I sip my tea

Rafael

Chapter 3: Rafael

"I'm desperate" Is Rafael's opening when he first walks into my house. "I seriously can't understand her."

"What do you mean?"

"She makes no sense! At all!" He messes up his hair by constantly dragging his hands through it. For seconds I'm nervous he will start dragging his hair out.

"Rafael, this happens every week. Don't be so hard on yourself."

And it does. Once a week Rafael burst in to my house to complain about him and Racheal. One time he even walked in on me and Lucas. That was an embarrassment that made Lucas always lock the doors even when we are home alone.

"How can I not be?" His posture slacks and he fall down in my couch. His face down in a pillow. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No." I sip my tea, "You know how Racheal is. She isn't really used to commitment." I sip again.

Raf sit up but his posture still shows how bad he feels. "And why did Lucas come over with soup?"

He was desperate in love.

"He said you didn't feel well." I breathe in, nervous about the conversation ahead of us. I knew I needed to tell him what was going on. He was actually closer to me than Lucas. Which is weird since they have been friends since elementary school and I met him two years ago.

"What do you mean?" He stands up and walks to the kitchen. I follow him and sit down on my usual chair, closest to the end of the island. He roams around the kitchen for food.

"He told me you didn't feel well and wasn't at the meeting last weekend..." I say carefully.

He stops for a few seconds before he keeps going through the cupboards. "I was just tired. But I was at the meeting. I called you right after, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"So, whats the deal." He finds a bag of salty chips and rips it open. His figure moving to find a bowl.

"I think he is cheating"

The crystal bowl in Rafael's hand falls to the ground, shattering. "Fucking hell, Raf."

"I'm sorry!" He leans down at the same time as I do, our hands trying to get all the glass. "I was just shocked."

We are silent for a few minutes, both of us too focused on the glass. Or both of us want to be. I wish I could unsay it. This will only make more damage to our group. but honestly, is there really anything left to hold on to?

"Are you sure?" He put the last pieces in the bin. We haven't been talking for the last 15 minutes. None of us knowing where to start. 

I nod twice, "Yeah."

"How?"

"Lots of things," I feel his gaze on me, waiting for me to tell him what I know. When I dont answer, he gives up.

"Shit, I'm sorry Leah. Ive been so caught up in the Lydia stuff i didnt even notice." His hand keeps going through his hair. If he keeps going like that he will lose all of his hair before he turns thirthy. "Im a shit best friend."

"Kinda." We laugh and he nudges me with his shoulders.

"Fuck you then."