Page 29 of Endlessly Raphael
I put my hand on his lower back to make sure he knows I’m here. He blows out a breath that sounds a lot like resignation and gestures for me to follow him. We trudge up some concrete stairs dangerously close to reaching their functional limit, and stop in a hallway that smells so rancid, it actually turns my stomach, and I can take a lot.
The unfairness of it all grips me. I’ve always hated seeing the way some mortals live in chaos. Yves tells me to detach from it, but even though it was hundreds of years ago, I’ve never forgotten my own plight before he swooped in and saved me.
Haven unlocks the door and enters, his head down. Inside is a small apartment, pretty clean with minimal possessions visible. In the corner of what should be a dining room is a small folding table with a sewing machine on it and material strewn everywhere.
“Sorry it’s a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
“It’s not a mess, Haven.”
“Whatever. You have closets bigger than this.”
“And? I’m older than you. Our lives are different.”
“How old are you? You don’t look a lot older.”
Chuckling, I glance around. “Older than I look.”
Haven shrugs and walks down a hallway to what I presume is his bedroom. I enter behind him, pausing in the doorway. Oh, this won’t do for a man as charming and magnetic as Haven. I watch as he opens a closet packed with clothes and shoes.
“At least I got to bring my clothes with me,” he says, pulling things off the rail.
“They kicked you out completely?”
“Oh yeah. Well, my father did. My mother was sad, but she’s powerless. I didn’t really want to stay anyway. I just didn’t know things were so expensive, you know?”
“Yes.”
“The stipend I get is insulting compared to the cost of living and I think he did that on purpose.” Haven twists around, clutching a sweater in his fist. “I’m going to make them pay for this.”
I nod, wishing I had words to comfort him, but what could I even say?
“Thank you,” he whispers, returning to his task. “You’re literally saving my life.”
“I’m glad to help, Haven.”
“Now you see why I didn’t want to kill the vibe last night by coming here.”
I walk over to the closet and help him pull some clothes down. “You said you have to work tonight?”
“Yeah. I get off around eleven, but I can come back here.”
“I’ll pick you up.”
“Are you sure? It’ll be late.”
“It’s fine. I have to work tonight too, so I’ll be in the area.”
“You work down here?”
“I work all over.”
He studies my face, and just when I think he’s going to ask something, he presses a kiss to my lips instead. Then he turns back to the closet, humming a song as he pulls clothes down.
“I know I shouldn’t get used to this. You, I mean. I’ll be rich again soon. Then I can get out of here for good. I’m gonna get a swanky condo like yours.”
He’s right. We shouldn’t get used to this. All the myths and fairytales, even my own brothers finding love, haven’t convinced me that it’s meant for everyone. If Yves doesn’t have a mate yet, what right do I have to even hope it could happen? Better to live with my guard up and zero expectations than to be disappointed later.
Haven knows what he wants from his life, and I don’t plan to be in his way. We’ll ride this out for as long as it’s fun then go our separate ways. I hope we can remain friends when it’s all over. If the past is any indication of the future, our attraction will fizzle out soon enough.