A Dangerous Deal

Chapter 12

I decided that staying in this room for the first period seemed like my safest option. I wasn't too sure if I was mentally stable enough to walk through the halls again, much less sit in a classroom full of stares. The tears just didn't stop, no matter how much I tried to get them to stop. And just my luck, someone opened the door. Trying to quickly bury myself before the person sees but it was too late. The person was standing right above me in this dark room and at this point I had just accepted my fate. When I looked up, though, there stood Rafael. Of course it had to be him that walked in. How was it that every time I was having a crisis he was the first person to show up to my aid.

I rotated myself around so that he couldn't see me anymore. I was tired of him seeing me in this pathetic state. It was humiliating and for him of all people seeing me like this always makes it a million times worse.

He says nothing before his feet shuffle to right behind me. Saying nothing he bends down and wraps his arms around me from behind. Without thinking, I grabbed his arms and buried my head into them, sobbing uncontrollably once again. Usually I would want to push him away but right now I needed the warmth of someone more than anything. Not caring that it was him, I held on even tighter as time went on. Neither of us spoke a word for what seemed like eternity.

Slowly I shifted myself back around to look him in the eye and thank him but before I could even respond my body started moving on its own and my face was inches away from his. So close that I could feel his breath hit my own face. He smelled sweet, not like how most men smell, no this was a whole different world. His scent was enticing and maybe it was the fact that he had come to my aid or maybe it was something more. Something was drawing me even closer to him, wanting to close in those last few inches. But, before I could even try he just pulled me back in for a hug.

Did he not want me to come closer? Either way, I was going to savor this moment a little longer. Something about his embraces always felt familiar but there wasn't a moment in time that I could pinpoint. I grip his back with my fingers and breathe him in. The sweet scent of the shirt he was wearing had an odd calming effect on me. As much as that moment had lasted, it just as quickly faded away. He let go and stared into my eyes once more before helping me up off of the ground.

"Are you alright, Rhea?" He said, sounding more sincere than normal.

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks to you. I'm not just saying this to say it, but I'm extremely grateful that you were the one to walk in." I let out a small laugh, "I don't know how you always manage to do it, but everytime I'm upset you magically know how to fix me. There are no words that could express how much that means to me. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you Rafael"

It seemed like his breath hitched for a moment, "Of course, Rhea. No matter how stubborn or stupid you are, I will always be here for you. To always pick you back up when you've fallen. Even after this bet ends, there is not a moment that I wouldn't come rescue you if you needed me."

My heart felt as if it skipped a beat, "You're really a gentleman you know that."

He laughed, "So I've been told. First time hearing it from you though princess."

Ugh with that stupid nickname again, "Pushing your luck are we? Anyways, we really both should get to class. I already missed out on enough class time, anymore and my parents might murder me."

"Yeah you're right." As he lets out a disappointed sigh.

We lingered there for a moment more. In this moment the tension between us felt so thick that you could cut it with a knife. We both wanted something but neither person would say it first. And I certainly wasn't going to give into these thoughts. It was just a moment of weakness and he happened to be there, that's all it was.