The Other Me

Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11

At first, Rafi didn’t even speak. To be honest, he wasn’t exactly breathing either. It was like time had stopped and it was only Rosaline and I left in this world, staring at this frozen body.

After many moments, Rafi suddenly took in a sharp intake of air.

“So it really does work,” he sighed in amazement.

Rosaline and I exchanged glances. No screaming yet. So far, so good.

Slowly, Rafi stood up from his seat at the bench. “And you… you are Rosy,” he stumbled over to Rosaline and stroked her lightly on the cheek, with one finger; as if to check that she was real. “You still look beautiful,” he mumbled gently. Even though I knew it was likely that Rafi had gone into shock and he probably wasn’t really aware of his actions at all; I still felt a strange pang of envy as he gazed into her eyes heavily. Which was silly. Rosaline and I were the same person for pete’s sake!

“Hang on,” I said, as Rafi’s words had flicked a switch in my brain. “What do you mean it works? You’ve already made one of these?”

“He made the prototype a few weeks ago,” Rosaline interjected in a distant voice. “He won’t actually perfect it for a good few more years.”

I suddenly felt a sense of cold, hard betrayal.

 “You knew about this?” I choked angrily. “You knew he could fix it all along? But I worried and worried all night long about this, why didn’t you say anything?” I glared at her face fiercely and to my complete surprise she was apparently too busy to argue back. She was already peering at someone else, her gaze totally fixed. She was staring at Rafi.

As both of them stared at each other like long-lost souls, that was when all of a sudden, my mind clicked. Rosaline was in love. Not necessarily with this Rafi, but he had reminded her of her true love at home. The future Rafi. The engagement ring. Now I knew who the fiancé was.

Finally, they broke eye contact and we all stood there a moment longer, all taking in our massive discoveries. I was the first one to break the silence.

“Rosaline. Why didn’t you tell me he knew how to fix it,” I whispered, the feeling of betrayal hadn’t lessened at all. I had spent ages worrying the night before, thinking I was kidding myself when I thought that Rafi was the one who could fix it. I had thought he was too young, that it would be years before he would know how. I had thought that Rosaline was going to be stuck in time for years and years, missing her fiancé and having to hide away because there wasn’t enough room in the world for two Rosaline Brown’s.

She looked at me, sadly. She came closer towards me, leaving Rafi who was still in a bit of a daze. “I’m sorry Rose. I wanted to protect him. I didn’t want to drag him into this, but when you suggested that we go to him, I tried to change your mind, but I couldn’t disagree completely, because I knew you would get suspicious.” She said this softly, so only I could hear.

“But he could have helped, he could have made sure that we weren’t seen that day,” I cried desperately. “And I spent hours, worrying and worrying…”

“I’m sorry! But this whole Barratt thing… he is so dangerous. I didn’t want to expose that on him…”

“You didn’t want to put his life in danger, but you had no second thoughts doing it to mine,” I growled to her, feeling stung.

“But that’s love isn’t it!” Rosaline burst out to my astonishment. “You care more about your other half, not yourself.”

I nodded in shock; surprised to hear her actually admit that she loved Rafi and therefore confirming who he really was. Another thing that surprised me was that I actually agreed with her. I understood now. I really did see her point. But I still wished she had just told me.