When I'm With You

Kringgg... Kringgg... Kringgg...

"Argh!" In a half-closed eyes, I tapped the annoying device called an alarm clock on top of the bedside table. "How I wish the night had been longer than the day," I muttered.

And with a loud, long sigh, I tried to open my eyes and adjusted to the sudden brightness coming from the huge glass window on the left side of my bed.

I checked the time from the annoying clock and it's only 7:00 in the morning, but because I have a meeting with my talent manager, I think I have no choice but to get up and do my morning routine. I hate mornings. I'm not a morning person. Sometimes, I just have no choice but to pull myself out of the bed because I'm a part-time model... a commercial model, a product endorser to be exact. One of the things my so-called husband doesn't know about me.

Hmm... yes, I'm married and it just happened almost two months ago. A grand wedding? No, it was just a very simple civil wedding which was attended only by my parents, two of my friends, some relatives of my husband, and of course, his grandfather who sat in a wheelchair was also present. The person behind everything or should I say the reason why our so-called wedding took place. And about the other details, well I'll tell you the next time.

I'm Rafi, by the way... Rafaela Gonzalez, in short, Rafi, but since I'm already married, I am now Rafaela Gonzalez Clarkson. I'm 26 years old, a woman living in her simple dreams... but that was before our wedding happened. Well, it's not that I can't do the things that I want to do, but because there are now people watching my every move.

Wearing my floral spaghetti strap top and white denim shorts, I finally got out of my room and headed downstairs, and went straight to the kitchen.

But I was just walking into the huge dining area and my jaws dropped as well as my mood. It's because I saw the person ignoring me for almost two months... my husband. I'm used to it, I mean, his behavior. The thing I'm not used to is seeing him in the kitchen when I wake in the morning because he used to leave the house at 6:00 and came home at 10:00 and sometimes at 11:00 in the evening. And not to mention that today is Monday.

Maybe he had just finished his breakfast as his both hands are now occupied by the newspaper.

Oh, by the way, meet my 'husband', Liam Samuel Jones Clarkson, but all his relatives including me called him 'Liam'. I'm sure you want to find out how he looks and what he does in life. Hmm... well, he's kinda handsome --- fine --- he's really handsome!

And like the Greek God in fantasy movies, he also has broad shoulders, well-built muscles, a toned chest (actually, I haven't seen him in person shirtless, only in magazines as he's been featured as the youngest billionaire and top-earning CEO according to Forbes). He also has a sharp jawline, pointed nose, and ohh... just imagine Henry Cavill (the superman), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Jaime Dornan (Christian Grey) in one.

Isn't he handsome? Yes, he is, the problem is that he has 'some' attitude problems... in short, bipolar. We always pretend we don't know each other inside the house as if our presence didn't exist for each other. I just don't know outside or in public as we haven't seen each other in public since the day of our wedding. And another thing, he loves to keep his voice for himself... he would speak when he wants and when he does, I always try to avoid him or move away as far as much as possible from him as I don't want to hear his rants especially when our housemaids have done something he doesn't like.

'Haist!'-

So, even though confusion struck the outer layer of my brain for a few seconds, I managed to compose myself, went straight to the fridge, and ignored him as we did in those times we saw each other around the house.

Singing softly my favorite Carol Banawa song 'Till it's time, I took all the pancake ingredients from the fridge and start cooking I had never seen him just a while ago and his presence 'doesn't exist.

"🎶One day you came and oh, you are so near me. I smiled and then you turned and didn't see me. How am I supposed to get to meet you? What should I do? You're in my dreams I feel it seems that you don't feel it quite the way I do.🎶"

Turning around the table's direction, I saw that he lowered the magazine and is now looking at me, but I continued the song and pretended to be oblivious of his dominant stares. Hmm... I don't care what he thinks. I clearly remember what he told me the night after the wedding that I can do 'whatever I want'... and now that I want to sing... I don't care what thinks.

"🎶You're in my mind almost all the time. Every single minute all I do is think of you. And deep inside, in this heart of mine, I have to go on wishing 'till it's time. Yeah... hey... ohh.🎶"

The moment I finished the song is the moment he stood up, took his plate and silverware, and slowly walked over the sink.

But of course, since I'm unaffected by his presence, I continued humming the last part of the song which is 'yeah... hey... ohh. But then I stopped when he got my attention.

With a serious face, he told me...

"You know what, why don't you just go and scream outside since you seemed to love exercising your vocal cords?" Sarcasm was woven into his voice but I just smiled.

"Oh, thanks, but no thanks. I have already practiced my vocal cords earlier while I was taking a bath, so I think that's enough." I shrugged.

He didn't say anything, but I didn't miss his sharp intake of breath as if he was just controlling his temper.

-'Ahah... I guess he didn't expect my come back!'- I laughed mentally behind him when he ignored me completely.

But then he was just taking a few steps away from me when he turned around.

"Tss! So annoying!"

He snorted, whispering the last part, but I still heard it all.

"Oh, yeah, you're right, I'm pretty annoying and there's nothing you can do about it." I muttered under my breath with a chuckle and decided to continue the song where I ended a while ago."🎶Yes, deep inside in this heart of mine, I have to go on wishing 'till it's time🎶."

I have no idea why he's still home at this hour. He's wearing a business suit, so I'm sure he's going to work, I just don't know what delayed him this time.

After finishing the most delicious chocolate pancakes in town--- of course, made by myself--- I called the attention of our housekeepers and asked them if they already had breakfast.

But since they haven't eaten yet, I asked them to stop what they're doing so we can have breakfast together.

Honestly, I treat them as friends more than housemaids. Maybe because I grew up in a simple family so I hadn't experienced having servants around me so I really appreciate their efforts. Not to mention that my adoptive parents taught me how to be kind and appreciate all the things around me whether they are big or small, especially the people who continue to make my character and personality grow.

Ahm... yes, I'm an adopted child. Rafaela or Rafi, my parents' biological child died when she was only three years old due to leukemia, and three months after losing her, they found me in a train station in Cincinnati.

Even though there was their strong desire to keep me to pacify their grief over the loss of their only child, the heart of being parents still occurred and they couldn't bear not to inform the authorities about me.

But a month has passed, two and three... no one came looking for me nor asked about me, so without second thoughts, they took me and brought me with them on their way home. They took care of me, loved me, and treated me like their own.

And even though I knew that the name they gave me was the name of their lost child, they never made me feel that I was just a second place, second best, or a replacement for the real Rafi. They loved me and gave everything parents should have given to their children. And because of that, I appreciate all their love and effort to raise me and I believe that I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for them.

~~~~~~`~~~~~~`~~~~~~`~~~~~~

The story begins in the next chapter...

I hope you enjoy it and please let me know your thoughts about the characters and the story by posting your comments in the comments section. Thank you.

Love,

Jaycelle Anne Rodriguez