CHAPTER 21

"Do you know each other?" Fastino asked with astonishment. Erika scrolled her eyes. Since Ronald came and she did not feel good, as if the oxygen was not enough for all of them, she wanted to tell him to keep his stare off her.

"I'm going to see if the dinner is ready," Erika stated, avoiding looking into Ronald's eyes. He was smiling at Rafael, who sat himself on the sofa. 

"Hell no, why do I act like this?" Erika mouthed as she drank two glasses of water, trying to calm her fast heartbeat. Elfana approached her with a hanky, and she said,"Are you good, Madam?"

Erika nodded her head in agreement and breathed deeply. "What do we have for dinner?" Erika required it as she headed to the oven.

"Grilled fish, duck soup, pumpkin salad, and some sweetened cakes." Elfana replied, then Erika told her to lay the table for them after twenty minutes.

"I'm sorry about your arm," Fastina stated when Erika sat herself next to Rafael, who tangled hands with her. Her eyes glowed as she gazed at him as if he were her greatest victory.

"Damn it, I love him, I can't help," Erika thought as she looked down with red cheeks. Fastino noticed Ronald's bad mood; he actually did not show his discomfort around other people, he was a good actor if this was the case, but Fastino knew him since they were at the university.

"It's ok," Erika replied. Fastino had a call, so he moved to the other room. Ronald kept scrolling on his phone; his provocative smile rose. Erika gazed at him from the edge of her eyes.

"Well, I won't accept negotiation, when I want something I take it by myself." Ronald sent a voicemail as he eyed Erika, who turned to the other side.

"I love your statement, Dr. Ronald; it's a relief to own the things that you desire."

Mr. Rafael said he grabbed Erika's waist and pressed a kiss on her head. While Ronald had a light giggle, he backed his hair, and his eyes turned red.

"When do you get married?" Ronald asked if Rafael was not his best friend brother, he would deal with him in his special way.

"Two months," Erika answered as she put one leg on the other. She wanted to put the dots on the sentences.

"What's the reason for your question?" Rafael said, he had kept the details of Ronald; his muscles were clear even under his shirt.

"Does she like the prominent muscles, men?" Rafael thought as he compared himself with Ronald.

"I love her," Ronald replied without blinking. Erika's jaw dropped, and there was a damp silence between them.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Rafael asked; he was ready to make a fight; Ronald smiled; Erika skipped two heartbeats; Fastino sat and cut that silence, saying:

'Bro, I'm so hungry. Man, when did you get married? Why didn't you invite me? " Rafael didn't answer him, as he was waiting for Ronald's response.

"I'm talking about the quote that is written on the book next to you," Ronald said with a large, evil smile, then he added, "I love her as the countless stars as the rain drops as the sands on the earth."

Fastino grabbed the book and said, "It's The Last Dance of the Devils; this book is wonderful; I read it two times."

Rafael smiled back because he was going to bury Ronald alive and he still wanted to do that, Erika told Elfana to lay the dinner.

 Fastino asked as he put the book in front of Ronald, who opened the first page: "What's your point of view about the book? I think I gave you a version of it two years ago".

"Well, I didn't complete it, but I can say that the female lead, Tasina, was wrong about her choices, whether in work or relationships," Ronald replied as he was looking at Erika, who grabbed her fists.

"Who does not know the love story of Tasina and Edward? My best friend Joliet wrote this book; I was the first person to read it." Erika thought while blowing her sights, it had been five years since she met with Joliet.

"Tasina did not have to rise up and separate from her lover; because of a poor class street mouse, her life was good as she was."

Rafael stated with a sharp gaze at Ronald, who giggled. Fastino took some candy from the plate which was on the table and then said, "No, bro, that's not true; he was treating her like shit. I think running away with Edward was the right idea."

"You can't control someone's heart, Mr. Rafael; don't you think that love is worth the scars?" Ronald said. He closed the book and laid it down slowly.

"As you said, you didn't complete reading it, but can you guess who Tasina truly chose?"

Erika asked; she was eager to know Ronald's opinion because she knew the end of the story, and she kept it, because a part of it narrated her own strains.

"Simply she would choose Max whatever happened, for she was from that rare kind of royal ladies, " Ronald replied with a sad tone, as if he were imagining this story between the two of them.

"Tasina chose Edward at the end of the book, am I right?" Fastino said as he gazed at the flames on both Erika and Ronald.

"Whatever, I just don't like such stories," Rafael stated. He stood up and headed towards the table.

"I bet you're lying; you just hate the end of this book. I know you wanted to see Tasina with Max, Mr. Max," Fastino said as he was pulling Mr. Rafael's legs. He followed him.

"If I were Edward, I would take you despite everyone's nose; even if it means a coup against principles and laws, I'm not going to run away or have such a secret relationship with you, my Erika."

Ronald replied, the stare on his eyes towards Erika, who just showed a thin smile and said:

"You said it yourself, she would choose Max whatever happens," Erika mouthed as she joined her husband on the table.

"I'm not Edward nor you're Tasina, so I will write our story, my dear Erika," Ronald whispered. He sat by the left side of Fastino.