Cheryl," called Rafael, sitting behind Cheryl while drying her long hair with a towel.
Cheryl still refuses to open her eyes because every time her eyes are exposed to light and air, she will feel pain
"What?" She muttered under her breath in an irritated voice.
"Do you know how to rinse hair?" Raphael asked in a doubtful voice.
"Of course, I know!" Cheryl exclaimed with confidence. Cheryl still remembers her struggles when she forced herself to wash her hair alone because she couldn't stand the condition of her hair. After struggling to endure with stinging eyes, Rafael is now trying to mock her. It doesn't make sense!
"Are you sure you rinsed it properly?"
"Don't ask too many questions, Raphael. Just dry my hair as soon as you can. I'm cold!" Cheryl looked at Rafael with glaring eyes, a little annoyed because Rafael didn't finish his work immediately when she was trying to stay afloat, even though her eyes hurt so much.
" I just found out that you can't wash your hair," Rafael laughed softly, "there's still a lot of foam left."
Cheryl turned her head in shock as if Rafael had just said he had shaken hands with an alien.
"You're… not kidding, are you?" Cheryl asked.
"No, of course, I was joking!" Rafael laughed before returning his hand to rub the towel over Cheryl's head.
Cheryl knew that Rafael liked to joke a lot, but this time his joke sounded so much relief to her.
At least Rafael doesn't know that Cheryl doesn't really know how to take a bath and wash her hair.
***
"Car? You still have the car?" When Rafael opened the car door, Cheryl was amazed because he asked her to get in the car as soon as they left the hotel door.
"Do you think I'm so poor, so you're surprised when you see I still have a car??"
"How did they know you were here?" Cheryl looked at several bodyguards dressed in black who she guessed was Rafael's bodyguards.
"They've been here since last night," Rafael shrugged.
"What? So you deliberately took the opportunity to sleep with me in that cramped attic room when you have bodyguards and a vehicle outside the hotel?!" Cheryl screamed hysterically, almost hitting Rafael in the head if one of the male bodyguards didn't hold her hand quickly.
"Go away! Let me hit that stupid man's head!" Cheryl shouted angrily.
Right now, Rafael's joke had gone too far. Rafael makes Cheryl sleep in uncomfortable feelings, unaware that dozens of bodyguards are in front of the hotel building where they are staying.
"Hey, hey. How dare you hold her? She is the daughter of the Alejandro family. Let her go!" Rafael patted his guard's shoulder casually. Even occasionally, he laughed when he saw Cheryl struggling in annoyance.
"You stupid! I won't let you live in peace! From now on, your enemy is not only Mateo but me too!" Cheryl said while continuing to hit Rafael's head after she managed to escape from the grip of the crazy man's bodyguards.
"Do you know?" Rafael grabbed Cheryl's hand with just one short movement, "You have made my life unpeacefully for a long time. Aren't you aware?"
As if enchanted by Rafael's gaze that looking straight into her eyes, Cheryl began to stop her hand movements.
Her heart was racing. Cheryl hastily removed her hand from Rafael and stepped back while lowering her head.
For a moment, Cheryl felt panicked. She realized that just one shady look full of seriousness from Rafael could make her flutter shamelessly.
What's this? Why does it feel so weird?
"Don't joke! Please, take me back to my mansion!" Cheryl exclaimed as she walked into Rafael's black car.
***
"Catalina once told me that the first way to wash your hair is to thoroughly wet your hair with water, then pour in the shampoo slowly, and scrub your scalp gently. You can't look down. You have to look up so you don't get foam on your eyes." Raphael said suddenly.
Cheryl turned her head and raised an eyebrow when she heard Rafael mention the steps to be taken when they wanted to wash their hair.
"What are you talking about?"
Even though she was reluctant to respond because she was still annoyed with him, Cheryl couldn't help but open her mouth to voice her confusion.
"Remember, you can't look down. When rinsing your hair, you should keep your head up. Rinse gently. You have to make sure that all of your hair is clean and that no foam is left behind." He continued.
