Habeas Corpus - Rafael Barba x OC

Stupid called, it wants its decision back

"There is a certain clinical satisfaction in seeing just how bad things can get." Sylvia Plath

It could've been minutes, or hours he had spent on the balcony, Rafael didn't know. When he heard someone step out from behind the curtain, he didn't even bother turning around.

"Now is not a good time," he muttered and fully meant it. If he had to listen to anyone right now...there was no telling if Olivia had to handcuff him to get him out of there. Alex chuckled next to him.

"You're in awfully good spirits tonight."

Rafael said nothing but continued to stare in the other direction. His old friend leaned against the balustrade next to him like Cassandra had. Silence settled over them, but not for long. When Alex cleared his throat, Rafael sighed. Another man with no sense for any boundary.

"What did I use to say? Pretty face, but way above your league?"

Rafael closed his eyes. "Alex, what about now is not a good time-..."

The other man interrupted him before he could finish.

"I know, I know. It's not about that. I want to take it back, actually. Not in a mean way, or because I want to reiterate our last disagreement. Let's forget for a second you wanted to have me arrested."

Rafael opened his eyes and raised both his brows at him. "Okay?"

Alex looked away from him and over the city.

"I think I finally figured you two out," he said, his usual arrogance enough for Rafael to roll his eyes, "She's not above your league, even though I really don't love to admit that, but she's very much your blind spot, old friend."

He furrowed his brows. "What?"

Alex sighed as if he was a child who hadn't listened hard enough.

"She was weird, the last weeks of your relationship, didn't you notice? While you were busy looking for a ring, planning graduation, looking for a job, she was a little absent, was she not? I know it was forever ago, but you don't let go of anything ever."

Rafael blinked a few times. Anger, grief, and heartbreak had clouded the memories before their breakup. He ignored the not-so-subtle barb.

"I never thought about it," he admitted quietly. Alex nodded, all his previous arrogance gone.

"I asked her, you know. About what the hell was going on. I think she used all her skills at that moment because she made her excuse really believable. Said something about her mother, about her health, stuff like that. Even got out a tear. I believed her."

Momentary silence settled over them, and Rafael still didn't know what his friend was trying to accomplish.

"How do you even remember that?" It broke out of him. Alex shrugged.

"I wanted to say something right after her father got arrested, but you were misery personified, and she was gone. If she hadn't shown up now, it wouldn't have crossed my mind again. And maybe seeing her still stare at you like you're the goddamn sun."

Ouch. After what she had just said, his words made his stomach churn. Pushing it away, Rafael looked at him, crossing his arms across his chest. "I still don't know what you're trying to tell me."

Alex leaned against the balustrade behind him and taxed him with eyes that had always seen too much.

"She's a fantastic liar. She breaks up with you, and the next day, her father gets arrested out of the blue? While she is already gone from New York? Use your Harvard-educated brain, my friend, do you think the FBI surprised her that night, and the press didn't manage to snap a single picture of her? A young, rich almost-lawyer with a criminal father who would look fantastic on the tabloids? Was there ever a picture of you for that matter? Did anyone ever talk to you about her father, who you worked for quite a few times?"