Secrets Behind The REPUTATION

CHAPTER EIGHT

'Rachel?'

A feeble voice drifted from the stairs and flowed between the chattering of Vincent and Rachel. In an instant, both of them turned towards the direction, where the voice came from. Michael was on his feet at the head of the stairs with a green towel around his neck and looking at Rachel like a deer mesmerized by a headlight. He was on his usual white T-shirt with matching checked grey pajama pants, and the soaked hair revealed the fact that he had just gotten out of his shower. There wasn't much time it took for his cheeks to start rising, wrinkles began to creep up at the corner of his eyes as he did so. On cloud nine, Rachel's face blossomed and her lips curled into a smile as her eyes turned to Michael. 

'Quite obviously, you had forgotten about the ice cream!' Rachel teased Michael with her chipper tone, her arms flung to the sides as Michael hurried down the staircase in a rush.

'Rachel!' A scream of joy echoed from Michael's lips, but he somehow forgot what he had been supposed to do after that.

'I would only like to repeat what she said "the one and only".' Vincent pointed out with two fingers bent on both hands, which made Rachel roll her eyes right away.

Seeing her still standing there, expecting to be embraced by him, Michael sprinted across the hall in wild happiness and reached with his open arms towards her. Like a warm blanket, Michael's arms snaked around her and pulled her closer to him as if she was his long-lost friend. He holds her strong inside his arm, not strong enough to hurt her but strong enough to express his excitement regarding her arrival.

'Hey, Mike.' Rachel said in a dim voice as her head fell down to his chest and her arms squeezed his back. As strange as it may seem, she felt welcomed and relaxed inside her, despite the fact that it was their first meeting. 'I prefer Rae by the way.' She chuckled and so did he.

With a tilted head, Vincent remained on the same spot and scratched the back of his head. Taking a look at Michael and Rachel for a moment, he crossed his arms and gazed intently at them before giving a reflective thought.

There seems to be something that he missed here. Could he have?

'I am sorry, but how long have you known each other?' Vincent asked, his face scrunched as they both broke their hugs and looked at him with a smile.

'I like your partner.' In an expression of admiration, Rachel smiled as she looked at Vincent, before turning to Michael, 'It's going to be fun if this guy is here to keep me entertained.'

'Hold on... Is she really going to be included in the investigation? Are you serious?' Vincent shot a quizzical look at Michael and then continued without expecting a proper answer from his side. 'If G finds out about this, that won't be a happy ending for all of us.'

'Happily Ever After isn't something I believe in, Vinnie.' Rachel stepped in, leaned forward, and shoved her elbows against the counter. Her crystal grey eyes unblinkingly pointed at Vincent with a mixed giddy and vicious smile on her lips. 'Moreover, when did you start to be afraid of him or follow his rule?'

Upon hearing Rachel's question, which was not foreseen, Vincent felt a sense of anger bubble up within him. Even though she knows she made him mad, she does not see it as anything more than just another game. She looked at him as if he was stupid and stood up straight before turning to Michael and smiling giddily.

'The question is, what do you think about it, Mike?' Taking a look at her red chipped nails, she asked innocently, although not so innocently as it seems. She went on as her eyes still stuck to her nails, 'Would it be okay if I stayed here?'