Page 70 of Endlessly Raphael
“So… we’re like soulmates? That’s sweet.”
“No.” Rapha shakes his head. “It’s not as simple as that. It’s not…” His words trail off as his brow creases. “Shit.”
“Okay, what is it if it’s not soulmates?”
Rapha hangs his head for a second or two, but when he looks up again, I gasp at the expression on his face. Warmth invades my body, and I find myself swaying into his grasp. He brushes his fingers across my cheek. His lips are moving, but his voice is faraway, like he’s in a tunnel. I can’t hear him with my ears, but somehow it’s like my heart can. I open my mouth to speak, but words don’t come. He leans in and kisses me softly several times, his lips carving a path from my mouth to my collarbone, then I’m up off the couch. Moments later, I float to the bed, resting gently in the lush bedding.
Rapha climbs in next to me, his hand sliding under my shirt and rubbing circles on my chest and belly. I’ve never felt so relaxed in my life. The sound of a distant buzzing reaches me.
“I’m sorry, my beauty. I’ll explain more later. I have to go to work,” I hear him say. “I want you to stay here in bed and rest. I’ll make sure your parents get here safely. When you wake up, you’ll know in your heart that everything is just fine.”
Reaching up, I touch his cheek. “So handsome. My mate…” The words come from some unknown part of me, but the rightness of them brings tears to my eyes. “Rapha?”
“Shh,” he whispers. “I am your mate, my darling. I will love you until the end of time. You will never be alone again.” He lifts my hand to his lips, kissing it as I watch him in a dreamlike haze. “I have waited endlessly for you, and now you’re here. When the time is right, I will reveal everything you need to know. You are safe here. Always.”
“Okay, handsome. I’m tired now.”
“Sleep.”
“Yes, sleep,” I repeat as my eyelids close, seemingly dragged down by weights. “Everything is perfect. Raphael… is… perfect. Love… Raph…”
* * *
I blink awake slowly, feeling groggy and disoriented. It’s dark outside, and I have no idea what time it is. I sit up slowly, trying to get my bearings, but I don’t even remember how I got in bed. My chest tugs strangely, as if some part of me is missing, and I rub the place over my heart. Where’s Rapha?
I climb out of bed and head to the bathroom to splash water on my face and snap out of whatever deep sleep hit me. Then I remember my parents should be here by now. I’ll have to call to figure out which unit they’re in.
My ringing phone pulls my attention back to the bedroom, and I hurry over to grab it, drying my face with a hand towel. I don’t recognize the number but answer it anyway.
“Hello?”
“If you want to know what your husband really is, I suggest you come down to Park and Eighteenth.”
“Who is this?” The man’s voice is unfamiliar to me. “Hello?”
I pull the phone away from my ear. The call was disconnected. Park and Eighteenth? That’s one of the rumored Mafia areas. Why would Rapha be down there if he’s not in the Mafia like he said? Or maybe he really is CIA and is doing an undercover sting? That would explain why he’s so secretive about his work. Oh! Maybe that’s how he knew how to do that mind control shit he did on my father.
A part of me knows I definitely should not leave the safety of this apartment to go see what Rapha is doing. I trust him, even though we barely know each other. No, I’ll wait here and tell him about the call when he gets home.
With my mind made up, I go back to the bathroom to brush my teeth, but before I get there my phone buzzes with a text. I rush back to grab it. It’s a number I don’t recognize again, but I smile when I see the words.
Rapha: Borrowing a phone. Mine’s dead. Just checking in. What are you doing?
Me: Just waiting for my handsome man to come home.
Rapha: Want to meet up?
Me: Yes! Are my parents here?
Rapha: Soon. I’m downtown near Park Street. Do you know the area?
My instincts tingle. Something doesn’t feel right. It’s exactly where the person who called told me Rapha was.
Me: I got a call earlier. A man said you were at Park and Eighteenth. I think you’re being followed.
Rapha: I handled it. Come down and I’ll explain.
Me: Okay. I’ll grab a car.