When We Were Young

Chapter 21

Hazel noticed Rafael's sullen look the following day at dinner. He had spent the entire day locked away in his study room, only coming down for dinner because Hazel had insisted.

He pretended to talk and smile, but Hazel could see that his smiles were faked. She set down her fork halfway through dinner when she couldn't bear the tension.

"What happened between you two?," she finally asked.

Rafael continued eating, not even sparing her a glance.

"What do you mean?,” he asked innocently.

"The only reason you ever sulk is because of two women. Your mother and Paula. So it's probably the latter."

"We are fine. I am dealing with some company problems."

"You can't fool me, dear nephew. I knew the two of you were pretending all along."

Rafael looked up startled.

"You knew?," he asked, his face drawn in surprise.

"I let the two of you play along hoping that somewhere along the way, you will both realise you are miserable without each other,” she chuckled before covering his hand with her own.

"So spit it out!," she said in her usual commanding voice that he had missed hearing the past months.

Rafael laughed at her stern voice. Then his smile faded when he remembered her question.

"She doesn't want to start over with me," he said in a strained voice.

"Give her some time. I know she likes you but probably thinks that you want her back only to get even."

Rafael went back into his study room later feeling a bit lightened after his conversation with Hazel. He was sure that Paula was still suspicious of his intentions with her. She probably thought that he still wanted to get his revenge on her for publicly humiliating him back those years.

That was the only reasonable explanation Rafael came up with after an hour of pacing in his study room in bitter frustration.

After watching half the men at that party openly gawking at her, he had realised that he wouldn't let anyone else have her.

He wanted her for himself ! Only himself!

Even though he hated to admit it, he knew in the depths of his heart that he had worked himself like a donkey all those years only for her, dropping down on his bed at night, too exhausted to even lift a finger.

He had wanted to prove to her and her family that he wasn't a nobody that they thought him to be. He had wanted to prove that he was a better suitor for her than those hypocrites Rodriguez and Leandro.

The past and her betrayal be damned!

Rafael wanted this woman with a force that frightened him.

He couldn't hold her mistake against her forever. Paula had been young, impulsive and she didn't know what she wanted back then.

Seeing her dancing with Leandro had him realise that it would kill him to watch her happily married to someone else.

Worst of all, Leandro!

Rafael hated that fool. He was always lurking around Paula like some shadow, drooling like some hyena, wanting for a chance to lay his dirty paws on her.

Rafael decided he couldn't wait any longer while the likes of Leandro swept her away. He was going to do the right thing and properly ask her out like a gentleman would.