I woke up slowly and, for a few seconds, stayed still, trying to understand where I was. The ceiling… the smell of the house… the silence.And then everything came back at once, like a strong tide:
The hospital, the accident, my parents, and Rafael. Me here, in this house, the house where he grew up… where I grew up. And now I'm alone with him.
I brought a hand to my head, still feeling the light weight of sleep. I was absolutely sure I had fallen asleep on the sofa. But now… I was in my parents' bed, properly covered… he had carried me.
My heart raced.
I jumped up, my body on alert. Was he already awake? Had it been a long time? I needed to know how my parents had gotten through the night. I needed to go to the hospital as soon as possible.
I opened the door carefully.
The house was silent. The kind of silence that only exists early in the morning, when the world hasn't decided to wake up yet.
I walked down the hallway, and the door to my bedroom was slightly ajar. A sliver of light came in through the window, and it was enough.
Rafael was there.
Sleeping in such a carefree way that it tied a strange knot in my chest.He was sprawled across the bed, shirtless, wearing only those black shorts that made my brain short-circuit. The sheet tangled at his feet. His arm muscles exposed, his chest rising and falling slowly.
For a moment, I just stood there in the doorway.
And once again, I wondered what he saw in me.Because he was… beautiful… in such an absurd way it hurt to look for too long.
I thought about making coffee before waking him, anything to pull me away from that thin line between admiration and panic. But before I could take a single step, he opened his eyes.
Straight into mine.
I froze.
He blinked slowly and stretched in a way that made every contour of his arms and chest even more obvious. Then he propped himself up on an elbow and looked at me with that calm of his.
— Have you been standing there long? — he asked, his voice rough with sleep.
My brain short-circuited.
— I… no — I lied, a terrible actress. — I mean… I just… walked by, and… I don't know.
One corner of his mouth lifted, like he found my complete lack of social skills amusing.
— Helena — he said, with that gentle firmness. — Either you come in… or you close the door. Standing there isn't an option.
I blushed all over.
I went in, of course. In the most awkward way possible.
He stretched an arm out toward me, a silent offer that, coming from his body, sounded like a command.
Moving closer was automatic.
When I touched his hand, Rafael pulled me in with a firm, quick motion that stole my breath. One second I was beside him, and the next he was fitting me against his chest, his heavy, warm arm wrapping around my waist.
His breathing brushed against my back, slow.Mine… completely lost.
We stayed like that, in silence, spooned together, his body aligned with mine.It was warm, safe. It was… dangerous in the best possible way.
I didn't know if I ever wanted to get up from there. His voice came low, against the back of my neck:
— Do you know how they got through the night? Any news?
It took me a second to answer… my mind was far too busy trying to keep functioning with the heat of his whole body behind me.
— Not yet — I murmured.
He nodded, his arm still around my waist.
— Then we need to go there — he said, firm, but with a hidden tenderness in his voice.
Before getting out of bed, he leaned in and pressed his lips behind my neck, right where the skin shivers without permission.It was a light kiss, but it burned.
Then he sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his still-messy hair:
— Have you eaten anything? — he asked, looking at me over his shoulder.
And I stayed there, trying to catch my breath… wondering if this chaos only happened to me when we touched, because nothing in him seemed out of place.
— Not yet… I… just woke up — I finally replied.
Rafael made a low sound, almost an "hm," and got out of bed.He stood there for a moment, looking at me.
— Then let's eat something before we go — he said.
I nodded, still trying to understand how my body could feel so awake and so boneless at the same time.
He pulled on his white T-shirt, and I turned my face away too quickly, because the simple act of seeing him like that, so at ease, in my room, felt far too intimate for a morning that hadn't properly started yet.
— I… I'll make coffee — I murmured, getting up faster than necessary.
I went to the kitchen, trying to focus on the sound of the faucet, the smell of coffee rising, anything that wasn't Rafael in my bedroom.
But soon he appeared in the kitchen doorway, hair falling over his forehead, jeans and T-shirt on, with that look that threw me off balance.
— The coffee smells good — he commented, leaning his shoulder against the frame.
— It's my mom's coffee — I replied. — She's been buying this one forever. I think… the smell calms me.
He gave a half-smile.
— Shall we eat? — he said.
I set the table without saying anything, trying to keep my chest from exploding. We sat facing each other.
We ate bread with butter and drank coffee. When we finished, he stood up first.
— Get ready. I'll take these to the sink and call a taxi — he said, already checking his phone. — The sooner we go, the better.
— Okay… — I replied, but stayed there for a second, just watching the way he took care of everything without asking permission.
He noticed my look and raised an eyebrow.
— What is it?
I just shook my head and smiled softly.
— Nothing… thank you.
He held my gaze for a moment.
— Let's go see your parents — he murmured.
I nodded.
And so we went to the hospital, together.