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(n.) lit. "sanctuary"; an invisible circle of protection, drawn around the body with hand, that reminds you that you are safe and loved, even in the darkest times
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Ravenna was at the verge of tears as she felt her mouth being covered along with her muffled cry for help. She closed her eyes hoping for the worst, but when the hand over her mouth disappeared she hesitantly opened her eyes. With tear strike cheeks she turned around to see her possible opponent. But, relief suddenly replaced the overflowing amount of fear running through her bloodstream.
"Xavier." She whispered as her voice was shaking uncontrollably. It was the one year old's father. Who knew that babysitting her receptionist's baby would help her save her life one day along with her own baby that she just found about herself.
"Ravenna something is wrong here. You're not safe. I heard some things when I headed toward the elevator and I knew that things didn't add up." Tears poured down her cheeks without her even realizing. The thin layer of sweat that had grown over her body now started to make its existence prominent.
"You need to get out of here, but from the back door. Go ahead, I'll be right behind you." Ravenna nodded before heading towards the back door. Every now and then she would look back to make sure Xavier was indeed still behind her. Finally, she reached the door and propped it open.
Looking back, she noticed Xavier had finally caught up to her.
"Come on before they see us." She listened to him and walked out to the open and started to slowly make her way around the building where the car was parked.
Finally, making it to the car she instantly made sure to lock the door to calm her tensed muscles. Her breathing was heavy while her forehead was coated in precipitation.
"Ravenna what's going on?" She knew that she couldn't tell Xavier the truth due to his occupation connected to the law, but she had to tell him something.
"Can you do me a favor please?" Ravenna pleaded. It was not long before Rebecca would disappear only to come after her and the baby.
"Of course." He replied almost immediately.
"I need you to drop me off at a location that I'm giving to you, but please don't ask me any questions. I promise I'll explain everything later." Xavier confused still agreed.
"Alright tell me the address." Ravenna hesitantly gave him the address to the one place she had least expected to go to.
Before she knew it the car had started moving in the direction she had given. Ravenna's eyes grew heavy and she felt herself fall into a deep sleep.
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The minor shake on her shoulder is what woke her up. She instantly opened her eyes to see Xavier. Ravenna analyzed her surroundings and sighed knowing now was the time she confronted the truth.
"Thank you Xavier. I owe you one." Ravenna thanked in all honesty.
"You don't owe me anything Ravenna, but please make sure to take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything please." Ravenna nodded in appreciation before opening the car door and heading towards the still open gates.
Xavier waited for her to enter the building even though the confusion was clear on his face. Ravenna hesitantly moved towards the doors of the mansion. All of Rebecca's words were playing on her mind like a cassette. If any of it was true she didn't know if she would be able to take it. But, she also knew that if she ran from her problems she would never ever solve them. If she needed to move on, Ravenna had to do it without any guilt of not knowing the full truth. She wanted to hear both sides of the truth.
She propped open the door and knew exactly which door to head towards. It was same exact door she had shut two days ago in hopes of moving on. The rest of the house had dropped dead as she couldn't see Dante anywhere near as well.
Taking a deep breathe, she moved towards Rafael's bedroom. As soon as she came in front of the door, Ravenna started to feel scared. Scared that what Rebecca might have said to her in the apartment may end up being the truth when deep inside she wished so hard that it would all be a huge conspiracy.
She slowly opened the door as if the monster she was running form was behind this door. Ravenna came face to face with the same dark light that she had seen two days ago and there was Rafael in the corner chair. He had his eyes closed while his other hand held an empty glass of what she assumed once held the alcohol he was using to numb everything away.
She slowly stepped her way to him while being careful not to be too loud. She just wasn't ready to face his cyan blue eyes running into hers.
Ravenna finally made it up to him and knelt beside him. Carefully, she brought her hand up to his face that had grown a slight stubble from not being shaved. She cupped his face into her palm and raked her thumb over her jawline.
She went to pull her hand away from Rafael, but was startled upon hearing him.
"Don't leave." Ravenna pulled away from him knowing that his answers to her next few questions will determine if she was to leave or to stay.
"Whose Rebecca?" She could see how his eyes widened at the mention of the name. One thing was for sure true that they both knew each other.
"Ravenna what did she do?" Ravenna shook her head knowing that it was not him that needed the answers right now.
