CHAPTER 2

My lower lip jutted out as we made our way to our destination. I couldn't help scratching my arms, and Rafael repeatedly swatted my hands away.

"Sarah, that's the fifteenth time I've had to stop you from scratching. You'll end up with scars if you don't quit," he said, still holding the lamp he carried.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

He put his hand on my shoulder as we walked through a rough and rocky path. He was the only one with a lamp, while my phone's flashlight was practically useless.

I wanted to replace it, but I had no idea where I could find the money. I just shook my head and clutched the hem of Rafael's shirt. He didn't mind, he was used to it since I always did that when we were together.

"Won't your mom be mad about you being out so late, Rafael?" I asked.

He glanced down at me.

"No, I'm old enough now. I can go out whenever I want as long as I tell them," he replied, shaking his head.

I nodded. "I guess that's true, we're already old enough to make our own decisions, but you know..." I hesitated, then added, "My mother doesn't care about me. But I'm okay, I'm used to it."

He placed a hand on my head and stroked my hair. "I care about you."

"I know," I said, laughing and grinning at him.

We stopped talking when we arrived at our hangout place. A river with a small waterfall. We had discovered it while exploring after running away from the guard at their mansion. He was sick at the time and wanted to escape even though his mom wouldn't let him.

"Let's sit here. It's nicer," I suggested.

He nodded silently and followed me. He spread out a large blanket and placed his bag on it.

The lamp provided our only light, and the moon shone above us. I couldn't help but look up and smile.

"Come here, Sarah. Sit next to me," he said.

"Okay."

I sat beside him and helped him unpack. I frowned when I spotted a cake. It was a mini cake with a trendy minimalist design.

"Why do you have cake? Is it your birthday?" I asked.

He chuckled and shaken his head. "No, it's your birthday, Sarah. Happy 21st birthday!"

It took me a moment to process what he said. I pulled out my phone to check the date, and when I saw it was my birthday, my eyes widened. March 20!

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed in surprise while looking at him.

I heard his soft laugh in response.

"I can't believe I didn't notice it was my birthday today," I said, laughing.

He shook his head, and I was surprised when he pulled me into a hug. I froze for a moment, my heart racing. This is how I always felt when we hugged, my heart pounded loudly in my chest.

I smiled bitterly and hugged him back. Why is my best friend so good at making me fall for him? Eventually, I started laughing as we both ended up lying on the blanket.

"Don't be sad, Sarah. It's your birthday," he said softly, lifting his glasses with his finger as they slipped down.

I rested my head on his arm while he played with my hair. We gazed up at the dark sky, filled with stars.

"Thank you, Raf. I'm so glad you remembered my birthday," I replied softly.

Tears began to fill my eyes, and I knew I was about to cry. I'm a crybaby, and no matter how hard I try to control my emotions, I can't. I sobbed against his arm like a child.

I knew my family wouldn't remember my birthday or plan anything for it. But it still hurt, even if I should be used to it.

"Shh, don't cry. You'll get ugly," he joked.

I pouted and pinched his hard biceps. He had been hitting the gym, and his body was getting more defined.

"I'm already ugly, and you're making me worse," I said, still crying.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I'm just joking. I'm trying to cheer you up. It's your birthday, and you're crying," he said gently.

I nodded, and I just felt Rafael place a handkerchief on my nose. I knew what he wanted me to do. I blew my nose into the handkerchief while crying.

"Thanks again, Raf. I hope you won't leave me. You're my only friend now," I said sadly.

He didn't answer. He just gave me a small smile, but I could see the sadness in his eyes, masked by happiness. My heart ached.

"Are you sure? Promise me, okay? No matter what happens," I said, tearing up again and raising my hand to show him my pinky.

"I promise. I'll never leave you," he said, raising his pinky to pinky swear.

I finally dried my tears and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back before letting go.

"What if we get matching tattoos on our pinkies? A red ring would look nice, don't you think?" I suggested.

"That sounds great. How about after we graduate? Is that okay?"

I nodded eagerly. I loved the idea. He chuckled softly at my enthusiasm and took the cake out of the box. He lit the cute candle on the cake and held it out to me. He smiled and started singing happy birthday as I clapped softly while rocking my body sideways.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday to you," he sang gently while looking at me.

