The Playboy's Touch (Book 2)

Chapter 25

Enrique

It was Saturday morning and I was in my room getting ready.

Today was the big day-it was the day I was going to propose to Cecilia. She was a nice girl, a sweet woman and would be a good Viscountess and mother. She wanted a marriage to escape her mother’s clutches and I wanted to get my father off my back and fulfill this part of my duty as Viscount. I needed to secure an heir and a wife to be the Viscount my father was. But most of all, I wanted to sever my ties to Rachel-I needed to let her go. For my sake and hers.

I loved her. But she couldn’t possibly love me.

She spent every waking moment with Vicente, laughing and chatting. And it hurt to see her so happy with him, but I only wanted her to be happy. Even if it meant it wasn’t with me.

I heard carriages and horses outside, my guests were here. I fixed my cravet and smoothed back my hair for the third time. I combed my beard and mustache and dusted off my pants. I was nervous, and anxious to do what I had to do.

But I had to do it.

Rachel

The house was buzzing with light music and chatter. The Cortez residence was decorated with peach roses, white lilies and small yellow flowers. The air was perfumed with the smell of the flowers, tea and delicious food.

But despite all of the beauty and glamour I sat at a table outside by myself. Oliver and mother chatted with the wealthy families making connections and discussing business. I could have joined, some men with them introduced themselves to me and kept smiling at me from afar, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care.

When I awoke I had picked out a new dress I bought with mother days ago. It was a sunshine yellow with laced patterns at the front and sleeves. I wore small thin gloves and my hair was in a tight braid that Mrs. Abarca pinned in a circle at the nape of my neck. She had also picked out fresh daisies to decorate my hair. I looked beautiful, but I felt like I was withering inside.

The chair next to me screeched as someone pulled it back and sat down. Vicente sat down next to me and offered me a pastry decorated with fruit. I took it without question and popped it into my mouth.

“I never did like tea parties.” He said leaning back. “Not enough alcohol.”

“You’re nothing if not honest,” I said.

He smiled. “Trust a wine merchant to like and know good alcohol. It’s a talent.”

I just smiled back.

He looked very handsome today with his wavy light brown hair blowing in the wind and hazel eyes glinting in the sunlight. His eyes and face had sent my heart a flutter weeks ago but now, it was only platonic appreciation.

“Have you told him?” He asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Enrique. Have you told him you love him?”

I blinked at him in confusion. He knew? Since when?? Did everyone know?

“I’ve known for a while, I think I figured it out when he was slamming me into my own carriage.” He said smiling. “It was quite interesting-despite the fact that I was getting hurt in the process.”

I wanted to deny it, to argue with him. But I didn’t. “I don’t think I can tell him.” I said looking at my hands.

“And why is that?” He asked.

I wanted to answer him but couldn’t.

And then I realized I had my own question.

“If you knew I loved him then why did you keep inviting me out?”

He sighed. “I had hoped that my spending time with you would have snapped him out of it. That it would have made him realize that you cared for him.” He shrugged. “I was willing to be the villain in the story if I could help him realize he loves you too.”

Tears of appreciation and sadness filled my eyes. “Thank you for that. And here I thought you actually liked spending time with me.”

“Oh I did! I do. I won’t lie, the first time I met you and the days that followed after, I was beginning to see a future for us. And I thought that you could too, but when I saw the connection you and my dear friend had, I couldn’t stand in the way.” He reached over and pinched my cheek. “I care for the both of you so very much, who am I to stand in between you?”

I couldn’t help myself and reached over to hug him. I was so thankful for him. He had made me so happy, made me feel beautiful and appreciated without expecting anything in return. The entire time he just wanted to push me toward happiness. He hugged me in return but tensed so I pulled back.

He was looking behind me and I turned around but no one was there.

“Excuse me.” He said getting up and kissing my hand. Then he walked down the patio steps and headed into the garden.

Vicente

I followed Enrique into the gardens of his house.

As I had hugged Rachel I had seen him watching us. His face was full of horror, sadness, and anger.

“Enrique! Wait!” I called after him.

I had reached him and we were well hidden and deep in the apple orchard he had and a good distance away from the guests.

“Enrique lets talk about this,” I said approaching him slowly. But before I reached him he turned around and punched me in the face.

I fell to the ground and my jaw throbbed. I got up after a couple of seconds and laughed.

“I guess that’s one way of starting the conversation.” I said. I looked at him and he was shaking with anger. He didn’t say anything, he just looked at me.

“What are you going to do? Punch me again?” I asked. “Or are you going to do something about your feelings for Rachel?”

“What?” He asked confused.

I sighed. These two were as stubborn and unaware as one another. No wonder they were running around in circles.

“You love Rachel. What are you going to do about it?” I asked again.

He gritted his teeth. “If you knew I loved her then why did you keep taking her away from me? Why did you keep making her fall in love with you?”

“First of all, she’s not in love with me. And second, I spent time with her because I’m her only friend here and I wasn’t going to let her waste away in your house because you’re too scared to tell her how you feel!”

“I can’t just tell her! I can’t just do that!” He yelled.

“Why?!” I demanded. “Why can’t you tell the woman you love that you want her??”

“BECAUSE WHAT IF I LOSE HER? WHAT’S IF I LOSE HER LIKE MY FATHER LOST MY MOTHER??”

I stood in silence letting his words sink in.

There were tears of fear and frustration in his eyes. He was shaking with anger at himself and the world.

When he spoke again his voice cracked. “What if I lose her? If she’s taken from me.. the way my mother was taken.. I don’t think I could take it Vicente.”

Tears began to fall from his eyes.

I remembered the times that I had seen him cry over his mother. They were only a few times, but his tears were heavy and his pain was so raw that it caused me to cry as well. Since I had a met him he was anyways a strong, independent and calm man. He was just like his father as a Viscount and a brother. He seemed to always have it together and knew exactly what to say and to do next.

But I understood his fear.

His father, as powerful and noble as he was, always walked around with sadness in his eyes. He walked around wishing that his wife was there, that he had her on his arm and sometimes I would catch him looking beside him, as if trying to conjure her into existence.

Enrique had already lost his mother and saw his father drown in endless sadness-his fear of losing Rachel the same way was enough to scare any man.

I walked to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

“You won’t lose her like that Enrique. But you will lose her if you don’t tell her how you feel.”

He looked up, the stoic man I knew was back but his tears were still there. “And if she doesn’t return my affections? I don’t think my heart could take that either.”

I just smiled-it was amusing at how oblivious they both were.

“I don’t that’ll be a problem my friend. But you should go talk to her, and see for yourself.”