"Rafael you need to tell me who she is." Rafael reached out for her hand, but Ravenna took a lengthy step back. You could see the hurt in his eyes, but she needed to know what his past held.
"What did she tell you?" He asked.
"Some things that will for sure to make me hate you Rafael if you don't tell me the truth now." Rafael took a deep breathe as he attempted as fast as he could.
Ravenna knew what he was doing and immediately backed off until she hit the bedroom wall. Rafael hesitantly walked up to her in hopes he won't scare her away. Finally coming right in front of Ravenna, he brought both of his hands to cup her face in. She instantly closed her eyes as she let herself enjoy the brief moment of peace. His touch just had that much of an effect on her.
"What did she tell you Ravenna?" Ravenna opened her eyes as the brief moment of peace was disturbed.
"Were you using me this whole time Rafael? Was everything fake?" He took a deep breathe before leaning over. She froze for a second as she realized his lips were on hers.
It was in that brief moment she realized how foolish it was for her to think she could've walked away from him as is they had nothing between them. This kiss was different. It spoke the pain that words cannot explain. It expressed the love that was so deep yet so complicated. It was much like how a human needed oxygen.
The urge to stay with each other was too deep and urgent. He was addictive like a drug that was for sure, but she was like his heroin. At first he just wanted a taste, but now that he knew how she tasted he couldn't stop himself from living off of her. No rehab or counseling will get him out of what he had started to feel for her.
He pulled away from her even though he felt the need to stay close to her just if she walked away from him today. Even though she was on a lack of oxygen she enjoyed the pain of not feeling the air pipe into her lungs just because that meant she can have his lips on hers. But, when he pulled away she knew that he was ready to let her go if she was to walk away from him today.
"Rafael I'm here to listen." She added. He nodded in response knowing his past is what was keeping them so distant even when they were so close.
"Rebecca is the next heir to the Russian Mafia and we were supposed to join the Italian's with them. But, I refused because Rebecca thought marriage was the way to do this. My dad at the time was sick and his health was not getting any better, so I took over what he had at a young age." Ravenna listened to every word. Every shake in his voice made it known that he wasn't ready to tell her what was about to come next, but she was selfish to know the truth. She wanted to know his past. She wanted to embrace the vulnerable Rafael with open hands if he wasn't guilty of the charges Rebecca had implanted on him.
"My dad had passed away not long after that which only led to more problems. Mom was a mess and this whole thing had wrecked her. The only person that was their for me was Ester. She was one of my closest friends. Dante was not that old at the time to understand that he was soon to be dragged into a life he didn't want."
"I started to sacrifice myself to keep up with what my dad has build. But, it was tough Ravenna so tough. I was still learning to be myself and when I lost my dad it broke me. Mom started to take depression pills and Ester continued to take care of her. One thing I was relieved about was that Ester was their when I wasn't able to be there for my mom as a good son."
"I kept Dante away from everything as long as possible. That was until the Russian mafia broke everything. Rebecca wanted revenge and deep down her father also knew she was unstable. One day I came home to something I would think was a crime scene."
"My mom laid on the entrance door cold and covered in blood. There was just so much blood and following her was Ester. It wasn't just murder Ravenna, I learned that Ester was molested before brutally killed. I never would've left them that day if I knew I was going to come home as an orphan." Ravenna felt the tears trail down her cheeks as she listened to what he had kept inside him for so long. He was just a broken boy that loved his mother like she had loved her mother. He was a broken boy that had lost a friend that he never wanted to lose just like how she had lost her baby brother.
Ravenna walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She could feel his tears trail down his cheeks as her own ran down her face as well.
"I get nightmares every night of the whole scene playing all over again because deep down I know it was my fault. Deep down I know that if I was more careful and had not been so careless towards my actual relationships they would still be alive. I murdered them in a way Ravenna."
"And then you came. You taught me how to live without feeling dead inside. You taught me how to sleep peacefully without having nightmares killing my sanity. You taught me how to love those cupcakes of yours. You taught me to love that scared boy that still lives inside me. You taught me it's okay to not be okay. You taught me how to love the rain because sad birds sing too."
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Hey babes, I just wanted to pop by and say thank you for reading! There are about only two chapters left of HIS THERAPIST and THE SERPENT is out already if you want to give that a go! The information of the sequel is started to be posted on my Instagram page, so to stay tune go ahead and head over there. Love you all and I'll see you in the next few chapters as I complete this book!
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