Chapter 54
54 54- It Wasn’t OK!
If it was some other occasion, Marissa would have clearly denied him. However, after talking to Delinda she felt better.
She needed to accept that she chickened out because she feared for the lives of her babies. Also, she needed to get this through her thick skull that Valerie was his. wife and she needed to live with the fact.
Telling him about her feelings was useless if staying with her in the past was nothing but just a misunderstanding from his side.
Dean gave them a subtle nod and left the hall leaving them alone.
“Would you mind if I drop you?” This time when he asked, she nodded.
“Sure,” if her answer had stunned him, he didn’t let it
show on his face.
***
They both were in the car that was smoothly running on the road. He was focused on driving while sitting in
18
54 54 I Wasn’t OK!
the passenger seat she was observing him.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, he tried to break the ice, “You didn’t finish your lunch today…
there was a reason ld Valerie…”
“Can we please not talk about her?” she hurriedly raised her hand to stop him but didn’t quit watching
him.
“OK,” he drove silently, and she realized that he wasn’t asking for directions. Flint was right.
Rafael knew where she was living.
“How much loan do you owe to your landlord?” he turned to her when they stopped at a red light. This time he had changed the topic.
Marissa was already nervous due to his closeness, she took time to process the question, “Landlord?”
“Yeah. The one who owns the place and allows tenants to stay there in return for the monthly rent,” he might be serious, but she didn’t miss the amusement in his
voice.
She closed her eyes and smiled, “Yeah. I know what a landlord is…” she trailed off when Amir’s face popped
58
up in her head.
That face disgusted her.
“I have got papers at home, and I can pro copy of it! Why?”
Anybody who used to hear that she had taken
you a
loan
from Amir, used to ask her why she didn’t try for a
bank loan.
Now she was ready for the same query from Rafael
too.
When he didn’t ask anything, she twisted her whole body in his direction and gave him a long stare, “What?” he asked her after feeling her eyes on his face.
“Ask me whatever is there on your mind, Rafael.” She gave him a challenging look, but he kept driving.
“Come on, I’m ready for it. Shoot!”
“Ok,” he nodded, his eyes still on the road, “When will you compensate for today’s lunch?”
Wait what?
She was speechless. What kind of question was it?
She narrowed her eyes to stare hard but then she
20.35
54 54 It Wasn’t OK!
reminded herself that hard stare was reserved for her
kids.
Not for this man.
“Won’t you ask me why I didn’t go lo. a bank loan?” he pursed his lips into a thin line and saw her doing the
same.
“No. I won’t,” he said in a whisper, and she felt him tightening the grip around the steering wheel.
She frowned when she saw his white knuckles. What
was exactly on his mind?
She didn’t know what got into her when she slowly placed her hand on his.
He examined their hands for a moment and she felt his tension releasing slowly.
“I… don’t want to ask it bec… because I’m ashamed…”
his voice trailed off leaving her surprised.
“Ashamed of what?”
“Ashamed of what you must have gone through to kneel before someone and ask for money,” he could feel tears in his voice and she felt sorry for him.
203
He was in a tough spot not aware that his own mother
was involved in it.
Marissa felt him slowing down the r
nd parked it on the side of the road. For a few mine, there was heavy silence hanging there.
“Marissa,” he looked down on his lap rubbing his hand
on the thigh, “when this weekend I’ll visit our kids, I need to give you the respect you deserve. The respect I couldn’t give you when you needed it most. Can you be accommodating a bit for the sake of our kids?”
Seeing him upset had taken Marissa’s common sense. She didn’t know what he was asking for but just nodded her head like a fool.
“Of course,” she gave him an over–brightened smile, “We both need to be accommodating for the sake of
our kids.”
Rafael’s face lit up and he pinched her cheek with affection reminding Marissa when he used to do it, whenever he used to visit her house.
To hide her blushing cheeks, she turned to look out the window, hearing his chuckle behind her as he
started the car.
54 54–It Wasn’t OK! Wasn’t.OK!
When they reached outside her home, he rolled down
his side of the window and took out
better look at the small, old building.
lead to have a
“Have they gone to sleep already?” she followed his gaze and nodded.
“Yes. They are early sleepers and early risers, and they love when Flint tucks them into bed.”
Listening to Marissa about his kids made Rafael feel giddy. He could feel his heart fluttering in his chest.
He quickly got out and being a gentleman rounded the car to open her side of the door.
“Thanks…”
“My pleasure,” he bowed as if she was a princess.
She started taking back steps with a sheepish smile, “You can go. I’m a big girl and can go inside the house myself.”
Leaning to the car, his hands were folded on his chest and Marissa thought that he was the most handsome
man alive on the earth.
“I know, Ms. Aaron. Just need to set an example for my
son” he murmured looking into her eves.
54 54–It Wasn’t OK!
She gulped hard and fished for her keys in her purse. After unlocking the door, she waved at him. “Bye!”
He also waved back, “Goodnight, Marissa
When she closed the door there was a big grin on her face. Chewing her lower lips, she tip–toed in the silent. house and quickly reached the window.
As most of the house was enveloped in darkness, she peeked from the window and felt her breathing hitch when found him still standing there leaning against his
car.
However, she jumped in panic when her phone started ringing in her purse. She quickly got to it because the loud ringtone could wake the dead up.
It was an unknown called ID.
“Yes?” she spoke on the phone and tried to peek from This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - ©.
her window.
“Stop looking down from the window and go to sleep,
strawberry…”
Marissa felt her heart sinking.
He never called her strawberry when he was with
Valerie. He started calling her by this endearment
54 54–It Wasn’t OK!
after she got married to him.
Wanting to meet his kids was OK.
Befriending her for the sake of kids was also OK.
But calling her strawberry?
No! It wasn’t OK!
Comme