Mafia Enslaved

20

"I met Rocket through my brother; they were best friends. We started dating when I was just 14 because I thought he was just playing around. He asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes, thinking he wasn't serious. Yeah, I was just 14. But eventually, I fell in love with him. I can play the piano if it's for him; he's the only one who can make me play. But then, when he finished college, he came back to the Philippines because of some serious matters. He promised me he would come back for me, but after that, I never heard from him again."

I explained the whole situation to them.

"Did you come here because of him?" Raven asked.

"I told you, I lost track of him; I didn't know where he was," I said.

"Do you still love him?" Waldrin asked me. His question caught me off guard. Do I still love him? What do I really feel? I know I have moved on, but when I saw him, it felt like something inside me was hurting.

Maybe I haven't completely healed.

"I don't know," was all I could answer. "I'm sorry; I didn't know he was getting married. I ended up hurting your sister."

"You also got hurt, right?" he said. I sighed and hugged the coat he lent me. Somehow, it brought me comfort. I could still smell his cologne on it.

"It's okay, Maureen..." Monique reassured me, her eyes filled with sadness and sympathy.

"I hope I didn't ruin anything," I said. They didn't reply, and I know no one has the answer to that.

"Come on, I'll take you home," Raven said as we got into his car. I gave him a faint smile.

"Yeah, maybe Raphael hasn't had dinner yet," I suggested.

"Do you want to eat at your place, or should we go to the party?" he asked.

"It's better if we go to your place," he winked. "Seems like I don't feel like going back there, and I'm sorry about my brother."

"I don't blame anyone. It's my fault for hoping and waiting," I replied honestly.

"You don't have to apologize; we just weren't meant for each other," he said, trying to reassure me.

I smiled slightly at his words. "I don't know why, but seeing you just now, I felt something painful inside."

We arrived at our apartment, and I opened the door for him. Paeng was there, working on his assignments while watching TV.

"Hi Raven! Why did you come home early, ate?" Paeng greeted us.

"Hmm, nothing, I'm going upstairs to change. You take care of Raven," I told Paeng. Raven handed me Waldrin's coat back before putting on his own.

"I'm his date, so I can drive her home," Waldrin said, clenching his jaw. I looked at both of them.

"You need to stay here, Waldrin. Raven will come back anyway," Christian said. Waldrin let out a heavy sigh and gave Raven a sharp look, but he couldn't escape my gaze.

"Let's go, Maureen," Raven told me. He removed Waldrin's coat from me and returned it to him. Then he took off his coat and wrapped it around me. He held me close and led me away from them.

Raven's coat provided a different kind of comfort.

I glanced at Waldrin and apologized again.

"Do you want to grab some food?" Raven suggested once we got into his car. I smiled at him.

"Yeah, maybe Raphael hasn't had dinner yet," I said. "Do you want to eat at my place or at the party?"

"I'll just stay at your place," he said, winking. "I don't really feel like going back there anymore, and I'm sorry about my brother."

"I don't blame anyone. It's just that we weren't meant for each other," I replied honestly.

"It's okay. I know I can be helpful with household chores too," he said.

It's not that I don't want him to help, but our kitchen is small, and we can hardly move around freely.

"I'll do it. We won't fit here together," I told him. I noticed his jaw clenched, and I realized that even though I'm tall for a girl, I'm still shorter than Raven, and he'll probably grow taller in the coming years.

"Then, I'll do it. You can help your brother with his assignments," he said, holding my shoulders and gently pushing me away from the sink.

"If you saw his books, my brother is doing Advanced Calculus. It's not his homework; it's the neighbor's assignment that Paeng is doing for a fee," I said.

"Whoah! Your brother is a genius then."

I went to the side and watched him wash the dishes. He seemed to know what he was doing, so I let him be.

"Why? Do you think I'm husband material already?" He winked at me.

"You know what, you're really arrogant! Just stay there!" I said, annoyed. I sat next to Paeng, who seemed to have just finished his assignments. Raven also joined us as he finished his tasks on the mini table.

I couldn't help but gaze at him. His white long-sleeved shirt was rolled up to his elbows as he wiped his hands with the towel hanging on the refrigerator.

I suddenly realized how much he resembled Rocket. He looks so much like the younger version of Rocket when we were still together.

"I think I have to go back; Christian is bombarding my phone with missed calls," he said.

"Okay, thanks for driving me, for the food, and for the help," I smiled at him. He smiled back at me before walking towards his car. However, he stopped as if he forgot something.

He quickly walked towards me and held my right arm.

"Wh-What? Did you forget something?" I asked.

"Yes."

I gasped as he held my other arm, looking intently into my eyes.

"W-What?"

He clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on my arms.

"I think I like you, Maureen," he breathed. My eyes widened as I struggled to catch my breath.

"H-Huh?"

"I like you. This may be complicated, but I just want you to know, so you won't be surprised when I start courting you." He smirked.

I couldn't react as he kissed me on the right cheek before rushing back to his car and speeding away.

Sh*t! This is no good!