Edwin leaned in, wrapped his arm around Laura, and kissed her deeply.
Laura struggled for breath, pushing against his shoulder.
When he finally released her, her eyes were moist.
âWho else would put up with this but me?â
Gently stroking her lips, Edwin whispered, âYouâre the only one I ever want to tease.
â
With his arm still around her, Edwin dialed Oliviaâs number.
âItâs late.
Stay at Dylanâs tonight.
â
Laura whispered, âHow can you act like this? Youâre her brother!â
Edwin released Laura and smiled, saying, âYou need to trust Dylanâs integrity.
â
When Dylan was mentioned, Laura hesitated to speak further.
She feared Edwin might get jealous and take it out on her if she made comments about other men.
He was the worst, after all.
Since that incident, Olivia hadnât seen Raphael for quite some time.
Yet, Raphael had heard some news about Olivia.
In early April, Raphael accidentally caught a snippet of a conversation about the Evans family.
The rumor was that Edwinâs sister and the son of the Wright family were getting engaged, having known each other since they were kids.
The person discussing it even pulled out his phone to show a photo.
It was a picture of Olivia and Dylan, looking happy together.
Others nearby were also discussing it, oblivious to Raphaelâs history with Olivia.
They spoke openly.
âLook at Dylanâs muscles.
The woman he marries is going to be hugely satisfied.
â
The group chuckled knowingly.
Only Raphael was upset.
He kept drinking and later headed to the restroom to throw up.
Afterward, he gripped the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes bloodshot.
Nearly two months had passed, yet the pain was still fresh.
The breakup shouldâve pained both two involved, so why was he the only one suffering now?
Raphaelâs reflection showed eyes rimmed red, a testament to his inner turmoil.
His heart was a battlefield of love and loathing.
In a cathartic release, he purged the tumult within him into the basin.
He stared at the remnants of his despair.
Time stretched out as he finally rinsed his anguish away with a fierce splash of water.
The echo of footsteps signaled Sharonâs approach.
She carried his coat and concern in her eyes.
Her voice was a whisper of reality.
âSheâs going to be someone elseâs.
Why canât you let her go?â