"So, where are we going?" Ruhi buckled up and put her sunglasses on as Rafael chose his Rolls Royce Dawn to take her for a ride in.
He watched her in amusement while she applied sunscreen and checked her face in the mirror. She had tucked all her dyed hair inside a colorful silk wrap.
"Does it look soo bad?" He commented, pointing to her head and laughing.
She threw the lotion cap at him. "Oh, shut up! It looks awesome. I don't want the sun to bleach it or the wind to ruin it and grow split ends. You men never think about our hair when you drive fast in your fancy convertibles."
"Right! When you said, 'away from people and traffic,' I thought you wanted open skies and the sea views. How else will you see them if not from a convertible?"
"Normal people roll their windows down and drive slo--- Oh my! What is that?!" She was excited to look at Harry pass on a bag to him that smelled mouthwatering.
"You wanted this, didn't y
FLASHBACK| SEVEN YEARS AGO"What the hell is this piece of shit?!" Rafael was baffled when he saw that his dad tookaway his fancy Lamborghini Spider and replaced it with a Subaru Forester.Antonio had just finished signing a hefty check as a donation to Rafael's college while Rafael stormed into his dad's study. Every time Rafael messed something up, his dadwrote checks to shut people up. The scholarship amount he offered every year in his wife's name for the last fifteen years is also the largest among all contributors and patrons."You don't need a 400,000 dollar car for gallivanting all over the town.""Yes, I do... Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to drive an SUV as if I have a child in the back seat? I need my supercar back! Else, I'm dropping out of college right now.""There's no need. It's the third time this year the Dean warned me he will kick you out. Go talk to him and explain what happened. Give an officia
Rafael saw her falling down, but he didn't bother stopping her. The Dean talked for over twenty minutes, telling him how he should be ashamed of himself and that he should do everyone a favor and drop out ofcollege.He was ready to take out his anger on the stupid girl who dared to touch him without his permission. She tried to hold on to him to keep from falling."Can't you fucking see?" He asked her even though it was him who suddenly appeared in the hallway out of the Dean's office.He took the papers fromher hand and threw them down the stairs when she started crying."Shut the fuck up! What's wrong with you?" He hated anyone who didn't have the guts to make eye contact or started crying instantly."Hey, Rafael!" Aaron came out of the elevator just then and saw Kimberley's lowered head. He wason his way to the Dean's office. His dad found out he had been sleeping with a college of medicineprofessor, a woman n
Rafael watched Ruhi and Eva as they ate ice cream, ignoring his existence. Ruhi introduced her new friend to everyone in the house, including the goldfish and angelfish.Oreo was overjoyed to meet Eva, while Chunky Monkey raised his nonexistent brow to scrutinize thestranger, just as he did when Ruhi first met him."He doesn't like me much either. He just looks scary but actually, he's just a big lazy boy. I took away many of his resting spots by placingmy ceramic plant pots which he can't move.""Oh!" Eva got up to take her plush toy from where Chunky Monkey was standing so that he could lie down."Aren't you a sweetie pie!" Ruhi couldn't say why, but she loved Eva already.Every word that came out of the little girl's mouth was very cute and she wanted to pull her into her lap and kiss her. She wondered why she never liked kids until that point.'Maybe because she's Rafael's?' She felt a tightening in her chest at the mer
FLASHBACK"Dude! What the hell? You told Kimberley you will pick her up at seven. Didn't you?" Aaronfound Rafael playing basketball with Dylan. He almost forgot about Kimberley and what he said to her."Are you kidding me? I just wanted to get rid of that, what's her face?" He asked Dylan who was now dating his dumped three month long girlfriend. He already forgot her name."Samantha... no wait, Savannah.""Yeah, she was acting a little too possessive.""But Kimberley has been waiting for you since 6.30, getting all excited.""Is she stupid or what? I didn't tell her where I will pick her up from, so she should obviously know I didn't mean it.""No, she doesn't. I have seen her wear only faded jeans and free t-shirts that she collected at the Med school events. But today, she put on a nice dress and came to the library to ask me if you were okay because you never asked for her number or texted her.""Exactly! I'm not goin
"Have you seen enough?" Rafael hissed at Aaron when he caught him staring at Ruhi."Your possessive ass needs to calm the---""What's happening here? Oh...Aaron, hi." Ruhi caught them talking near her door and pushed her notes away once she ended the call with Lisa."Hey..." Aaron was flooded with guilt when he saw how pale and stressed she looked. "Everything will be all right, Ruhi. You have to trust Rafael on this one. Listen to what he has to say and don't assume anything.""He's too scared to talk to me. Ever since his Kimmie returned, he's maintaining some ten feet distance, as if I will pounce on him or something.""What? I thought you wanted some space.""Did I tell you so? Aaron, you told me not to assume things. Why don't you tell your friend the same? He brings his ex here without asking me if I wouldbe okay. He thought I'll stay at my apartment while he can have some quality time with his sweetheart and Eva. When I as
Ruhi woke up bright and early, feeling good and at peace, despite all the surrounding calamities. She wasn't cramping any more and was in a great mood thinking about Rafael.'He likes my kisses.' She couldn't stop her heart from racing and getting excited just like that.Rafael was up and in the gym already while she showered and wanted to make some scrumptious breakfast by taking Ms. Myers's help. She wished it was still Sunday so that she could ask Rafael to spend the rest of the day with her.She walked over to the intercom to talk to himand smiled whenshe heard his breathy voice through it. 'Such a fitness freak! Why can't he just stay in bed and cuddle with me.' He asked her lazy ass to work out with her once when she complained, so she never asked him again."Can I have Eva come over for breakfast? I'm making us some pancakes and eggs.""Sure. Let me ask someone to get her."Rafael was in no mood to work out anymore now tha
Ruhi smiled at the maid and picked Oreo in her arms as usual."Mycutie pie! I missed you too... You put on so much weight like your lazy brother!"Grumbling about how heavy he had become,she carried him into her room and gave him one of her old shoes he loved to play with.Her phone went off after she had walked into the bathroom."Ugh!" She thought it was her mom because her parents called her every day around this time and told her to just leave Rafael and come home.Her phone rang again when she steppedout of the shower, and Rafael was calling her this time. But Oreo didn't let her check the phone. He was barking like crazy and asking her to unlock the door."What's the matter with you? Let's go make some chai before talking to my mom. A strong chai for the headache I'm going to get because of your dad."Oreo always agreed with her and took her side when she talked against Rafael, but he was too angsty to pay
Ruhi pushed the heavy dresser out of her way and walked out slowly. The house was still empty and the maid's body lay where it was, along with the trashed plant. Rafael was occupied with scaring Kimberley. She already looked like she was going to faint in a panic. "Please, Rafael. He wants to take Eva away. I don't know why you think I would kill your maid. I was---" "You know very well Eva went shopping. Did you imagine her here? Did you imagine this man you are talking about?" The cops came over and made Kimberley describewhat happened. She was in a state of shock and couldn't form proper words or sentences. She stuttered and sobbed and kept telling Rafael he should believe her. The pain and anguish in her face seemed very real to Ruhi. She held Rafael's arm to stop him from being too harsh with her and to hear her out. "He's going to find Eva. Your grandma is not answering my call, and I don't know your housekeeper's number. H