CLAIRE (EIGHTEEN)

I jumped out of bed after reading a message from Olivia. She was right outside my house. No, Raviel's house. I didn’t have a house. I could stay here because of my Mom.

I stopped in front of the mirror to make sure I looked okay. My eyes had returned to normal after being swollen for days from crying too much. Last night my eyes even looked like frog eyes. Yeah, I was still grieving, but I realized that crying wouldn't bring my mother back. I just hoped that my mother would rest in peace in heaven.

My blouse was a bit wrinkled because I had been lying on the bed while waiting for Olivia to come. I hadn't had any work to do since Alberta came back to work at this house. She even came last night and immediately cooked dinner for me and Raviel. Alberta was so excited. She expressed her condolences to me for my mother's death. She was truly a noble woman. She didn't hold any hatred towards my mother at all after what my mother did to her.

My mother accused Alberta of stealing her pearl earrings. Alberta had explained that she knew nothing about the pearl earrings. My mother insisted that Alberta did it and my mother immediately kicked her out of this house without Raviel's knowledge.

Raviel was angry with my mother's decision, but I guess Raviel was having a lot of problems at that time and he didn't want to prolong the argument with my mother. A week later, my mother found her earrings in her blazer pocket. She forgot that she put them there after attending a tea party at one of her friends' houses. My mother begged me not to tell Raviel about it. And now, I was so relieved that Alberta was back in the house. At least, it could ease my guilt towards her for my mother's past mistakes.

"Rave? Where are you going? Why are you carrying a suitcase?"

I passed Raviel near the stairs. He had just come out of the kitchen. The aroma of coffee danced in my sense of smell and made me want to taste the coffee directly from his lips. How Raviel never failed to make my heart beat so hard. He was so sexy in his black suit and black tie with silver stripes. His copper hair... Damn! I wish I could bury my fingers in his damp copper hair. It would be perfect with some steamy kisses from his damn hot lips.

 “I have to go out of town today.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be the day after tomorrow?”

“The day after tomorrow I’m going to Miami. So, yeah, I probably won’t be home until next week.”

“Okay. Good luck with all your business out there.”

“You too. I was hoping to be able to keep you company at home before your classes start, but those jobs demand all my attention.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine at home with Alberta and the guys at the front post.”

“Alright. I have to go.”

I hugged Raviel and patted his back gently. I didn’t want to let go when he pulled away from me. Raviel was so warm. The scent of his perfume made me dizzy. Dizzy in a good way. He smelled so good and was nice to smell.

“Your friend is waiting in the living room. Olivia, right?”

“Oh my, I forgot,” I slapped my forehead and winced. “Thank you for letting me know. I have to go see heer before she starts complaining about me taking too long.”

Before I reached the connecting door to the living room, I turned to Raviel and shouted, “Good luck. Don’t forget to come home.”

I didn’t wait for Raviel to respond to my words because I was sure he wouldn’t say anything. He was already halfway to the garage. He seemed to be in a hurry. I could faintly hear his voice as he talked to Glen. Yeah, he was always busy. Even when my mother was still with us, he always left the house early in the morning for business.

“Claire!”

Olivia jumped to her feet as soon as I stepped into the living room. She caught my wrist before I could say sorry for making her wait so long. Olivia dragged me to the couch and pressed my shoulder hard before my butt landed on the soft leather couch.

“Is that man your stepfather?”

“Which one? There are several men in this house,” my brows furrowed deeply.

She could have mistaken Glen and the three burly men who always guarded the gate as my stepfather. This house was a bit imbalanced because there were more men than women here. And the number of women seemed like it couldn’t be more than two. When Mom was here, Alberta left the house. And when Mom died, Alberta came back. That made this house always have only two women.

“The one wearing a formal suit with a black tie with silver stripes.”

“Yes, he is my stepfather. Raviel Marshal.”

“Holy shit! That man is your stepdad? That. Man? The handsome and sexy one? God, you lucky bitch, Claire. No wonder you never had any interest in hanging out with us at the club every weekend. You’ve got something next level here.”

“Wow, calm down, babe. You’re talking too excitedly. Chill.”

“I can’t chill. The man opened the door for me, and you know what, my knees were shaking. I instantly became an idiot in front of him, and I almost fainted when I heard him ask me to come in. His voice… Aakkkhhh… His voice was deep, husky, and sexy. He stared at me with his charming blue eyes. How can you be okay while living with him, huh?”

“Why should I not be okay? The man you’re talking about is my mother’s husband. You’re talking as if he’s my lover.”

“Oops, sorry, Claire. I apologize for your loss. I forgot I was here because I wanted to comfort you. But your stepfather is the sexiest and most handsome creature I’ve ever met. Your mother was really good at choosing a husband.”

“Not really. She failed so many times before marrying Raviel.”

“Oh, I’m sorry again. I should have shown a sad and grieving mode, but I couldn’t.”

This girl didn’t even fit the profile of someone who was grieving. She was too excited, too hysterical, and too infatuated with Raviel.

“If I had a stepfather that handsome and hot, I wouldn’t think twice about dating him.”

“Hush, he’s my stepfather. Don’t let Raviel hear it. That’s so presumptuous.”

Olivia suddenly nudged me lightly. She raised her eyebrows teasingly.

“Are you sure you never thought about dating your stepfather after your mother died? Oh, I’m sorry, Claire. I couldn’t help but say it.”

“Forget about that. You’ve apologized so many times, and you still say those absurd things,” I snorted.

Yeah, at least this one creature managed to divert my sorrows with absurd jokes from her unfiltered mouth.

“Oh, and most importantly, he’s damn rich. This house is so amazing. I gaped in front of the guards when they asked me what I came here for. This house is damn like a palace.”

“It is. But sometimes I feel like this house is too quiet. This house lacks soul and warmth.”

“Still, this house is so grand. If I were you, I wouldn’t think about the soul or the warmth. Just use all the facilities in this house and upload as many photos as possible on social media to show off.”

I rolled my eyes lazily.

“That’s the difference between you and me. Honestly, I could have guessed that you would react like this if I let you come to my house. And look, I was right. You got so excited and it’s annoying.”

“Hey, don’t blame me for being cheesy. What’s your stepfather’s name?”

“Raviel Marshal.”

“Wow, I’ll g****e him.”