obvious?”
“No,” I lie.
His eyes narrow. “Right.”
“Everything will be fine.”
“He’s been…tough.”
“Well, he is your son after all.”
He shoots me a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re a smart guy. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
“You think I’m smart?”
“Don’t go fishing for compliments. It’s unattractive.”
Frown lines cut across his forehead. “I was curious.”
“About my opinion? Wow. You must be really desperate for company if you want that.”
The little splash of pink creeping up his neck has me questioning if he was telling the truth about being curious. It’s hard to believe a self-made billionaire like Rafael could be self-conscious enough to seek reassurance from others, but I guess he is human after all.
Sometimes.
With a parting glance, Rafael heads toward Nico’s room. I follow him through the hallway that leads to the bedrooms at the back of the house.
Rafael stops in front of the comic book poster-covered door before stepping to the side to give me room. Not wanting to ruin Rafael’s birthday surprise, I remain quiet as I knock on the door.
“Go away!” Nico shouts. “I don’t want dumb birthday pancakes this year.”
Rafael flinches beside me. He tries to cover it up by shifting his weight, which only makes me sympathize with him more.
I want to dislike him, especially after the pain he put Nico and me through after firing me, but I can’t find it in me to even try. He might act cold and indifferent, but he is still a person with feelings, aspirations, and fears. One who won’t be able to learn from his mistakes unless I give him a chance to.
Rafael glares at the villainous Skotos, Erebus, and Eidolon posters taped to the door, his misery clinging to him like a second skin. If we go into the bedroom with him looking like this, Nico will probably shut down again, so it’s up to me to try to cheer him up.
I fake gasp before whispering, “No pancakes? This is worse than I thought.”
Rafael doesn’t even so much as look in my direction. I grab his arm and pull him away from Nico’s door so he doesn’t overhear our conversation.
“I know you said things were serious, but I wasn’t aware of just how bad things have gotten between you two. What’s next? No birthday cake?”
“I’m glad you’re amused by all this.”
Okay… Tough crowd. “What if I told you that I could make you look like a hero?”