Beyond The Veil (A Paranormal Romance)

Chapter 10

He couldn't help it. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't stop thinking about Emily. It had been four days since he left the hospital room, four days since he last heard from her. She hadn't come to class but that was to be expected. She had a broken arm and still needed rest. But this was exactly the point. She couldn't possibly get rest at her home. Not with a father like that.

Every time he thought about her and imagined what he might be doing to her, what she might have to bear right this second, he felt the intense need to kick himself for letting her go back. He should have tried harder to convince her that it was a bad idea. He should have just ignored her arguments and simply carried her to his car. But that would have been borderline kidnapping.

And then, he remembered what he had told her. You can't help someone who doesn't want help. How true that was. How idiotic of him to believe he could help her when she clearly rejected any attempt of help. She herself had to finally recognize how imperative it was that she took matters into her own hand and not let anyone direct her fate. For that was what was happening. Her father pulled the strings and decided over her life and even her body. If he wanted her to feel pain, he made her feel it. If he wanted her to suffer, she sure would.

Raphael felt ill. He stared at his cell phone on the desk, willing it to ring, willing Emily to call to let him know she was okay. But it remained painfully silent. Hearing nothing at all from her, not knowing what was going on, was so unsettling.

He got up from his desk chair and wandered into the bathroom to turn on the faucet. The cool water felt good on his skin, it cleared his mind, chased away unwanted ghosts. He took a towel from the rack and dried his face, looking at his reflection in the mirror. Raven-black eyes stared back at him. He had never thought of himself as particularly good-looking, especially because the dark color of his eyes stood in stark contrast to his almost pale skin. It had always bothered him, even though he was well aware of the effect it had on women, which he honestly couldn't understand. Why did they like that? It looked just... off. Early on in his teenage years he got into the habit of working out every day, simply because he felt he had to compensate for that genetical color mishap. He was proud of his well-toned body; it, too, was a magnet for flirty female eyes. This, he could understand.

The tune of Beethoven's For Elise suddenly echoed through his apartment. Raphael dropped the towel and rushed to his desk. Yes, it was his phone. Again, no caller ID. Could it be her? Was she reaching out to him because she had changed her mind? In nervous anticipation, he picked up.

"Emily?"

"Uh, no, sorry," Daniel laughed. "Didn't think you'd expect calls from a lady. Finally a girlfriend?"

"No." Raphael wanted to punch himself so hard right now for dropping her name. "No girlfriend."

"I see." Daniel over-empahasized the suggestiveness of his words. "Well, no one wants to spend night after night all alone, no harm in that."

"Stop it," Raphael hissed and quickly changed the subject. "Why are you calling?"

"Well, I just wanted to see if my best friend is up for a night out. I sure could use some drinks. But it seems you have other plans."

Raphael could tell Daniel was grinning from ear to ear. "I don't have other plans. Drinks sound just fine."

"Oh okay." He was obviously surprised by this answer. "I just thought..."

Raphael cut him short. "In 30 minutes at The Maze?"

"Good, I'll meet you there. But the Emily discussion isn't off the table."

The Maze was a club near Raphael's apartment he frequented at least every other week with his friend. Usually though, he would leave early since he couldn't stand Daniel's womanizing. Every single time he found a girl he would take home. It was easy for him, far too easy, they threw themselves at him. He was good-looking; tall, blonde, with hazy blue eyes. And he knew how to ooze charm when he spotted a girl he wanted, and the I'm-a-philosophy-professor bonus never failed to score. But the woman he would date regularly and would be faithful to had yet to be born; Daniel easily got bored with just one girl. He needed variety, as he put it.

"So, what's the deal with that Emily chick?" he inquired as they had settled at the bar, their beers in front of them.

"No deal. Just a friend who's going through a rough time." Raphael couldn't possibly tell him that she was his student and that he was worried sick about her. For one, he wouldn't understand and just jump to the wrong conclusions. Secondly, his friend was the biggest chatterbox in town and couldn't keep anything to himself, even if he tried. If he confided into him, soon the entire campus would know about it and he would have been a professor for the longest time.

"A friend, huh?" He smirked. "A friend you're giving a helping hand?"

Why in the world did he have to be like that? He had a way of making everything sound dirty.

"Will you please stop it and let it go?" Raphael was more than annoyed. "Not everyone is in the habit of hooking up with every skirt in town."

"Alright, calm down, Mr. Grumpy. I'm just saying, you can't be alone forever. You need a little fun, too. The thing with Jenna's been over for a year and since then, you haven't had a girl. At all." He shook his head disapprovingly. "Every man needs some hot action at some point."

"It wasn't a 'thing' with Jenna." Raphael's patience was really being tested tonight. "She was my fiancee, in case you forgot. And I don't need to find me a shallow fill-in, why don't you understand that?"

"Touchy much?" Daniel let his glass clink against Raphael's that was still untouched. "Here, drink and cheer up. Seems like you need it."

Skipping the response that was already lingering on his lips, just waiting to be flailed at his friend, Raphael grabbed the beer and gulped it down. "Happy now?"

Daniel was spared the answer since a pretty brunette joined them at the bar. She was wearing a little black dress that just screamed for attention, which, of course, didn't fail to distract Daniel from the conversation.

Eying her up and down, he muttered, "Well, hello there."

"Hey," she purred back, glancing at Raphael. "I was wondering if you might be up for dancing?"

Raphael let out an annoyed groan. "No thanks."

His brisk brush-off made her wince.

"But I'm sure he," he pointed lazily at Daniel, "would be delighted."

"Well," she cautiously responded as if awaiting another rude reaction. "I was kind of hoping to dance with you. But, maybe you want to have a drink with me?"

"Look." Having reached the end of his patience, he stood up. "A no is a no. No dance, no drink, no exchanging numbers, no sex in the restroom. You're pretty and all, but I'm good."

For a second she stood there, perplexed and obviously not knowing how to react. Then, she turned away and mingled in the crowd.

"Dude." Daniel placed his hand on Raphael's shoulder to hold him back. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing." His angry eyes gleamed in the dim light. "I've had enough of this crap. See you at work."

Daniel shook his head as he watched him stride out of the club.