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"Perhaps I shouldn't have worn heels."
"Or I should invest in an elevator for the mansion."
Rafa chuckles as she grips my hand and takes the final step to the third floor. "Would Sir Mike approve of that?"
"Trust me, I already tried," I say with a smile. "Dad would never want his precious home to be tarnished with too much modernism."
Rafa's eyes widen, and I purse my lips, glancing away and leading her onward.
"Don't tell him I said that, though."
"I won't." Her soft, silvery voice glides in the air, a slight giggle lingering by the end of it.
As soon as I got back earlier, Docker made me a huge solid by getting some of our peers to vouch for me in case Dad insisted on where I was. Unsurprisingly and as expected, he did. Thanks to my crew at work, who always got my back, I got off the hook without any issues.
And as the night grew deep, my parents and Remi pushed me into taking Rafa to her room in the mansion. I thought I'd have to keep my 'good son' act, but the fact that Rafa's room was on the third floor opened up a lighthearted exchange between us.
We stop by the last door on the left side—the room just below mine.
I unlock the door, handing the key over to Rafa as she pushes the door open.
"Thank you for escorting me here," she says, turning her head toward me, our hands still joined.
"And thank you for the wonderful night." I give a small smile.
Her grip on my hand tightens as she looks down. "Asael, I want to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"I'm... I'm..." Rafa purses her lips, then sighs and meets my gaze. "I'm... a trans woman."
I open my mouth and then close it. She looks so determined and poised, but I can see the nervousness in her eyes.
With a short internal debate, I nod and whisper, "I know."
"Remilie told you, didn't she?"
"Yeah, last night. She said you wanted her to tell me."
Rafa nods. "That's right. But I wanted to tell you myself, too. I.. wanted to see.." Her voice tones down. "..your reaction."
Nothing comes to me. I don't know how to react when I already know. I'm glad she told me, really. But what else?
"Does it bother you?"
"No, it doesn't." I shake my head slowly. "Don't worry."
Of course not. If anything here bothers me, it's what the future holds for us. For her. For me.
"I'm happy to hear that. Really." She smiles. "It's.. It's important to me not to keep any secrets from you."
Only then did a sense of warmth flood over me. Not much, but enough to make me smile and squeeze her hand.
"I'll.. do my best to do the same," I whisper.
After a short staring contest, she chuckles and slips her hand off mine.
"Perhaps saying those things would be better reserved for tomorrow."
"You're right." I look away, still keeping my smile. "Goodnight, Rafa. Thank you for trusting me on that."
She nods as she goes inside the room. Before closing it, she peeks and smiles. "Goodnight, Asael."
I'm sure she has secrets she still can't tell me. In the future, she may reveal them one by one. We all have secrets we can't just tell anyone, and her trying to be honest about herself makes me hopeful.
For the first time ever, I thought marrying Rafa wouldn't be so bad. We may be able to form something between us if time allows it. Maybe.
Now if I can just be more honest with her as married couples should be. But maybe it isn't too bad to take it easy. After all, I don't think I can tell anyone about Lucifer, for one. At all. It's all complicated. Too complicated.
I don't even know who to trust here. There's only Docker and our crew at work, but they clearly have no solid ties to the events happening behind this wedding, and I won't unnecessarily involve them. Then there's Rafa, who may not even know this is all possibly just a farce for something both of us don't know anything about.
The thought of involving an innocent person makes my stomach curl. I don't mind if it's just me since it won't be the first time my family used me for something they deemed as necessary for the family, like pushing me into this career or involving me in business-related affairs due to my earned—albeit forced onto me—credentials.
But Rafa?
With a headshake, I turn my back and make my way up the fourth floor, silently stepping on the stairs with more questions in my mind. Everything points to my parents and even Remi. I grimace at the amount of dubiety in my view of them.
I shouldn't feel this way. They're family. Family isn't supposed to doubt one another.
Or maybe it's this exact mindset that's making them use me. Because all I want is to avoid conflict and keep the peace between everyone. And maybe that's all the more reason to finally start breaking this pattern and acknowledge my doubts.
"Boo!"
I jump and turn behind me. Two steps on the staircases below me stand my sneaky little sister with a bright, almost teasing smile on her face.
"Jeez, Remi."
"I was sure you'd notice me like you always do." She steps beside me. "Something on your mind? Rafa, maybe?"
