Angels Redemption

Chapter thirty: Reunion

(Rain's pov)
It's been a few days since I last saw Damen. I want to know how he's doing but I don't want to ask Rafael in case I get him at a bad time. But I also can't sneak behind his back because not only will he be pissed at me, he'll send me back to my home without Damen. Not knowing what to do I just stay seated where I am. Trying to figure out a plan I hear footsteps coming my way. Looking up I see that it's just Rocco Rafael's dog. He's pretty cute. He's grown on me. Giving him a nice little pat on the head I stand up and then decide to go look for Rafael. Maybe he's right. Maybe I should go back to Iris and my family. God how long have I been gone? My mother must be worried!! Completely forgetting about my own family brings guilt, I can't believe I forgot them!! Ugh... Rushing to where I think his room is, I call out "Rafael!" A moment later he emerges from a closed door. "What's wrong?" I pant as I try my best to say the words. "I'm ready. You can take me back home. I belong there, even though everything is screaming at me to not leave Damen behind."

He smiles. "Ok I'll take you to her, and your family. I'll let you say goodbye to Damen and to pack your things-if you have any." Shock echoes through me as I realize that I'm actually going back. That I'm leaving now. Turning on my heel I rush to where Damen, is being kept. I open the door, not even registering that it wasn't locked, and rush into the room. "Damen!" I shout. He jumps startled. His brown eyes meet mine and they ask the question that he refuses to ask out loud. What? I stand there as sadness overwhelms me. "I'm leaving" I state. My heart breaking as his eyes widen and they show hurt and betrayal. "Please let me explain everything." He nods still refusing to speak. So I do. I explain it all for the beginning after I left his room last time we saw each other. As I come to a finish I add a little something extra "...you think this is easy for me? I don't want to leave, I have to. Because it's better that way. It saves you and everyone else. I'm sorry baby. But I have to go. I'll see you again" he snarls "yeah in ten years!!"

I'm shocked. "Please Damen don't make this harder, it's already hard enough." He growls "then go! Just leave me here and go!" Everything in me breaks. I take a step towards him but he takes one back. I keep stepping towards him until he's hit the far wall and I am nose to nose with him. I stare at him and as I reach up to grab his face, he grips my hand and whispered harshly "No Rain. Don't. Just... Just go. Please" I cry. I don't care but I let the waterworks shine and I fall to my knees. "Don't push me away, please Damen. It wasn't even my idea!!!" I shout. Now angry. He sighs but stays where he's standing. Getting up I snarl at him "fine you want to push me away then I'll go. I'll go and leave you here but don't expect me to forgive you easily. I can wait but I may not be able to wait knowing you hate me. I'll have to move on. This is you pushing me away" I turn and go. I walk until my feet hit the frame of the door.

I would have kept going if Damen, hadn't said "Rain wait!" I stop but I don't turn around. I hear him speak but I know he hasn't moved from the far wall. "Please wait for me. I couldn't imagine you being there when I return only to see that your not mine anymore." My heart stutters and stops but then it goes again. I'm silent. The silence kills me so I whisper into it "I'm leaving Damen, whether you like it or not. I came done here to say goodbye and maybe explain things and catch one last kiss. But now I see all you want to think about is yourself and how I've betrayed you. I haven't. But it's not like you'll ever see that. Goodbye Damen. I love you" then I leave the door way before I lose my nerve. As I walk away I hear him scream "RAIN! Please come back..." It's broken by a sob but I keep going. I've made it up the stairs and to the hallway where Rafael is waiting when I feel a hand spin me around.

I'm face to face with Damen. Before I can even get a word in he captures my lips and kisses me like the world is ending. Well maybe to him it is, he's losing everyone. But he's not losing me. The kiss is passionate and long and I lose my breath. "Um... Sorry to ruin your moment but Rain we have to go" Rafael says shyly after clearing his throat. Pulling away I see the guilt flash in Damen's eyes but I kiss it away and then I turn and take Rafael's hand. "Ok take me to see Iris" he nods and as I feel us begin to disappear I look into Damen's eyes for the last time for ten years then I mouth "I love you. I'll wait for you!" Then we disappear completely.

