AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Although she’d had her fair share of trouble, both at school and at home, she’d always been fine with who she was—had reveled in her differences, and had not wanted to conform to some egregious rules imposed on her. She’d simply owned who she was.
Rafaelo, on the other hand, had slowly lost himself as he’d put on mask after mask.
“In the beginning, I might have hated myself for assuming the role as my father’s heir,” he started. “But I’ve never hated myself as much as I did when I turned my back on my brother.”
Noelle took his hand in hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.
“Raf… I can feel your pain. You don’t have to continue if it will make you relive it.”
“No.” He shook his head. His eyes were closed, his lids puffy and painfully swollen. His entire face was purple from bruising, and she hurt just looking at him.
“I need to,” he took a deep breath. “Maybe it will help me, too. Maybe…” he trailed off as a shudder went through him. “I’ve never told this to anyone before, and I want to. I want to get this burden off of my chest. Even if you might not see me the same after.”
“Raf… I don’t think there’s anything you could tell me that would make me see you differently,” Noelle told him, imbuing her words with as much sincerity she could muster.
And itwasthe truth.
There was nothing he could have done that would make her turn from him. Not when her own hands were stained with blood and would likely continue to be.
Who the hell was she to judgeanyone?
“This is bad, Lucero.” He took a deep breath. Noelle internally winced at hearing her friend’s name on his lips—she didn’t think she’d ever get used to it. “It’s why I’ve never told another soul. The shame… It’s been eating at me,” he confessed thickly, his arms tightening around her.
“Please,” she murmured, raising her head and bringing her lips to his chin, skimming kisses all along his jawline. “I’m here.”
Those words seemed to work like magic as she felt him relax. He was still holding her close to him, his arms wrapped around her body in a tight embrace.
Home. This is what home feels like,Noelle thought quietly to herself.
Slowly, Raf opened up, recounting his weakness when he’d found out what was happening to his brother and how he’d run in the face of danger. Yet the worst offense had been when he’d encouraged his brother to speak up against his abuser, but instead of corroborating his statement, Rafaelo had vehemently denied it. It had been that, or Antonio, his cousin, would have made public that Michele wasn’t his father’s son. And in their world that meant… death. Certain death.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he whispered brokenly. “I still don’t know if I did the right thing. If I…”
“Why didn’t you tell him the truth? That you were doing it to protect him,” Noelle asked.
“The truth would have killed him. And I…” he swallowed hard. “I have no excuse, do I?”
“You were young—aboy.And this was a complicated situation. In your stead, even I don’t know what I would have done.”
“How could I have told him that he wasn’t my brother?” Raf added. “How could I have cut the only connection that tied us together? The only family he’s ever known? Gianna was long gone by that point, and I just… I thought I could explain it to him at some point, you know? But our relationship was completely broken. We never had a proper conversation again. Only hate… So much hate. God, Lucero…” he groaned in frustration. “Sometimes I wish it had been me instead of him. Even though I was such a coward back then, I wish Antonio would have picked me instead of Michele. Maybe then…”
“You think your brother would have helped you if the roles were reversed?”
He was quiet for a moment.
“Few people remember how Michele was back then. He was… pure. I don’t think there’s any other way to describe him. He was this little ball of optimism and he was simply so pure-hearted, he always sought to see the best in people. Iknowhe would have done anything in his power to help me. It’s why this hurts so much,” he choked on his words. “Because Ifailedhim.”
“Raf…”
“But I guess I’m paying for it now. Michele is gone. The brother I knew isgoneand in his place there’s a soulless stranger. And what hurts the most is that I knowIcaused the change.”
He continued to tell her about their strained relationship and how they’d barely seen each other during their teenage years.
He told her everything until the moment his brother had called him for a meeting, only to sell him on an auction block. And he finally got to the topic of Armand.
Raf didn’t tell her the specifics of what Armand had done to him, but she was smart enough to read between the lines, understanding he’d been violated in the worst manner possible.
“What… Raf, you’re still defending your brother when he…” she broke off on a sob. “When he…”