"You are crazy. Why do you talk about how to wash your hair?" Cheryl shook her head curtly.
"I'm just helping you by explaining the steps you should follow when washing your hair. Don't wash your hair carelessly like before. Your hair can get tangled and fall out if you're doing the wrong—"
"It's enough!" Cheryl cut in quickly, "I know how to wash my hair, and I don't need your or Catalina's help. Fuck who that woman you—"
"She's my mother." Now it was Rafael who cut Cheryl's sentence with an embarrassed look.
Cheryl scratched the nape of her neck awkwardly. "Yeah… I guess I don't need your mother's help." She said in a low voice.
Rafael shrugged his shoulders, took out his cell phone from his pocket, and started playing with the flat object.
"So you still have a cell phone, too?!" Cheryl asked hysterically.
Raphael raised an eyebrow, "So what? You don't have a cell phone?"
Cheryl sighed. The more she knew Rafael, the more sure she was that Rafael was a really crazy man.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?! I have to call my family so they can come to pick me up right now!" Cheryl took Rafael's cell phone without waiting for his approval.
"I can drop you off. You don't need to call your family in Manhattan."
Cheryl glanced briefly, "I have a house in Las Vegas."
"Oh really? Why didn't you tell me? We should be able to see each other more often because lately, I'd rather live in Las Vegas than Manhattan."
"Last time I saw you, I broke my arm. Then now I also had the misfortune of meeting you," Cheryl rolled her eyes, "it seems we don't need to see each other again."
Cheryl felt something rebellious in her heart when she said those long lines. However, maybe it would be better if she were not in touch with Rafael anymore.
Everything about Rafael's life was none of her business. She didn't have to risk her life just for secretly coming to Las Vegas to meet the man.
"Oh, okay," Raphael said calmly.
Cheryl's eyes blinked briefly, "I'm overreacting. What happened last night wasn't your fault." She said quickly.
"What if it was my fault?" Rafael asked back, this time while giving a serious look that made Cheryl's heart beat fast.
"You purposely created a gunshot in your casino?" Cheryl tried to joke.
"You think what happened yesterday had nothing to do with me?" Rafael gave a small smile. Then, he shook his head slowly.
Cheryl didn't make any move. She just kept quiet while looking at Rafael fixedly.
Rafael has an attractive appearance. His face still looks fresh even though they have passed a long tiring night because they have to run for hours and sleep on a very narrow, hard bed. Unlike Cheryl, who wakes up in a mess, Rafael still looks charming even though his clothes are not much different from Cheryl's, shabby and dirty.
Rafael's face is not as smooth as she thought if she looked closely. There were a few small scratches on the corner of his forehead and scars that seemed to have been left on purpose on his beautiful face.
"Please drop me off here and escort Cheryl to her mansion. If on the way you meet the bodyguards of the Alejandro family, first confirm their identity before letting Cheryl go with them. If necessary, follow the car until she enters the mansion." Rafael said while patting the shoulders of the driver and also the bodyguard sitting in the front seat.
"Where are you going?" Cheryl asked.
"I have some business to do. You should go home to your family, right? So go home with my driver. Later you can ask them to stop when your bodyguard comes to pick you up."
Rafael's driver started to stop the car on the shoulder of the road.
"Go home, Cheryl. Casinos are not the right place for you to go. You better think again before deciding to come to the casino next time."
"Where are you going?" Cheryl grabbed Rafael's hand. She repeated the same question.
"Taking care of some stupid cat who let rats attack my place."
Cheryl swore that she saw a strange glint in Rafael's eyes which usually gleamed jokingly.
"Don't worry," Rafael smiled again, reaching out to touch the top of Cheryl's head, "you'll be safe with them."
Even though a bodyguard had opened the door for that man, Cheryl still held Rafael's hand.
"Our adventure is over, Princess. Now I must continue my adventure while you return to your mansion." Said Rafael while pulling his hand slowly from Cheryl's grip.