Murder To Excellence

16.

“Evan, I’m not coming with!” Rose exclaimed. Evan and his navy colleagues were going out to dinner and were allowed to bring someone with them. Rose, no doubt, would’ve gone if they were going to another restaurant. Not the restaurant Raphael had brought her and her parents to, the restaurant she came to find out was his favorite. 

“Rose, why not? It’s not like sitting at home with mom and dad continuously fighting is something you want to do, I really do feel sorry for you.”

“Because… it reminds me too much of him,” she murmured. 

“What happened between you two? Why is it over?” Evan questioned. He knew that Raphael and Rose had broken up, he just didn’t know why and Rose liked to keep it that way. If one of her brothers would find out, they’d go absolutely mental, especially Evan. 

“Oh… we just decided it wasn’t working out.”

“‘kay. Be done in an hour, Rose, I’m not kidding!”

Rose looked at herself in the mirror, wondering what she had to wear. She was now starting to show, so her outfit usually consisted of a blouse or a cami. Her jeans barely fit anymore so she had to buy tons of new ones too. Neither could she wear a dress. She hated flowy dresses and a bodycon would reveal her baby-bump. 

“Ugh,” she groaned, looking at the mess she had now made in her room around her suitcase. 

“How big are the odds you’re going to see him here?” Evan questioned, holding open the door of the restaurant for Rose. “Calm down!”

“Alright,” she complied annoyed. 

He saw her the minute she walked in, looking beautiful as ever. It had been a really long time since Raphael had seen her, but that didn’t mean she had left his mind. 

She couldn’t see him from where she was sitting, but he could see her perfectly. 

He eyed her every movement. From her hugging every single one of those militaries, to his aggravation some even kissing her cheek, to her being the only one drinking something non-alcoholic. “Sir, can I get you anything else?” the waiter asked Raphael politely. 

“Hennessy,” he replied, his eyes not leaving Rose once. “A bottle of Hennessy.”

“Excuse me.” Rose stood up from the table to go to the restroom. Her bladder was so weak lately and she had to pay the bathroom a visit every hour or it felt as if she was about to pee her pants. 

When she was done, she walked down the hallway. That particular hallway held memories, memories of her and Raphael making out against the door, following by them going into the janitor’s closet. 

She got snapped out of her daze when she noticed there lay a Louboutin wallet on the floor and a man walking in front of her, probably who owned that wallet. 

“Sir,” she called, squatting down to get the wallet. “Sir!” She ran after him and held on to his arm. She then looked at the wallet in her hand and seemed way too familiar. The way the guy smelled – so damn good – made her realize who he was. 

He turned around to look at her and she barely recognized him. The small beard he had had the last time she had seen him, was now a full-on beard. 

It was his eyes and the way he smelled, giving her the same weakness only he could give her, that made her realize it was him. 

“Your wallet.” She extended her hand and he took the wallet from her. She expected him to continue walking, but he didn’t. Instead, he got closer to her, making her back up against the notorious door.