the foiled plan (WAR OF SINS BOOK 2)

Chapter 16

Rafaelo's POV

The rest of the day goes by in a flurry as I make the arrangements, getting a blueprint of the amusement park and assigning guards in position everywhere for maximum security.

But I don't tell her this. It's better if she thinks she's not being watched for at least one day.

The following day, I dress casually for the occasion, putting on a white polo shirt and a pair of khakis. But as I check on Noelle, it's to have my mouth drop open in shock.

She's wearing a pair of black tights under a magenta-colored pleated skirt paired with a black blouse that's so tight to her chest, her tits are the stars of the show.

I swallow. Hard.

When she spots me in the doorway, she gets a pink blazer and layers it on top before adding her bag.

"I'm done," she quips, coming to my side and grabbing my arm.

"You look gorgeous," I lean down to kiss the top of her head.

And she does. She looks so fucking beautiful and youthful in that outfit that my heart skips a beat. Sometimes circumstances make me forget our ages. The fact that despite everything we've been through, we are still young—too fucking young to have lived so much.

"You too," she winks at me. "We make a dashing couple, don't we?" She asks, a warm expression on her face as she twirls in front of me.

"We do," I chuckle, leading her to the car.

The entire drive to Coney Island is filled with fun chatter and light teasing.

"If you were able to do anything you wanted," she starts, her gaze out the window. "What would you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you weren't born in this life. If you had the freedom to choose anything..."

"A quiet life. I imagine I'd be a university professor, spending my time studying rocks," I joke, since I'd told her I studied geology at university. She'd been very curious about what I'd meant and I promised her I would take her on a rock-searching hike at some point.

"That sounds lovely," she sighs.

"What about you?"

"I don't know," she raises a finger to the window, drawing on the foggy surface. "A pianist? Maybe," she shrugs. "I think I'd like the freedom to travel around the world for concerts and to..."

"Be yourself," I complete her sentence.

She turns, a sad smile on her face.

"And be myself."

"You can be yourself with me," I bring her hand to my mouth for a kiss. "I won't judge you for anything, pretty girl. You know I love your music. It's such a unique part of you, and when I listen to you play I feel like you're giving me the key to your soul."

She blinks, taken aback by my words.

"You get it," she whispers. "You're the first to truly get it."

"That's because you play for my soul, too, Noelle. I haven't told you before, but I have a condition called synesthesia. For me, sounds and colors have flavors. And your music is quite possibly the most addictive flavor I've ever tasted."

Her eyes widen.

"You... You can taste sounds?" She asks in awe.

"That's one way of putting it," I chuckle.

"What does my voice taste like then?" She turns to me enthusiastically.

"Hmm," I smile. "It's like a mix of hazelnut and chocolate. It's a rich gourmet flavor I'll never tire of," I wink at her.