To Salvatore's surprise, Rami suddenly burst into tears.
The tears kept falling, silent and relentless. Not a single sob escaped his lips, yet the steady stream told Salvatore everything—this time, Rami was truly overwhelmed. He was on the verge of breaking down.
Salvatore immediately set his glass down on the table and moved to him. He sat beside Rami and pulled him into a tight embrace, guiding Rami's head against his chest. Gently, he stroked his back up and down, doing his best to comfort him.
"Hush. You can tell me everything you know." Salvatore soothed Rami.
When Rami seemed to calm down a little bit after half an hour of crying silently, he clutched his hand into Salvatore's front shirt, "Salvy, what will I do. I guessed, he hates me now and won't even give me a glance after I go back."
Salvatore stays silent. He doesn't know how to answer because he really doesn't know who is the one Rami is referring to.
"Who?" Salvatore finally asks softly.
"It's D-Dark. You know him. Didn't I tell you before." Rami answered while he still leaned towards Salvatore's chest.
Salvatore is slightly taller than Rami, so his hard chest can accommodate the depressed Rami.
Salvatore's face darkens, "Didn't I also tell you to stop whatever it is you're feeling for him? You know it yourself. You're the only one who knows him. But does he even know you? Does he know that you're already interested in him? That you've loved him for such a long time now?"
"Salvatore, you know that once he already piqued my interest. There's no turning back now. He already caught me even if he will not replicate my feelings for him. I can't stop now. I do truly possess the blood of a true Deveraux even if I am only illegitimate." Rami said in a muffled voice toward Salvatore directly as if justifying his stand.
Salvatore had already long heard what a Deveraux character possessed when he had his men investigate.
Very fierce.
Very brutal.
Very ruthless.
Very fearless.
Very possessive.
Very loyal.
Worst of all, once you fall in love, there's no turning back. Even if they will get hurt by their love interest and not replicate those delicate feelings, it's okay. They will still stay by that person's side. To protect him and to love him silently. They will do anything for that person.
Those mad dogs, seeing Rami, he can't refute. After all, he had already seen those traits in him.
Salvatore signed in frustration.
He knows he can't discourage Rami now.
At least, again and again, he tried his best to stop Rami. But with how stubborn Rami is, he can only raise his white flag in defeat.
"You're really hopeless Rami. What now? With you crying so hard in me, what really happened?"
With a little bit of hesitation Rami said, "With the news that you received that I got hurt. The cause of that is when I block the bullet that was designed for one of Dark's people. Then----"
Rami told Salvatore everything. From the moment he discovered the first piece of evidence that led to Dark and his people, to the punishment he received from Amethyst, and even the time he was hurt because of Ryuzaki.
He recounted everything that happened while he was in Dark Reaper's Sanctuary, including the things that he planned behind the scene that he did to ensure that something would finally happen between him and Dark.
"You mean, you just left? Just like that?" Salvatore said in disbelief. He gripped Rami's shoulders and gently pushed him back a little so he could look at him directly.
"What else was I supposed to do?" Rami replied, his voice trembling. "I became a coward for a moment. I was afraid to face them if they found out what I did. And Dark, I'm sure I would've faced his anger once he realized the truth that I truly meant what happened that day."
He swallowed hard, tears welling up again. "And knowing it was the last day of the deadline my Eldest Brother gave me. I used it as an excuse to run away from reality and leave their place."
As he finished speaking, fresh tears slipped down his cheeks.
Salvatore quickly wiped Rami's tears then he let Rami lean on the sofa.
He only listens to Rami and does not say anything. He wants him to feel his presence with him, ready to accompany him and willing to listen and comfort him.
After a long pause to stabilise his emotions, Rami finally said, "It's just that, Salvy, I regret it. I totally regret that I left just like that. I thought to myself, it would be better if they're the one who let me go. To order me to leave their Sanctuary. Even if the reason is their anger and insisting that I betrayed and only used them. At least, even if they get angry with me and hate me, they are the ones who let me leave. I can still tolerate it. I can still do something about it to earn their forgiveness. Not the moment when I am the one who left. Especially with Dark, yes, I was the reason why something happened between us, but I don't want him to think that my feelings for him are not true and not sincere. You know I am not a coward. I can face anything. I don't care whatever they do, especially if they're not important to me. But not when I faced Dark knowing that he hated me now. It will break me, Salvy. I can't have that."