Page 27 of Raphael
We feast leisurely straight from the box between us, chatting and joking easily about nothing consequential. Two souls delighting simply in each other’s company alone. No past or future exists beyond this room.
As the last crumbs disappear and credits roll on the classic romcom Helena selected, I stifle a yawn behind my palm. Glancing over, I find her eyes at half mast, cheek propped lazily on one palm. My shirt has slipped beguilingly off one creamy shoulder, but for once, desire remains banked, a steady warmth rather than hungry flames.
“It’s getting late, beautiful.” I brush my knuckles gently down her arm. “I should call you a cab...”
“No!” Helena’s vehement reply jerks me upright, every sense on high alert at the panic lacing her voice. But her expression stays soft, eyes vulnerable. “Not yet... just a little longer?”
My own relief mirrors hers as I fold her readily into my arms. “We haveallnight, darling. Stay here.” Thoughtlessly, I press my lips to her hair, breathing deeply her jasmine perfume. It feels right, having her close like my heart has craved all these weeks.
Tension seeps from Helena’s frame and she nestles closer with a sigh. “Thank you. Being here with you like this... I don’t want it to end yet.” One hand migrates absently to my chest, fingers tracing delicate whorls over my shirt. Even that light touch ignites shivery heat.
Silence settles around us, weighted and intimate. My thumb strokes her shoulder idly, memorizing every shift of muscle and bone beneath her flawless skin. Still marveling that fate gifted me this priceless chance.
When Helena tilts her head back with an impish little smirk, I dip readily to meet her waiting mouth. We trade lazy, wine-sweet kisses that gradually turn feverish as suppressed longing roars back to life. Her nails rake flames down my chest and I groan approval into her clever tongue’s slick caresses. My hands grip slim hips, guiding Helena astride my lap without breaking contact.
The film’s credits conclude unheeded, music fading until only the wet sounds of kissing fill the charged air. This woman sets my entire body aflame, makes me drunk without ever touching alcohol. I want to consume every irresistible inch until no particle exists that isn’t intrinsically mine...
A shrill buzz cuts through the heady passion, making Helena lurch upright with a gasp. I chase her lips hungrily but she twists away, fumbling through discarded cushions for the rude device. When she blinks blearily at the screen, lips kiss-swollen and hair chaotically tucked behind one ear, I nearly toss the phone away to ravish her properly out of professional temptations.
But reluctantly, I restrain the impulse, watching emotions shift subtly over Helena’s expression. Her back goes rigid, jaw tensing. I touch her arm wordlessly in support but she just shakes her head, attention never straying from the message.
“Everything alright, babe?” I ask.
“Hmm? Oh yes, fine...” Helena’s distracted reply is remarkably unconvincing. She worries her lip before visibly steeling herself. “I need to go, actually. Something came up with work.”
Ice claws down my spine at her abrupt shift, warning instincts flaring. “At this hour?” My hand tightens protectively on her hip. “Helena, what’s going on?”
But she avoids meeting my searching look, already slipping gracefully off my lap and heading for the bedroom. “Just a minor crisis at the club. Nothing I can’t handle.” Her flippant words echo oddly from inside as she shucks off my shirt. “Don’t worry yourself over it.”
I hover tensely by the couch, apprehension sinking leaden roots beneath my ribcage. Every instinct screams not to let her walk out that door alone into some unnamed danger. Not after everything we just shared, this blossoming tenderness I would kill or die shielding. But confronting her head-on seems unwise when she’s clearly so spooked.
Indecision gnaws bitterly until Helena reemerges wearing her dress from before, avoiding eye contact. My stomach drops, watching her hastily grab up her coat and purse. She looks composed, but I glimpse unsteadiness in the tremors plucking her purse strap too tightly.
Stepping forward swiftly before she can flee, I tuck my shirt around her bare shoulders, cradling her tense jaw between gentle palms. “At least tell me where you’re going this late? Let me drive you.” I pour all my vaulted emotions into my eyes, hoping she reads the depth of care and worry reflected there.
Something fragile crosses Helena’s expression and her palms cover mine pressed to her cheeks. But she shakes her head, dislodging my hold. “Don’t trouble yourself.” One corner of her mouth twitches up halfheartedly. “Get some rest. Thank you for dinner and...everythingelse.”
The finality in her tone sinks like lead, every protective instinct railing uselessly against her retreat. This feels dangerously similar to the night we first met—Helena fleeing my arms into certain hazard beyond my influence. But she ducks deftly aside when I reach out, slipping around me into the entryway.
Heart pounding erratically, I can only watch helplessly as Helena pauses with her hand on the front door. Our eyes meet for a weighted beat across the room. Something painful and resigned shadows her usually keen gaze now.
“Goodbye, Raphael. Stay safe.” Her whisper reaches me a moment before the latch clicks behind her retreating form.
And so, I’m left alone in ringing silence, my soul adrift by her loss.
CHAPTER17
Helena
I speedthrough the city streets, weaving dangerously between cars and lanes. My heart races in sync with the tires as I take sharp turns, barely keeping control of the vehicle.
I am aware that driving while distracted poses a risk of causing an accident. However, I’m struggling to keep my composure in the present moment. Focusing on anything beyond the next mile marker forces me to confront where I just left—or rather,whoI just left. Saying goodbye to Raphael tonight ripped something vital from my soul. Our first unhurried hours together brought me an unprecedented level of joy. We laughed over pizza and shared secrets while lounging comfortably on his couch, and for a brief moment, it felt like everything I never thought to wish for in this cruel world was within reach.
The mere thought of that night fills me with longing. I desperately wanted the magic to continue, but alas, it had to come to an end. In the safety of Raphael’s embrace, his steady heartbeat and warm gaze melted away my walls and allowed me to fully trust and let go. But now, regret pierces through me like shards of glass, making each breath a struggle.
Fool that I am, I let seductive dreams cloud my judgment, ignoring the leased nature of joy for a half-demon like me. I don’t deserve tender devotion or a peaceful future from anyone, much less heaven’s paragon son. Clinging greedily to Raphael can only taint his radiant spirit until he realizes the mistake of desiring a soulless half-breed like me.
So really, this midnight summons saves us both future misery down the road. What Raphael and I share lives fiercely for the moment, but cannot last beyond stolen rendezvous. I’ll treasure each illicit memory of his skillful hands, but this fantasy ends here. The world rumbling by outside this speeding car carries no place for angels and demons entwined.
