RAINSTORM

Ch. 9

Rachel immediately regrets not following Hector into the house right away since the place definitely looks like she would get lost in.

A woman, in a maid uniform, comes to her. "Master's room is that way, to the left," she says.

Rachel heard the woman but her attention is on the two men standing farther away behind the woman. They are dressed in black shirt and black pants. Their rolled up sleeves expose tattooed arms.

Somehow they look like a hybrid of the elite bodyguards of a President and henchmen of a mafia boss.

Rachel freezes.

She remembers one of the rumors about Hector. About his family being secretly a mafia household.

"Are you alright, miss?" The woman asks.

"Yes," Rachel says and hurries into the house.

How could Hector leave her behind among a bunch of gangsters? She thinks, and nearly runs to his room.

When she reaches it she knows it's his room because there's a black and white photo of him hanging on the wall. How narcissistic, she thinks while staring at it.

"You can take that to your room, too," Hector says.

Rachel tries to hold back her anger, and her embarrassment. If she had known this day would come, she would've returned his jacket the very next day.

Rachel sits on the large leather couch that's across the TV. His room looks less like a bedroom and more like a studio apartment.

"Can I put my legs over the couch? I want to lie down," Rachel says.

"You can lie down on the bed," Hector says.

Rachel ignores him and lies down on the couch.

"You can't put your legs on the couch," he says.

Rachel ignores him again and closes her eyes.

She's suddenly very tired like she was at the store. From all her anger and embarrassment she believes. Soon, she's asleep.

IT'S BEEN AN hour. Rachel hadn't moved even a finger. At one point Hector touched her forehead to see if she had a fever. She didn't. She just seemed tired.

Hector feels guilty she got sick because of him.

But he also believes it was because she was being silly too. He wouldn't have minded if she returned his jacket later.

He doesn't mind she kept one either.

Hector smiles at her sleeping face.

He remembers how flustered she was while trying to explain what happened. Then he remembers that day.

It's true he left the jacket over the crate so the cat and her kittens would be safe from the rain, but it was also because that jacket was a gift from his mother.

Somewhere deep inside him, he wanted to get rid of it.

But, instead of getting lost among unknown faces, or buried in a landfill, the jacket is now merrily residing in Rachel's room, who probably had taken very good care of it.

The thought makes Hector feel warm inside. The thought of his possession staying with her, someone who would take it seriously and treat it well.

Hector then suddenly reels away from Rachel like he was stung. He shouldn't think like this.