Page 37 of The Dark Obsession

He emerges from his bed, and I sit upright, staring at my hands.

I risk a peek at him and see his hands resting on his hips, he’s silhouetted in the morning sun, which glares ever more powerfully through the glass. I dart my gaze to my hands again as he faces me.

“What’s up?”

I don’t even need to look at him to know he’s smiling.

“S-sorry.” I entwine my fingers together. “I don’t know,. I don’t even remember doing that.” I glance up at him again.

He takes a deep breath and sighs, his chest rising. “It’s fine, Rose. You were asleep. You were safe.”

My eyes fill to the brim with tears. I put my hand on my head and let my hair fall over my eyes again. My head feels full with so many emotions that must be impossible for any single human to handle. An icy hand brushes my cheek, then moves my hair over my ear. Rafael’s face is barely an inch from mine, and I freeze; everything from last night hits me with all its might.

“It’s okay,” he says with a breath into my ear.

A warm shiver rolls through my body as I inhale his skin’s earthy scent. I almost fall out of his bed to get out quickly. I jump and shrink away from a full-length mirror stretched across the left wall. “Why?” I nod towards the mirror, allowing myself to survey the mess which is me.

Rafael stares at me and coughs up a laugh. “For a better view.”

“What?” My eyebrow raises, confusion spreading across my face.

“It just gives me a full view of my bed, Rosalie.” He flops onto his bed, now wearing a sapphire-blue shirt. He leans on his elbow and surveys my face as I pan from the mirror to the bed several times.

My lips tighten in a straight line and slowly curve up at the edges.

His laughter shakes the bed, and he stands again.

I turn back to the mirror and straighten the borrowed shirt I’m wearing.

Rafael stands next to me, now wearing a pair of tight black trousers. “That colour suits you.” He taps the shirt collar. “I had Lucy wash your clothes. They’re here.” He points towards a table at the end of the bed.

I collect the clothes into my arms and stand, staring expectedly at Rafael for him to leave the room.

He watches me for a moment, then jumps and mumbles something as he wanders out the bedroom. “Let me know when you’re ready.” He closes the door.

I dress fast, not enjoying the feeling of being alone too long. My gaze darts to the balcony every few seconds, as if Dale will just appear. I open the door to let Rafael back in.

With him, he brings a hairbrush and some mascara. “Lucy bought them up. She said you might need it.” He barely acknowledges what he hands me.

For a moment, I feel a wave of affection for Lucy. I stand in the mirror, hyperaware of him watching me, caution in his eyes, probably waiting for my next breakdown. My stomach tightens uneasily when I think of my mother. A lump rises dryly in my throat when I imagine what I’ll say when I see my father.

Rafael approaches me, holding out my phone. “You left it on the bed in the other room.”

“Thanks.” I nod, taking the phone, and see I’ve received several missed calls and even more texts from Dale last night but only one from my brother, which simply says that father is asleep in my room. I shove my phone into my pocket, ready to go home.

Rafael is ready to leave a few minutes after I am. It’s only 8:30 a.m. when we leave his house. The morning air is cold and sharp against my cheeks.

Rafael wraps his black suit jacket over my arms and mutters something about me needing a decent coat. He starts the engine and turns on the heat. “Let’s get you home,” he says, his tone businesslike again.

The journey home is quiet; my stomachs in tight knots. The closer I get to home, the dryer my throat feels. I try to focus on the passing trees and the blue sky over my head like a halo in the white fluffy clouds.

Rafael pulls the car outside my house, which appears strangely small compared to Rafael’s unnecessarily huge house, and glances at me. “I’ve got to pop to the office. ”

“What?” I rush my words. “You’re not staying?”

As the words slip carelessly from my mouth, I realise, in the last couple of days, I’ve come to rely on Rafael, as if he’s my protector. The only problem is he’s nowhere near my protector. He’s my boss. My cheeks burn like fire, and I look sharply to the window.

Rafael’s laugh eases my fearful and trembling body. “I’ll be back. I’m not going to leave you alone. Unless that’s what you want? I just feel like you need some extra support, after what happened yesterday.”

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