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"Hmm, Noelle tells me that she'snotRafaelo's big love. Do you have anything to add to that?"
My heart stops in my chest at that line of questioning. I blink repeatedly, my mouth opening and closing before Michele quickly shushes me.
"What are you talking about?"
"That's for you to tell me. Who is this illustrious woman everyone keeps talking about?"
"Why should I tell you?" he hisses. "This has gone on for too long. I'mdone."
For a moment I think he's actually going to hang up.
"Tell me this and I'll have a one year supply of medicine delivered to your place," Michele adds smoothly. A long pause ensues, yet Pancho is still on the line—sign heisconsidering the offer.
"Just this once," he whispers, defeated.
"One last time, Pancho. I trust that after this I won't need your services anyway," he smirks at me, the meaning clear.
"You promise to deliver them?"
"Of course. I may be a scoundrel, but I am a scoundrel who values his word. You have my promise," Michele drawls, his voice full of confidence and I realize hedoesmean to hold his end of the bargain.
Just who is he?
"Fine," he takes a deep breath. "Maybe this way you'll leave Noelle out of your plans, since she has nothing to do with whatever conflict you have with Raf."
"Get to the point."
"There was a woman he was in love with a couple years ago. Her name was Lucero and he met her at Sergio'shacienda, whereyoumade sure he ended up," Pancho says accusingly.
Michele's lips curl up in a cruel smile.
"Yes, do go on."
"She was his first love and he never forgot her. He only married Noelle because he thought she had something to do with her death and wanted to make her pay," Pancho continues, and I'm rooted to the spot as I listen to our entire history told through the eyes of an outsider—one that is very close to Raf.
"He only married her to get her guardianship signed over to him. Initially, he wanted to commit her to an asylum. But then he realized she was innocent in Sergio's game so he continued with the marriage."
"Intriguing," his brows shoot up. "So you're telling me she's just his consolation prize?"
"Essentially," Pancho agrees.
I gulp down my misery, blinking back tears. I can't show him how much those words affect me, or I'll just give him more ammunition to use against me.
"That's all very interesting. But tell me this, Pancho. If she'sjustthe consolation prize, why was my brother willing to offer his life on a plate for her?"
"He would have done that for anyone. You know him. He thinks he bears the weight of the entire world on his shoulders."
The assessment, though it pains me to admit, is entirely accurate. Rafisthe type of man who would give the shirt off his back to a homeless man. Hewouldhave offered his life in exchange for any innocent hostage. Andthatis a blow to my heart that I did not need—the verbal confirmation that I'm not that special to him anyway.
"Are you sure you're not lying to me, Pancho?"
"You can ask anyone who knows him. For the last two years he never stopped loving her. He still wears a necklace that belonged to her in her honor…" Pancho goes on to describe in detail Raf's routine for the past years, mentioning how they'd had to restrain him at times when the grief would become too much.
Every added detail is like a dagger through my heart, yet I can't show that. I'm on the edge of the precipice, but I still keep my poker face on, no matter how steep the fall is.
Michele, on the other hand, wastes no time in showing exactly how this piece of news delights him—though why would it when his bargaining chip disappears is beside me?
"Right. Thank you for enlightening me. You'll have your delivery," Michele snaps the phone closed before I can find my voice and say something to Panchito.
