Seen - A Novella

Chapter 9

Not really much to say here :)

I'll update tomorrow, but at least 10 votes would be awesome!

xo - Andrea

9.

Aura doesn't bother me for the rest of the evening. Not because she stops saying snarky things and glaring at me across the table as we all eat dinner.

But because every time she does something, Rafael squeezes my hand under the table. He brings me back, and throws the occasional comment back at the distasteful girl. I'm extremely grateful for that.

I feel a new kind of pull towards Rafael after the kiss we shared on the balcony, I've begun to see my co-worker in a new light. To be honest, I've always thought he was handsome as hell, but now he seems more dateable than usual.

This would be a helpful realisation if I wasn't already so hung up on another guy.

An inexplicably godlike young man with terrible communication skills.

He's messing with my head. So much so that when I glance around the large interior of The Pier, I swear I see him.

This obviously doesn't make sense. My mind just loves to play tricks on me.

The twins and their partners make for good conversation as the different courses of our meal are served. Everyone talks about classes, embarrassing moments, passions and idle gossip of people they seem to be familiar with. I make an effort to stay part of the conversation, but mostly, I find myself listening.

Somehow, I still feel like I don't really fit in here. But I stay positive, for Rafael's sake.

Everyone is talking about their biggest fails in the lab when I begin to feel a little hot.

"Everything alright, Sam?" Rafael asks, his expression concerned.

I nod, "Yeah! I'm just feeling a little clammy, that's all."

"Would you like to go and get some fresh air?" He offers.

I shake my head, "No, no! You stay here, I'll head outside for a few minutes. Enjoy yourself."

He knows by now that I like to be quite independent, so he lets me excuse myself from the table.

"Don't miss me too much." He smirks, winking at me.

I roll my eyes, "Please, Rafael."

I hear him chuckling to himself as I walk away from the table and over to the front door of the room, my heels tapping against the hardwood floor as I do so.

"Number two-nineteen please." I ask the man by the door as he heads into the coatroom to collect my jacket.

"Will you be returning, Miss?" He asks as I pull on my navy trench coat.

I nod, "I just need to get some fresh air, is that alright?"

His brow furrows, "We usually don't allow students to leave the event unattended."

I sigh, "Please...I'm nineteen, I can look after myself."

He looks uneasily at me, I guess he hasn't been put in this situation before. I doubt many people would be looking to leave an event like this in a hurry.

"I can ask if one of the staff could escort you outside for a few minutes?" He offers.

I'm about to reply when someone interrupts me.