Raphael's Captive

Chapter 30

IT HAD been hours since Tami heard the news, and it all still seemed surreal.

Raphael had been the sole reason why she had even been holding up, and now he's gone too?

It couldn’t be true. So, Tami didn’t believe it.

Fifty-two times. It had been fifty-two times that she had called him, and even when the call went to voicemail every time, Tami was convinced that he was still out and free.

Yet despite all that, she still couldn’t help the nudge in her mind— the only voice that was making sense, because it was telling her the truth. The truth that she had been in denial about for the past five hours, but knew she would have to escape from eventually.

Tami couldn’t help but wonder if she was being punished.

Was it all the times she stole the sugar without her parents knowing? Or was it the times she went to bed at 12 instead of 9, knowing her mom would be pissed if she found out.

Or maybe it was the fact that she chose to stay with this very man for a whole month, knowing her family was worried sick, which might've also caused her own father's life.

Yes. That was the thought that stung the most. And though the universe probably isn’t 'punishing' her as she assumed, that was the only thing she could think about.

Hence , Tami tried to stay in denial. Because facing the truth would ultimately cause those thoughts to surface, and those thoughts hurt like hell.

But sooner or later, she would have to come back to real life. And it was most likely sooner, rather than later.

"Tamika, I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but I think you would feel better if you go see him." Amy had been trying to get through to Tami for the past two hours when she returned home from her meeting with Malik.

Amy was still very much pissed at both Tami and Raphael, but during the time her elder sister had been home, she had noticed how the two lovers interacted. Even though Tami was sad most of the time, Amy was able to see the happiness brought by this man that stole her sister away for a whole month. And so, she admired them. 

Now, she wanted to get Tami down to the station to see him before the visiting hours had passed. The investigation had come back to life over the past few hours, and apparently the police found evidence against Raphael. No one knew who re-opened the case, but whoever did, opened it with clean evidence. 

However, Tami wasn’t interested in the evidence. She only cared about Raphael and getting back to normal as soon as possible. And that is exactly what Amy had been trying to get her to agree to, but the woman won't budge. 

“Don’t you want to see that he’s okay?” Amy asked and Tami nodded. “Good. Now come let me take you to him.” 

Amy had been talking as if she was speaking to a child, coaxing them into going into the classroom for their first day of elementary school.