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"Why do you like it when I call you Daddy?" I ask, snuggling into Raphael's chest.
He seems surprised by my question though it doesn't faze him; he answers right away, saying, "It makes me feel important to you. Like you know I won't just fuck you until you cry. Like you also know I'll take care of you no matter what. You don't like it?"
"I do." I look up at him, admiring his chiseled jaw and the faint hint of stubble. I think he mentioned he shaves every day, but by nighttime, his beard is already coming through. He's so very handsome. "It makes me feel the same way. I don't think it's weird at all."
"Me neither, though it's not for everyone," he says. "It used to turn me on so much... It never meant as much as it does now, though."
My heart skips a beat, but as if realizing what he's just said, Raphael clears his throat and absentmindedly kisses my bare shoulder.
"Anyway, trouble. I need to tell you something."
"What's that?"
I can tell whatever he's about to say is troubling him, and he finally groans, pulling me up with him so I'm straddling his lap. I place my arms around his shoulders and tilt my head to the side.
"Tell me, Daddy."
"Don't hate me for not telling you sooner, Willa, but I... I actually know your parents."
I pale and blush at the same time. "Oh?"
He nods. "Dove and Nox, right?"
I nod, feeling flush with embarrassment. "How do you know them?"
"Your... mother never mentioned me?"
I dig through years of memories, but there's nothing. No Raphael. I shake my head. I can tell this hurts him, but I don't understand why.
"So, you know Dove," I say.
"I know them both, like I said, though I'd say your father probably isn't the biggest fan of me."
"Why's that?" My heart beats into overdrive anticipating an answer I already know I don't want to hear. "Did you and Dove used to date or something?"
His silence speaks volumes and I groan, picking myself up from his lap. I start pacing the room in front of Raphael.
"Fuck, I should've known. You're just doing this to be closer to her. I should've known all you want is to get Dove, not me. I'm so stupid, so fucking stupid."
I bump against Raphael, not having noticed he'd come to stand in front of me. He takes my hands and pulls me in closer.
"You're not stupid," he says calmly. "And I don't want Dove. In fact, meeting you has made me sure of that fact. I want you, Willa. Only you."
I swallow the lump in my throat and manage a weak smile. "But... why has she never mentioned you?"
"Because she probably wants to forget I ever existed," Raphael mutters. "We didn't have the best ending to our relationship. She always picked Nox over me."
I nod. "So Nox hates you."
"Oh, definitely," Raphael laughs. "And he'll hate me even more when he finds out about us."
"You want to tell him?"
"I think we should." Raphael kisses the top of my head. "Look, the night is over before we know it. I should take you home anyway. I, er... kind of let Nox know you were up to no good when you didn't show."
"You what?"
"I didn't know if you were safe," Raphael mutters. "And I was right, trouble."
"Fuck. Nox is going to kill me." I run my hands through my hair, worried about the stand-off I'm bound to have with my parents. "Maybe I'll never go home at all. It's not like anyone would miss me."
"Oh, come on." Raphael sits down and pats his knee. I follow his gesture and sit on his lap, burying my face in the crook of his arm. "They both love you, Wills. That much is obvious even to me."
"They don't," I mutter miserably. "They have their own happy little family. They have no use for me."
"I don't think that's true. You should talk to them, trouble."
"I don't want to," I mumble. "I want to stay with you."
"Well, I'm the one who started this fire, so I should put it out, too," Raphael says resolutely, capturing my wrists with gentle fingers. "Come on, Willa, I want to take you home. We need to sweep this under the rug once and for all. I want your parents to know about us."
"They probably won't even care."
"I think you're wrong again, trouble," he laughs out loud. "Come on, let's get you home and into your bed."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. "Nox is going to lose his shit when you bring me back. I'm tempted to just move in with you and never go see them again."
"You're not serious, Willa, you love them and they love you." He buttons up a fresh shirt and I realize people are starting to come into the office building, their curious eyes finding us through the glass doors of Raphael's office.