(Iris's pov)
It has been a month since I last say Zeke. I can only hope the puppy is ok. I can only hope he's found a new home. I went and looked at his adoption page that's up and he's so cute. To the average eye he'd seem happy, but to me I can see the inkling of sadness in those caramel eyes. Oh you poor baby. I've tried to get you back Zeke, but I can't it's impossible. You were my spark of happiness in a year and now they've taken you away. My thoughts torture me but then something strikes me.

Oh my god. I look at the calendar and see what the day is. June 28th 2018. One year. Rafael and I have been apart one whole year. The realization makes me pause. A whole year and I didn't even realize it until now. Damn. 9 more to go. Shaking my head I turn away from the calendar and go outside to sit on my front step. I look at the picture of Zeke and all I want is to have that puppy in my arms and care for him. But that will never happen.

"What are you looking at?" Startle I look up. Holy moley this day just keeps getting better and better! "Rain? Is that you?" She laughs and says "yeah, I'm back. Did you miss me?" I jump into her arms and hug her like there's no tomorrow. She hugs me back and we just stay there for a bit. "What happened? Where did you go? Tell me everything!!" And so she does. All of it. "Wow you were busy" she laughs "yeah I was but now I'm back and you and I are now both in the same pickle" laughing I smile at her then I show her what I was looking at. She awes and coos saying he's so cute. Smiling softly I explain to her that story and her face falls when I told her I wasn't aloud to keep him. "That's bull and you should be aloud to keep him. Nobody was coming for him why couldn't you keep him?" I chuckle and say "I think she just wanted to make money."

Rain growls but then she gets up and says "I need to go check up on my family, but I'll come back later I promise. Oh and Iris someone is waiting for you" then she turns and leaves. Who's waiting for me? "Iris?" I gasp. No, no fracking way! "Rafael?!" I turn and there he is. My beautiful and sexy boyfriend. Oh lord how it's so lovely to see his face. I run to him and launch myself in his arms before he can say anything. He hugs me tight and kisses my forehead. "Are you staying?" I can't help but whisper. He sighs "I wish but no. I just came to drop off Rain and then I have to head back. But I thought I'd come see you and all. You know since it's our one year." I groan but say nothing. The next few minutes is spent with us just looking at each other and trying to gulp up everything we see. Committing it to memory. After that he kisses me. And I swear I just about died. How I missed his kisses, how I missed him.

After minutes of passionate and heated kisses he pulls away and says "I need to go now." I sigh, "ok but this is going to be so much harder now that I've seen you." He nods then says "oh yeah by the way, happy belated birthday" I laugh because I know he missed my birthday but I loved that he said it anyway. "Thanks" Rafael smiles and my heart melts. "I brought you something from my home" my heart melts even more "what is it?" He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. Oh my lord I think. Is that what I think it is? He smiles sheepishly at me then says "it was my mothers, and it was her mothers mothers too. It's been passed down to every male in the family to give to the women they love and want to spend the rest of their life with. So my mother -since she had two sons- gave it to me because my father gave Damen something else." He pulls open the box and takes out a small silver chain with a silver embroidered heart shaped locket.

"It's beautiful" I whisper. He walks behind me and attaches the necklace. The heart falls to the small hollow in my collar bone. There's roses and swirls on the locket and on the back is engraved until death do us part. I feel tears leak from my eyes. "Open it" he says. So I do. Inside is a miniature picture of him and I when we were at the beach. I laugh cause I remember that day. Perfect and beautiful. When I look up to say thank you I see that he's gone. I frown "Rafael?" But the wind is my only response. Then I look to where he was standing and I see a single blood red rose. On it is a small piece of parchment paper. Smiling I pick it up and as I head into my house I open the paper and read his scratchy scrawl writing.

Sorry I didn't say goodbye but it was easier because it was hard enough as it was. But I love you and I'll be waiting for you. Now you have a promise from me hanging around your neck. I hope this shows you that I'm never letting you go. Iris you're my queen and I love you. Forever and always. If I tell you I love you can I keep you forever?
Raf

I laugh and cry at the same time. "Oh my sweet Rafael. Yes! Yes you can keep me forever. You silly goofball." And I swear I can hear him laughing from here and roaring out his victory. Smiling I go and place the Rose down knowing that my future looks bright and happy.