Just Because You Are

Chapter 17 (Part 2) - Clear as a Bell

A hug is worth a thousand words.

“I’m ready to send this to you, Lovey. Be my wife, please.”

Raffie just stared on the phone screen that showed a glittering diamond ring held by Vince. She was bewildered and speechless that very minute.

Be my wife, please.

Coming from a man like Vince, such words were temptingly sweet. She couldn’t believe what she had heard from him.

Be his wife.

For a long period of time she had hoped and prayed for that proposal to eventually happen. She prayed about it because she somehow thought he would be the last man she would ever love and grow old with. She hoped about it because its occurrence meant that he had finally changed his view about marriage and commitment.

But why did she feel unhappy about that answered prayer? 

“Raphaella Pierre Legazpi…I love you so much and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I’ll immediately arrange for your flight here in L.A., together with your family and best friend. I’ll take care of everything. And I’ll make sure every preparation will be done next week so we could be married immediately. Our planned trip to Venice would be our honeymoon. So let’s get married and let’s settle down here.”

Let’s get married and let’s settle down here. HERE. HERE IN L.A.

Now those words were making her feel very, very unhappy, indeed.

“Marry and settle down? There?” Raffie finally asked as things began to sink in to her thoughts.

“Yes, Lovey. I’m finally living my dreams, and I want you to be here with me and celebrate every success I achieve.”

“But Vince…I can’t go there now. You know I have responsibilities here,” Raffie reasoned out in a voice that obviously sounded firm and candid.

Vince’s cheerful aura changed. “Is that your answer, Lovey? Are you refusing my proposal? All right, since you are that honest with me, I‘ll also be completely honest to you. I’m beginning to find our bloody situation difficult. You’re there…I’m here…and I have needs. I can’t assure you I’d always have the strength to resist –“

“To resist temptations, Vince?” Raffie immediately cut off his statements. “You profess that you love me, and so if that love is real those temptations won’t be a problem.”

“Yes, everything around me here is tempting! So can you just be realistic now, Raphaella? I love you, but I am not immune to temptations!”

But Raffie was unmoved. “I’m sorry, Vince. But I can’t settle down there…with you.”

Vince looked clearly disappointed and disheartened at Raffie’s answer. “I thought you love me?” he asked her in a pained voice that somehow struck Raffie’s heart.

“And I thought you love me, too? If you do, you would understand my situation.”

“But I need you here with me,” Vince insisted.

“So you just love me because you need me…”

“You know very well that’s not what I meant. But listen, Raphaella, somebody should give up something for this relationship to work out…if we really want this to work out!”

Raffie felt herself flushing with mixed disappointment and annoyance. “Is that so? Then who should give up something? Definitely it wouldn’t be me because my reasons for staying here are valid. I can never give up my parents, you know that full well!”

Vince looked equally enraged this time. “Are you trying to say that my reasons aren’t valid? Hey, it’s my career. It’s my life! I couldn’t give this up either! You have to choose between me or your priorities there, Raphaella.”

Raffie took a deep breath, trying to control her temper. She felt awfully irated but she didn’t want to flare-up and lose her composure.

‘Be firm, Raffie. You have to do this. NOW,’ she told herself. She knew that she needed to finally release her ultimate decision in a firm, straightforward manner.

*******************

“Raffie, I just want you to know…how much I care about you…I haven’t been the same since…since I got to know you…and I…I…I can’t help but fall in love with you…”

Quino grimaced at his reflection on the rearview mirror of his car as he stammered while practicing what to tell Raffie. He was driving towards Eastwood while trying to prepare himself for the inevitable moment of confession.

‘Get a grip!’ he sternly encouraged himself as he turned on the car radio. The song, Because of You, was playing, and he couldn’t help but heave a deep sigh.

He found it difficult to compose the right set of words because he was still worried at the memory of Raffie’s sad face on the video during their talk around midnight. Seeing those Chinese pair of eyes in a dejected condition brought pain to his heart. He couldn’t stand looking at Raffie in that state and he was angry at whomever or whatever it was who was causing such pain within her.

He wanted to know how she was doing that day so he tried to contact her since morning. Unfortunately, she wasn’t answering her phone. So he thought of calling Jenny to check whether Raffie was in Forte.

Good enough, the administrative assistant confirmed that Raffie was currently with her students in the Theatre Arts class. He immediately decided to fetch her so that he could check on her and they could go to the restaurant together to meet up with Louie, Harvey and Robert.