17. Chapter 17
Chapter 17
C HAPTER SEVENTEEN
RORY
It was very late when Raphael and I got to our destination. I looked out the window, squinting my eyes as the property came into view. We had been driving for hours since we landed in Texas. The roads were mostly trees and shrubs and a few farmhouses here and there.
Finally, he turned the car onto a long, gravel path. Trees lined the walkway, and a tall gate blocked the entrance. When the car stopped, the guard on duty walked over and opened the gate. My eyes widened as it creaked open.
"It’s a ranch," I said.
"Yup," Raphael replied.
The car bounced gently over the uneven road, and I couldn't help but roll down the windows to let the fragrant breeze, carrying the sweet scent of lavender and sagebrush, fill the car. Wildflowers in a riot of colors lined the path. The ranch was vast and framed by pine-clad mountains that seemed to touch the sky. The rolling hills and sprawling meadows were a lush green, dotted with grazing cattle and frolicking horses.
A grand farmhouse came into view. The wide, wraparound porch was draped in climbing roses. Raphael parked the car and stepped out, walking around it to open the passenger door for me. I got out, feeling the crunch of gravel underfoot. The night was filled with the chorus of crickets and the occasional call of an owl, under a blanket of stars that seemed close enough to touch. Even from the outside, the farmhouse looked warm.
"It looks nice," I said. "I didn't know you owned a ranch."
"It's my parents'," he answered as he led me inside. "Nobody knows about it. We used it a few times when I was younger but the only people who come here are the ranch hands and the cook."
"Oh."
We stepped inside to see a towering stone fireplace, overstuffed leather sofas, and woven rugs. I looked around. The place was beautiful. There were pictures on the walls of a baby Raphael with his family, and of a young Rylan. As I stared at it, Raphael pushed the frame over, hiding it.
"Do you want a tour?" he asked.
I nodded.
We moved through the living room and into the kitchen. The cupboards were made of dark wood and the counters were black marble.
"The bedrooms are upstairs," Raphael said, leading me to the staircase. "There's three."
We stopped at the first room. The interior was painted a light blue, with a wooden double bed in the middle. On the right, a huge, glass-paned window opened out into the field. A door connected to the room led to an en-suite bathroom.
"You can stay here," he said. "The view is great."
He was right. From the room, I could see a vast field. The night was lit with a million stars and a crescent moon. I could hear the sound of animals outside and the gentle rustle of leaves.
"Wow," I whispered with a smile. "Are there horses?"
I turned to face him but was surprised to find that he was leaning near the window, his arms crossed as he stared at me. Heat crawled up my cheeks. "Yeah, there are a lot of horses," he said. "I can take you for a ride tomorrow if you want."
"Yes, please," I said.
"Okay, well," he pushed himself off the wall. "I'll go bring in the luggage. You should get some rest. We had a long journey."
"Okay, thank you."
"I'll be back."
I watched him walk out of the room. Then I made my way to the bed and lay on it, staring at the ceiling.
Rylan had spoken to a reporter about us. He had exposed his brother and I to the entire world, and I was still reeling. It wasn't Raphael's fault but he was going to take the brunt of the blame because he was the one who slept with his brother's girlfriend, the one who got us pregnant.
I bit my bottom lip as I took my phone out of my purse, opening it up. Callie had sent me a link to the article and I had told her Raphael and I were leaving for a bit. She had advised me to make all my accounts private for a while, because I was about to get an influx of new followers.
That was true.
There was an Instagram notification waiting for me. I had a new following request. I clicked on it.
@raphaels_fans1
I sighed heavily. Raphael had told me not to read the article but I was curious. What had Rylan done?
The article started with a compilation of pictures of me and Rylan from when we were dating. He had made himself out to be the perfect boyfriend who got dumped by his girlfriend abruptly after years of dating. He had spoken about how he begged for me to return but didn't know that I had other plans.
"Fucking hell," I muttered as I read.
'Rylan Barlowe was blindsided by his long-term girlfriend who he later found out was pregnant. He claims that she told him the baby isn't his. So, is she the type of woman who leaves a long-term relationship with someone who loved her to get impregnated by his brother? Is it possible that this was her plan all along?'
What?
I stared at the screen, unable to comprehend the words. Anger boiled inside me. I threw the phone on the bed and stood. The door burst open and Raphael walked in with my bags. He dropped them by the wardrobe and regarded me for a bit. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Rylan is what's wrong," I replied, my chest heaving. "I can't believe him."