I smiled widely and blew out the candle. We shared the cake while chatting, and the conversation turned to ourselves.

To be honest, Rafael probably knew almost everything about me. While I didn't know much about him. He never volunteered information about his family, and I felt too shy to ask because it seemed intrusive.

That might be why other girls at our university were so jealous and angry. It was because Rafael and I were friends, and the Zevallos family was well-known in our barrio.

The Zevallos family was very strict about their privacy. While others might be low-key, Rafael's family was extremely protective. I didn't even know if he had siblings since he never mentioned them, but that was okay.

"I have a gift for you," he said.

I looked at him in surprise. "You didn't have to."

He shook his head. "You deserve a gift, Sarah."

I shrugged and waited for him to give me the present. I felt a mix of embarrassment and excitement, as this was the first gift I would receive.

"Here. Open it," he said, handing me a small, rectangle box.

"Thank you," I smiled.

When I saw the front of the box, I squealed in surprise and nearly dropped it. I hugged it tightly while staring at him with wide eyes.

"An iPhone?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Uh-huh," he laughed at my reaction.

"Why this? I can't accept it, Raf."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't accept it if you tried to give it back to me."

I looked down at my new phone in awe. It was white and gorgeous. I turned it on and asked Rafael to help me with the settings. We also took pictures to fill the album right away.

When we finished, he suggested swimming in the river. I watched him take off his shirt and shorts, revealing just his black boxer shorts, and he looked at me.

"Come on, let's swim," he invited.

I chuckled softly and took his outstretched hand. I screamed when he suddenly jumped in, and we both splashed into the water. I felt his arm wrap around my waist as we surfaced.

"It's cold," he laughed.

"You're just noticing that now? Of course it's cold. It's already midnight," I replied.

"I really like your birthmark," he said softly.

I unconsciously touched the small red heart-shaped birthmark behind my left ear.

"Really? You must be teasing me. I don't have any money to give you," I joked.

He rolled his eyes and swam to the side so we could talk. I glanced down at my clothes. My white dress had become nearly see-through, making my black bra and cycling shorts very visible.

I hugged myself and sat next to him.

"Don't worry, it's just us here," he said softly, stroking my hair, probably noticing my discomfort.

"And if anyone tries to touch you, I'll kill them," he muttered almost to himself.

I looked at him, startled. "Don't say things like that, Raf. It's bad to kill people. You sounded so serious."

He shrugged and continued stroking my hair.

"I'm serious, Sarah."

"You're crazy."

We stayed like that for a few minutes, occasionally splashing each other if one of us zoned out. It turned into a chase, and the area filled with laughter as he struggled to catch me. When I felt his arms wrap around my waist, I screamed.

"I don't want to anymore," I laughed.

He just chuckled and kept his hands on my waist. When I looked back at him, my smile faded when our faces were almost touching. I gasped softly as our lips were nearly touched. Neither of us thought to pull away. Then I was surprised by what he did next. He cupped my chin and pressed his lips against mine. I grabbed his shoulders and instinctively squeezed them as his lips started to move. I automatically closed my eyes, feeling an unfamiliar sensation.

It felt like there were butterflies fluttering in my stomach as our lips moved together. I held him tighter as his hand traveled down my back and felt his hand glide along my body and up to my neck, deepening the kiss we shared.

A soft moan escaped my lips as he gently bit down on my lower lip, his touch sending an unexpected thrill through me. I let out a quiet gasp, caught off guard, feeling a wave of warmth spread over my skin. Every hair on my body stood on end, electrified by his touch, and I found myself instinctively mirroring his kiss, letting his movement guide mine. Each kiss deepened the pull between us, and I surrendered fully to the slow, intoxicating pace he set.

"Open your mouth," he murmured.

I snapped back to reality when I heard his voice. I pulled away, my hand unconsciously brushing against my lips that no longer felt like my own. I didn't know he had a vacuum for a mouth!

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered.

I turned away and ran back to where we had laid out our food and grabbed my things before leaving him behind without looking back as I ran back to my house.

"Sarah, come back here!"

How was he so good at kissing? He really knew what he was doing!

SHANGPU