Page 68 of The Dark Obsession

“Rose.” Rafael enters, eyeing my phone, which rings loudly on speaker, and my obvious nervous leg bounce. “Adriel’s coming now.”

My jaw drops as the realisation of whom I have just called hits. The blood rushing to my ears makes a loud whoosh, and I stand.

Rafael approaches me as Dale’s voice escapes from the phone. “Rosa, my love. I knew you’d call.”

Rafael’s eyes widen. He frowns, unsure as to why I’ve called this man.

My throat is closed. No words escape, not the screaming fit I was planning to do; not even a breath escapes my lips.

Rafael’s finger comes to his lips, telling me to be quiet.

“My love, can you hear me?” Dale draws a sharp breath.

I stand there dumbfounded, and Rafael gestures to me expectantly, his eyebrows raised. “Would you like a cup of tea?” I sigh quietly with my eyebrows creased, feeling like an absolute idiot.

“Rosalie, what?” His voice is venomous.

Rafael grabs the phone. “Uh, no. Rose, you’re sitting on your phone!” He puts down the phone before I can reply. Rafael stares at me. “What the hell? Are you mad?”

I shrug, pout, and look at the floor. “I meant to shout at him for contacting my father. Sorry.”

“Rose, you’ve just started a huge problem.”

“I know. I’m a moron.” I flop onto the sofa with my head in my hands.

Rafael sighs loudly and remains still before moving closer to me and resting his hand on my head. “No, I understand you’re angry. But we must go about this carefully.” He sits next to me and kisses my head. “Lucy found me, said you were mad?”

I blink several times before answering. “She was asking for you. I told her you were with Adriel. She got rude. I told her to stop hanging around like a bad smell.” I cross my arms.

Rafael chuckles and takes my hand. “She’s super jealous of you. It’s weird. I’m continuing my efforts to find a way for her to leave.” Rafael’s hands hover over my shirt buttons, then unfastens them.

I gasp when his cold fingers graze the skin of my chest.

He smiles and buttons them back up.

“Bad time, again?” Adriel appears behind Rafael.

Rafael chortles. “No. I was fixing her buttons.”

Adriel sits, and Rafael’s phone rings from his pocket.

I see the capital letters across the screen. WITHHELD NUMBER.

He eyes me uncomfortably.

My neck thuds along with my racing pulse.

Adriel leans forward.

“Hello …?” Rafael answers the phone on speaker.

“You piece of shit.”

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Rosalie, why would you do this?” Dale’s voice pleads down the phone.

Rafael’s finger flies to his lips, silencing me for a second time this evening.

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