Raphael walked over to the bed and picked up the phone, reading the article. He sighed and locked it. “You read it,” he said. When I didn’t respond, he continued, "Millie says it's a tabloid, not a reputable site. Still, what they did is defamation so we can sue them for publishing this."
I sat on the bed, clenching my fists by my side.
"It would be better for you to ignore everything and rest while you're here. If you could stop thinking about my brother, that would help too."
The tone in his voice made me look up at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Raphael clenched his jaw. "Nothing."
"No, tell me," I said.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "You still care about what Rylan has to say, don't you?" he asked. "I saw you staring at his picture downstairs. Now, you're reading the article after I said you shouldn't. You're worried about what he thinks of you. What if this is your chance to stop caring? To not let him have that hold over you anymore?"
I blinked at him. "Rylan doesn't have that hold on me anymore. I told you that what your brother and I have is over Raphael and the fact that you're bringing this up now is silly."
He stared at me for a moment. "You keep saying that but my brother was the love of your life. You think I forgot that you were only with me to spite him? And now, he's doing something that hurt you and I and you're still getting worked up over him."
"It's not that easy!" I yelled.
"To do what, Rory? Stop caring about the bastard who treated you like shit? Who betrayed you?" he chuckled darkly. "I'm here and I've done nothing but try to protect you and care for you and the baby. I've done my part, Rory. It's time for you to do yours."
My chest was heaving.
I took a deep breath.
"You think I don't know that you're just being nice to me because you feel obligated?" I asked. "You think I don't know that the reason why you've been so patient with me is because you feel like this is your fault and now you're stuck with me and the baby?"
Raphael took a step back, his eyes wide. "Is that really what you think?" He whispered.
"What else am I supposed to think? That you care about me?" I asked. "I've heard the rumors, Raphael. I know you don't care about anybody but yourself."
I knew I shouldn't have said it, but I was upset, upset that this was becoming an issue between us...again. I was upset that he thought I cared about Rylan when I didn't.
Why couldn't he see it?
His eyes narrowed, and he looked down at me, his lips curling up. "Yeah, I don't care about anybody," he said. "Not even you, Rory. You can keep pining after my asshole of a brother who doesn't deserve your tears and deceive yourself into believing that it's your only option because I don't care about you."
Why couldn't he see that my heart skipped a bit every time he was near?
Why couldn't he see that his mere presence made me dizzy?
"I have never once thought of you as just my brother's ex. I never looked at you and thought you were less than. All I've done is try to be there for you," he added.
I swallowed, my mouth dry.
"Yet you say I don't care about you?" he scoffed. "I left my fucking band and city just to keep you safe from something that my brother did. You're right, maybe it is my fault, but I've done nothing but try to be a decent man even though it was new to me. Fuck you, Rory, and fuck my brother."
I flinched, his words sharp as knives. "Raphael."
He ignored me, storming out of the room and slamming the door shut. My chest ached, and my throat was tight. Why did I keep screwing things up with him? Why was it that every time we were happy and content, we managed to ruin it?
I closed my eyes and flopped onto the bed. The pillow smelled a little like him, and the tears flowed from my eyes before I could stop them. I curled into a ball, my heart breaking a little.
Rylan didn't make me feel like my skin was burning, and he didn't make me blush with just a look. He didn't make me want him like Raphael did.
And I wanted Raphael so bad.
I'd had him once, and his taste was still fresh in my memory. Lately, every time he got close, the air became hotter. Every time he looked at me, my heart would pound a little.
Every time he touched me, my stomach fluttered.
I wanted him so much.
But did he really care about me?
Raphael Barlowe didn't care about anyone.
I stood, rushing out of the bedroom and down the stairs. The house was silent. I took a deep breath as I made my way past the living room, noticing a door down a dark corridor. I walked over, pushing the door open. It led me outside, to the field behind the house.
There was a barn a few feet away and a few horses grazed. In the distance, I could see the mountains, a dark silhouette against the starlit sky. Raphael stood a few feet away, his hands shoved in his pockets as he stared up at the stars.
"Raphael."
He turned to look at me, his expression blank.
I walked closer, stopping a few feet away. Maybe he didn't care about me, maybe he was only by my side because he was trying to take responsibility, but the truth was that I wanted him.
And maybe that was selfish, but it was also the truth.
I wanted to be with Raphael Barlowe.