Chapter 63 NEAR, YET FAR
My heart did a tumble within my chest, leaping for joy as I sighted him. Never have I thought for once before I escaped from him that I would crave to see him one more time.
I rushed out of my corner at once, banging against the glass with my little balled fist as I shouted his name out loud.
“RAFAEL!”
I continued shouting and banging at him as he walked on just so I could get his attention turned at me, but unknowingly to me, the show glass was already sound proofed and all my efforts to call on Rafael was futile— so he never heard me call his name, he never heard my voice, he never heard any of my banging.
And just when he had started to look in my direction briefly, my chest tightened heavily and I quickly clasped my hands together, praying our gaze would meet and collide— even if it was for a brief moment.
I wanted him to see me, to look my way and to find me. That was all I prayed for and just a little more turn, Rafael would see me, our gaze would collide like the fabric of time and reality and I would be with him once again, safe and free under his protection.
“Just a little more, Rafael, I am right here…” I found myself mumbling, a thin smile forming on my lips as the inches to him turning to look into my direction got shortened lesser than a zero point five.
“Please…!” I prayed, pressing my folded fingers against each other tightly as my chest also tightened within me.
In less than a second, Rafael will lay his eyes on me and that was all I needed to happen. The joy of him sighting me riled up a blissful tide within me and I could rush out of my prison and fall into his arms if I could.
—-
But we never made it, our gaze never met or collided even for a brief second as one of his men had stepped into the frame, blocking Rafael's view entirely until they walked farther away before making a turn around a corner and disappearing into the labyrinth of the house.
I fell back to the floor of the show glass, my heart sinking like heavy stone to the bottom of an ocean. The little flint of hope that had formed within me came to a stand still like nothing had ever happened.
But I wasn't going to sulk for long because Rafael's presence alone in this place has refined my hope. Him being here meant he was coming to get me out no matter what it would take.
This was enough and I couldn't be more glad that he knew about where I was. He was aware of where he needed to be in order to find me.
But things would have been a lot easier if our gaze had met— even if it was for a millisecond.
I couldn't imagine how glad he would have been to have sighted me at that moment and the thought of how happy Rafael would have been and how the emotions of this grace would have created a spark on his face made my heart flush with warm blood and I couldn't believe I was smiling as I had begun to imagine that moment.
But what if the case would be different when he finally finds me? Of truth, I know I have betrayed him by escaping from him despite how much he had told me he wanted me by his side, but regardless of this, he was still here to find me.
Never have I thought or wondered for once that I wished to be seen by Rafael. All my days with him, I had wanted to be away from him, not to be a part of him and completely out of his sight, to escape from him and get away from him.
But now that it had finally happened, now that I am no longer anywhere near him or under the Devereaux family protection, under his very own roof, I suddenly wanted to be back with him.
For some reasons, I couldn't quite understand the fact that I felt safe with Rafael because I knew him to not just be Santiano Rafael Devereaux or a Mafia boss who was reckless and dangerous in his dealings, but he was a man who was willing and ready to lay down everything and anything he has all at once just to protect me.
And now that I have seen him and felt his presence close to me, my heart made tingles, setting my mind at rest as I presumed the tide was coming to an end soon.
Perhaps, I wouldn't be getting married to Sergie DeLuca now that Santiano Rafael Devereaux was here and him being here meant he wasn't going to leave until he had me back and ready to take me away with him— away from Sergie DeLuca and away from the auction.
As I had these unending thoughts swarming through my head, I suddenly could remember the first night I had spent with Rafael. The very night of my wedding which should have been the first night I would be spending with my husband, Dylan Smith.
Rafael, at the dinner table had shown me all his cards as regards me and proposed in a very nonchalant way without giving me an option.
He had said to me, “We should get married, Vanessa,” and when I think about this now, I wondered within myself what my response would be if he were to tell me that at this moment.
Would I shun him away and make a vow to him that he was the last man I could be bound to marry or would I have accepted his hand?
After all, he had continued with these words,
“You not ruling me out entirely is your mistake, Nessa and that fills me with so much hope. All I have to do now is make you love me enough to hate yourself for it.”
And right now, I am starting to doubt myself. I might just be in love with this man— Santiano Rafael Devereaux already and I would hate myself for it.