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<div style="text-align: right"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 22px">rafael silva<br/>
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</span>​</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Rafael curled his brow at Aven’s defiance. It. was clear she had grown into her town truly in his absence. At one point she took his suggestions with no questions asked. She was much more confident in her skill now and while some part of him was agitated at her defiance, he was also impressed. He rolled his tongue in his mouth, a small smirk playing on his lips but not fully played out considering the topic at hand. This wasn’t a friendly gathering between old friends. They both had tried to escape the madness of their lives that was caused by each other. Aven was correct in not blaming his wife, just as he wouldn’t blame her for clearly letting him affect how her relationship was going.<br/>
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“I’m not trying to blame anyone. She’s being . . . <i>silly</i> this time.” In the comfort of the restaurant and Aven Rafael allowed himself to say what was on his mind. He knew such a statement wouldn’t go well with Danielle. While he understood what had driven her to act the way she was, he found it to be for nought. There was nothing going on between him and Aven this time. And so – it made him curious why she was spending her time away from home as much as possible despite the fact her boyfriend was already aware of their relationship.<br/>
“About us,” he repeated as he watched Even carefully. The batter had spilled only a little against her pinky finger and yet she continued on, splitting the ingredients between two different ramekins. He knew it wasn’t to make him happy, but to prove him wrong if she could. “Ah, so a half truth.” He had turned to watch her place the dishes in the oven. Rafael hadn't noticed how much he was watching her and how carefully for other reasons before his eyes flickered up to meet hers. He settled in the warmth of her gaze, his cheeks pink with embarrassment as if he had been caught doing something inappropriate.<br/>
“If he doesn’t get mad so easily. Then why won't you tell him? My advice – just do it.” Rafael couldn't say he would be in a better situation if he had told Danielle earlier, but it seemed Aven didn’t have to deal with the same constraints that he did. So what was really keeping her from telling her boyfriend about him? There was no threat – wasn't there?<br/>
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“If he loves you then he should trust you and he can't trust  you if you're holding things from him. Isn't that right?” He had crossed his arms then, his head cocked to the side as he delivered his message, one he was unsure he was proper in delivering.  He was caught in a haze of memories as he watched Aven, thinking of the many times they spent in the kitchen cooking up new dishes and making a mess amongst other reasons. “What 's the worst that can happen? He asks you to quit?” He pushed off from the counter and walked closer to Aven. “As If I would let you go.” There was a hard set about his gaze then as he looked down at Aven. It was something about being with her in the kitchen that excited him, even when she upset him. The last week had been a case of both of them pushing each other over the edge, Rafael a bit more because of his sometimes-petulant behavior.  <br/>
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“Why’re you here Aven? If you have a man to go home to? If I were him, I would be wondering what's keeping you here on these late nights,” he pushed with a low husk. His hand reached up to tuck a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.</span></div>