Chapter 84

The days have passed and Luz has felt comfortable with Rafael’s mother.

Although their relationship is not very good, the woman has taken pains to care for Luz with all the love she deserves.

After that walk around the bay, Rafael did not take sides with his friend or with Gerard, because he understands that the situation is more complex than it seems. Just wanting to walk away and that’s it is not enough.

Luz is expecting his son, there is also little Charlize, who was seeing in Luz a mother, finally a maternal image that was giving her the love she deserves.

But there is also the fact that she is in love with Gerard and, despite the fact that he made a terrible mistake, he loves her madly.

For Rafael, there are missing pieces. He didn’t know Gerard personally, but what he always heard from him in his mother’s aristocratic circle was that he was a proper man. He did not like lies and nothing escapes him.

He is convinced that the man had compelling reasons for acting as he did.

Can we go to the movies today? -Luz’s question takes him out of her musings and he smiles at her–Of course I do, my girl. Any movie in particular? No, I just want to have fun.

They walk to the exit, hugging each other and laughing. Rafael helps her get into the car and leaves a kiss on her forehead, walks around the car and they get out of it towards the movies.

Perhaps being always with Rafael has helped her cope with those days, has forced her to put aside everything that happened. And Kiki also has a lot to do with it, because she, that woman, doesn’t leave her in the sun or the shade when she’s at home.

They look for a place to leave the car and walk towards the Harbor East Cinema, Rafael shakes her hand, because he is afraid something will happen to her or they will push her. She is still a girl, with a baby bump of eighteen weeks.

-After the movie, we will go to eat at a restaurant that will fascinate you, it is on that street, on the other side of the roundabout.

-I think it’s perfect, but now I want a snack.

– We can buy popcorn and some chocolates.

-And soft drinks, please – she tells him in such an adorable way, that Rafael misses a kiss on the forehead and a hug -, I love you so much, Luz.

-And I to you… you know? – He looks at his hands, as if what he was going to say was wrong -. I need to call Charlize, I want her to know that I haven’t forgotten about her.

– Look , I can call Gerard, ask him if you can call her, I know he won’t refuse, but it’s better that I know –

Luz nods -. We can call Evangeline’s phone so we can make sure he doesn’t answer.

-Thanks.

-And when we leave here, before going to eat, we’ll go get a phone for you. Although I don’t mind calling Charlize from mine.

-You’ll tell Eve, Hahahaha.

– We better go inside.

They buy sweets and soft drinks, they get into the movie and Rafael puts his phone on silent, so no one interrupts him, it’s a way to help his friend, so he doesn’t want reasons for distraction The film is funny, without a trace of love, ideal for both, since one suffers from love and the other just wants to go with his girlfriend and kiss her much more than he kissed her that night.

Time passes quickly and as they leave, Rafael walks with her hand in hand, they go to an electronics store and look for a phone for Luz, with the promise that, as soon as he recovers his bank accounts and all that, he will give her back the money you have spent these days.

-You know I don’t need it, I have a company that is doing very well.

-I know, businessman, but I won’t stay calm if you don’t let me do it. The guy at the store hands him the phone set up, retrieves his old number and keys from it.

Hundreds of messages begin to arrive, including from Matías and his parents. But there is one that catches his attention, it is unknown, but he prefers to leave it for later. Leaving the store, Rafael checks his and sees that there are at least ten calls from his second at the agency, followed by about twenty messages, all with the word urgent at the beginning. He stops and marks her, because that’s not normal, although he doesn’t say much, it seems more than urgent, something serious.

-Vania… -Rafael, you have to come right now, the police are asking for you, you received a summons from the prosecutor… Rafael.

But did they tell you anything else? – he asks scared, he gestures to Luz to follow him and they go back 1 way, to get to where they have the car parked –

-No, but if the prosecutor is asking you, it is very important. -I’ll leave today, let me fix some things here, before midnight I’ll be there.

Luz ‘s senses are fired, because if Rafael leaves, it means that she too must come back. Although there is not much distance that she put between Gerard and her, who could appear here at any moment, she feels safe in Baltimore.

Rafael hangs up, but Luz doesn’t want to say anything. They make the journey in silence, but it breaks at the same moment they get into the car.

– Luz, I have to go – he looks at her and sees that she is afraid -. But you will stay with my mother, here you will be safe, secure, well cared for and I will be calm, this looks very bad. – What ‘s up?

– A summons arrived for me, from the prosecutor… I have to go, this cannot be resolved by Vania. -I understand, but I’m ashamed to stay at your mother’s house, without telling her the truth…

“I promise I’ll go, fix this and come back to you, I’ll bring Evangeline to meet her and we’ll tell her the truth.” For now, I need you safe at my mother’s house, okay?

– I don’t know why you insist on leaving me with her.

-Because if something happened to you, no matter how “unhappy” Gerard is, he wouldn’t forgive me if something happened to his wife and son.

-I’m not his wife – she says with a firm voice – -I’d believe that… if you weren’t wearing the engagement ring.

Luz looks down at her hand and realizes, for the first time in a conscious way, that she hasn’t removed her engagement ring.

She could say that she hasn’t done it because she forgot, but the truth is that she sees it every day, remembering the words that Gerard said to her when he gave it to her and that gives her hope.

I promise I’ll call you every day.

They arrive at the mansion and Rafael looks for his mother in the only place where she could be, the office. From there, Kiki Williams runs the family business and everything she comes up with.

Duty.

-Hijo – ella se pone de pie de inmediato, porque la cara de Rafael exuda preocupación — ¿Le pasó algo a Luz?

-No, madre. Tengo que regresar a Nueva York, pero no quiero dejar a Luz sola, porque estaré muy ocupado.

-No se diga más, se queda conmigo y no podrá estar mejor cuidada, te lo prometo.

-Gracias, madre – Rafael camina hacia la puerta, pero se detiene y siente que debe decirle la verdad ahora, por una extraña sensación en el pecho -. Madre, tengo que decirte algo, pero por favor, no te vayas a enojar ni mucho menos corras a Luz…

-Habla – el tono de Kiki es el de la empresaria despiada que es y Rafael se sienta como un niño que está a punto de ser regañado -, -Luz… no es mi novia y ese bebé no es mío.

– Rafael, por favor – se para ella riendo y el chico no entiende nada -. Eso lo supe desde la misma noche que llegaron. Scott me avisó y esperé a que te durmieras, entré a tu habitación y te vi durmiendo en el suelo. Súmale a que no le has dado ni un beso desde que llegaron… no soy tonta, pero . sí vieja.

– ¿Y todo eso del nieto?

-Quise seguirles la corriente, además, si la trajiste aquí es porque ella lo necesita y sabes que puedo cuidarla.

-Entonces ¿lo harás?

!

-Ya te lo dije, nada le pasará.

-Gracias, ella es una amiga muy importante para mí.” -Solo te advierto, Rafael Williams, me debes una novia y un nieto – el chico sonríe aliviado y le dice mucho más tranquilo –

– Te prometo que cuando vuelva de mis asuntos, conocerás a la chica más bella que se robó mi corazón y que será la madre de mis hijos.

-Of my grandchildren, you mean. Go easy, I’ll take care of your safety.

Rafael gets out of there, runs to the room to talk to Luz and tells her what he talked about with his mother. She is relieved that the woman knows the truth and smiles knowing that she discovered them and still she accepted it. She goes out to say goodbye to her friend, not knowing that the next time she sees him it will be behind bars, but that’s too big a spoiler, for now I won’t say anything else.