I roll my eyes and continue up the stairs. "Quit it." I walk on more and turn to her. "Why are you here, anyway? Your room is on the second floor."
"Of course you forgot," she whispered, taking quick steps ahead of me to my room. "The folder. You still haven't given it back."
Oh yeah.
"I'm taking it back before we both forget. This isn't about to become the umpteenth coming of my stationery."
"I returned them, though."
She stops walking and faces me with a playful glare. "Only whenever I barge into your room after the day you're supposed to return them. Like now!"
"Look, it's not gonna go anywhere. Everything I borrowed was always on me or in my room."
"Drop the excuses. Just admit you're forgetful." She waves a hand dismissively and walks to my room ahead of me. "Here's to hoping the folder remains in your room where I last saw it."
That's when it hit me. Lucifer is inside. Every action or misaction from me can cause his demise. I can't let that happen.
Not when he's the only one I can trust in this confusing charade.
Before she can grab the knob, I tug on her arm. "Who do you think you are to enter my room before me?" I tease, praying my tone doesn't reveal anything.
"Oh, please. As if I hadn't done this multiple times already."
"Doesn't mean it's fine." I press on.
"I'm your sister. There is no such thing as asking for permission to enter your room and whatever," she says with a bit of annoyance and suspicion, tugging her arm away from my hold. "You never complained about this before."
"You realize that's because of the changed circumstances, right?"
"Because you're getting married?"
I nod.
"Getting married and being married aren't the same. I'll listen to your qualms once you're married." She grips the knob and twists it.
No!
The door opens, and Remi grunts. "Why is it always so dark here?" She finds the light switch and turns the room on.
My hands in the air flinch and drop to my sides before she glances at me with an eye-roll. She steps inside and takes the folder on my nightstand.
I hide my hands behind my back. "I wouldn't leave the lights open if I'm not inside, you know."
"Whatever. I'm taking this back."
I quietly stand by the door frame as she walks back out of my room, mumbling something about me being forgetful again.
"Are you done?" I say, rolling my eyes.
"Yeah, yeah." She steps past me. As I swing the door close, she stops walking. "Wait a second."
Did she notice something? Was Lucifer inside, but I just didn't notice, and Remi somehow did? Was she with the angels after all?
Was she part of all this?
Remi turns around, and my grip on the knob, where she doesn't see it tighten. She waves the folder in her hands and sighs.
"You're supposed to use this tonight for the last time, right?"
Oh yeah... "You forgot, too."
"Please. Don't lump me in with your memory gap."
I lean on the door frame and cross my arms, my sweaty hands sinking into the fabric of my coat. "I'm your brother. Ain't no way we don't share some of that memory gap."
"No way!" She shouts. Why is she suddenly so irritable? "Ugh, whatever. Are you gonna use this tonight or what?"
"You can have it."
"Didn't we agree that-"
"I already have it memorized." I lied.
Remi squints at me while I shrug, feeling my heart pounding in my chest at the prospect of her suspecting me too much. Maybe I shouldn't have lied and really memorized it.
"Okay." She retains an eyebrow raised before stomping away and grumbling. Saying something along the lines of, "I almost wasted my time for nothing."
"Get some rest!" I yell.
She yells back an almost inaudible "Whatever" and a more audible "You rest up for your big day, big bro."
A relieved sigh escapes me once she's out of sight and her footsteps no longer echo. I close the door and bump my head on it, closing my eyes and gripping my chest.
"That was close."
My hushing heartbeat hastens once more at the voice right behind my ears. I impulsively turn around and shiver. Suddenly, I share the same breath with him. He smells like incense, as always, but something about the mildness of it, despite our proximity, simultaneously calms and flusters my nerves.
Our eyes meet, and his red ones aren't as reflective as they usually are in the dark that I almost want to shut the lights off. But when he squints, and a tiny glint of amusement comes clear, I hold my breath.
"Your sister reeks of something." He takes a step back. "I can't put my finger on it, but it's quite unsettling."
Not straight-up disgusting to him like how he describes angels, but unsettling?
"The exact opposite of you." He squints, then whispers, "To me, at least."
Am I lightheaded, or is he implying what I think he is?
"An air that's dicey, yet comforting," he says so low I don't think I heard him correctly. "It's rather delectable."
I definitely misheard.
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Wordcount: 1708
Overall: 11848