Chapter 40 - Measly human

Chapter 40 - Measly human
~Author’s POV~

Harriet’s lashes fluttered as she stared at him in a daze, wondering what he was doing at the hospital after dropping her off. And he seemed to have changed his clothes, looking more casual, yet he still had an air of grace surrounding him. Had he returned to pick her up?

“Let's go,” came his deep, baritone voice in the rain, making her shiver. She suddenly realized the rain had started to pour.

Nodding her head, she followed quietly as he led her to the car that had been parked to the side of the road. She was quiet, unable to say anything. Her heart hurts–the same way it always did when her father treated her like an outsider. The truth was that he hadn't always been like that, or he had been pretending the whole time. As soon as he married his mistress, Miranda, he no longer cared about her and only listened to his new wife. She had the urge to chuckle at her luck.

After getting into the car, she cast a glance at Rael, feeling something tug at her heart.

She had so many words to say, yet something weighed heavily on her lips, making her unable to speak. In the end, they both sat in silence.

Once they arrived at the mansion, Harriet got out of the car, her footsteps heavy as she headed to her room.

That night, after dinner, she sat in front of the TV with a huge box of popcorn in hand, watching the new action movie that had aired.

Rael, who had just finished from his study room, was passing by when he caught sight of her, making him pause. The way she spread her legs as she ate, her eyes glued to the scene of a man showing his combat skills. The way she smiled, and the way her eyes seemed bright–it was all foreign to him. He had not really had a woman in his home like this, making something stir in his chest. He quickly adjusted the fabric around his chest to calm the burn in his heart. Fuck! What was this woman doing to him?

He had barely taken two steps away when the air changed. The once bright aura of the woman on the sofa changed. Her smile had dimmed, replaced with a deadpan expression, and one could see the redness in the corners of her eyes.

He paused, just as she noticed him.

“Come and watch a movie with me,” she called out, making Rael's back stiffen, yet he still walked over for some reason while stuffing his hands into the pockets of his loose fitted pants.

He sat beside her, making her smile. And it was then that he noticed the rare dimple on her face. It made his chest tighten again, and he immediately averted his gaze. He had never felt this way before.

Harriet offered the box of popcorn with a faint smile, and he took a small handful, keeping his eyes on the screen, but not really watching. The soft glow from the TV danced across her face, highlighting the curve of her cheek, the flutter of her lashes, and the faint sadness still lingering in her eyes despite her smile.

She shifted slightly, the warmth of her arm brushing against his. A long pause passed before she quickly averted her gaze

“I used to love nights like these,” she said softly.

“Before everything changed.” she finished, stuffing her mouth with popcorn. Her mother used to watch a movie with her back then.

Rael turned his head, watching her profile.

“What changed?”

Harriet gave a small, bitter laugh, making the man's chest tighten. For some reason, he had the urge to deal with whoever hurt her–to make them disappear from the world.

“Everything. My father. My place in the house. How I saw myself.” she replied, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“It was hard to believe anyone knew I existed after my mother passed away,”

“I can watch a movie with you whenever,” Rael said quietly, the words surprising even himself.

She turned to look at him, her eyes searching his. For a moment, the world seemed to slow. Her breathing was shallow, and his was nearly non-existent. The space between them slowly closed.

They couldn't discern who had closed in, but soon, they found their breaths in sync.

“Rael…” she breathed, her heart aching than it ever had.

But he didn’t speak. He simply leaned in, slowly, giving her time to pull away if she wanted. She didn’t.

And then their lips met. Softly at first, but the moment her hand gently rested on his chest, he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer as if he could shield her from all the hurt she carried.

It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t wild. It was different from all the kisses they've shared.

The man felt a sudden saltiness in his mouth, making him pull away. A bead of tear had rolled down Harriet's eyes, which she quickly wiped away, turning back to the television abruptly.

“The movie isn't finished yet. I want to watch it till the end,” she muttered, stuffing popcorn into her mouth as though everything he'd witnessed had been just an illusion–coming and going as quickly as it came.

Rael's lips lifted on seeing the young woman acting all care free now.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, Delphine had just walked into the living room of her family mansion, her mood sour. She had hoped that when she returned, she'd finally get to be with Rael. She had been crushing on him ever since, but who knew she'd find some human hovering around him now.

“Brother, why didn't you tell me there was a woman with him now?” She huffed, staring at the man who was seated on a couch, his lazy eyes not even paying attention to her.

“So what if he has a woman, it's just some human. Why are you fussing about it? You can easily win him over again, can't you?” Cassian replied, finally turning to his sister.

Delphine, hearing what her brother had said, finally regained some confidence. Her brother was right. Why was she fussing over a measly human? She could always still inject herself into Rael's life, and they could be as close as they used to be
before she left.

Thinking about this, her eyes morphed into a bright red color as her lips curled up.