Frances stood in front of the door, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. Her footsteps shuffled anxiously on the polished wooden floor as she paced back and forth, chewing lightly on her bottom lip. The silence in the hallway pressed heavily on her chest. Finally, summoning a shaky breath, she turned the knob slowly. The door creaked open and she stepped into the room.
The room was dimly lit. Only the soft amber glow of the bedside lamp cast long shadows across the walls. Her eyes scanned the bed. empty.
Frances's heart skipped. "He didn't run out of the house when I wasn't looking, did he?" she whispered to herself, dread curling in her chest.
Suddenly, a hand gripped her arm and pushed her gently but firmly back against the wall. She gasped, her back hitting the surface with a soft thud. His palm landed beside her head, eyes locked onto hers, his breath warm and close.
"Frances, what are you doing?" came Rain's voice, low, gentle, but edged with restrained emotion.
Her eyes widened at the sight of him, standing so close, so intense. "Rain…"
"Why did you do that, Frances?" His voice was affectionate, but disappointment was thick in the undertone.
"I… I was just trying to make you reconcile with your brother. I meant no harm." Her voice trembled, almost pleading.
Rain's brows furrowed, his expression conflicted. "Did you know how much your words hurt? You should have sided with me first. But you were just seeking respect for my brother."
Frances's gaze fell to the floor, her shoulders slumping. Her voice softened, almost breaking. "I didn't mean it, Rain. I just… I just don't want you to look bad." She looked up, tears brimming in her eyes. "You never complained about your brother doing you wrong. I just didn't want him to think I'm a bad influence to you. You definitely know that I'd go to war for you if anyone hurts you, Rain, but you never said a thing. You were just getting angry and yelling at me."
Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, and before she could stop them, Rain pulled her into a tight embrace. Her cheek pressed against his chest as his hand gently cradled the back of her head.
"I'm sorry, Frances. I'm sorry for yelling at you." His voice cracked with guilt.
"You were mad at me… It made me hurt."
"I wasn't! How could I be mad at you? I was mad at my brother, not you. I'm sorry for taking it out on you. Have you been crying since?"
"No."
"You lied." He pulled back slightly, brushing a thumb under her eye. "I could see your puffy eyes. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at you and left angrily."
"I'm sorry for telling you to leave too. I just realized that your brother must have done something wrong to you. That's why you don't wanna talk to him as well."
"I'm very sorry, baby."
"It's fine! It's normal to have a fight."
"But we have never fought before."
"And we just did."
He chuckled softly, brushing his knuckles against her cheek.
"It's nothing unusual, Rain," she said, then slapped his chest lightly, a shy expression surfacing under her teary smile.
"But I don't want us to be fighting. I've been feeling bad since I left you downstairs. I heard you broke the flower vase, so I knew you were really angry. I didn't mean to do that."
"I don't like the idea of fighting either. It broke my heart. But… I wonder what your brother did wrong too."
Rain's expression darkened, his arms still wrapped around her waist. "He just doesn't like me."
Frances tilted her head. "You say that about everybody, but I don't think your brother doesn't like you."
Rain sighed and stepped back slightly, dragging her with him toward the bed, where they sat side by side. His voice dropped to a haunted whisper.
"Of course he doesn't. When I was around 8 years old, Taylor wanted to follow Dad to Hawaii because he had never been there before. But Dad refused and told him to stay behind and watch over me. Back then, our house wasn't this full, so Dad made Taylor stay with me, but he didn't want to. One day, he invited his friends over and they started making a joke about me. He told them he hates me the most… because I bring nothing but disaster. Said if I wasn't born, Mum wouldn't have died. That Dad wouldn't have to be traveling all the time. They would've been a perfect family of three… but I ruined it all."
Frances gasped, her brows drawing together in disbelief.
"I was so angry, so I pushed him. Then he had his friends beat me up. Badly. I cried so much that day, but he just stood there, grinning as they dealt with me."
Her hands flew to her mouth. "He had his friends beat up a kid? Was he not an adult already?"
"He was freaking 21 years old! A whole adult crying about traveling and taking it out on a kid."
"That's disgusting! How could he do that to you and suddenly become nice?"
"Because he's just pretending. He watched his friends beat me up that day and later came into my room to tend to my wounds. He begged me not to tell Dad because Dad would be furious. So I kept it from him. I don't know how Dad eventually found out, but Taylor got scolded badly."
"Did he take it out on you again?"
Rain nodded, eyes darkening. "Yes, he did. For a while. Always bullying me, getting mad at me for every little thing. But it stopped when he realized everyone else also treated me the same way he did. Then he started traveling with Dad after finishing college, and I kept my distance. Even though he sometimes got mad when others bullied me in the house… what difference did it make? It all started from him."
Frances's fists clenched in her lap. Her voice shook with quiet fury. "Your brother was so immature. I'm sure he realizes now how much his words and actions hurt you."
"He probably did. He apologized on several occasions. But I don't want anything to do with him. Sometimes I try to let go and just… be a good brother to him, be close and share everything. But I just can't get over the fact that he thinks I ruined the family."
Frances threw her arms around him again, holding him fiercely. Her voice quivered. "Rain… it must have been hard on you, living this way."
He held her close, chin resting on her shoulder. "It's nothing. I'm used to it."
She pulled back slightly, her eyes gleaming with fire. "Your brother seems sincere… but I'm not gonna force you to forgive anyone. After all, it's not easy to get over a traumatic childhood. As for everyone else?" She smirked, leaning in with a quiet defiance in her eyes. "Just leave them alone. They don't know what's coming for them yet."
Rain chuckled faintly, resting his forehead against hers. In the hush of the room, with only the dim light casting long shadows, the weight of years of pain lingered between them until her warmth slowly, stubbornly, began to soften it.
Rain held her face, his thumbs brushing away the lingering tears on her cheeks as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. It was slow at first, soft, tender like he was trying to speak all his apologies and longing through touch. Frances's body melted into his, her arms winding around his neck instinctively.
The kiss deepened, growing more urgent than usual. His lips moved over hers with hunger, drawing small gasps from her as he lowered her gently onto the bed, never breaking contact. His breath hitched, and his hands trembled slightly as they hovered over her body, desperate and unsure. His eyes, darkened with passion, searched hers for consent and connection.
Frances responded instinctively, kissing him back with equal intensity until her breath caught. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Panic flickered in her eyes as she suddenly reached out, grabbing his hand and pushing him away slightly, her other hand quickly pulling her gown back up to shield herself.
Rain froze, his chest heaving as he pulled back immediately, startled. His pupils still wide with desire, but the concern overtook the heat in seconds.
"Frances!" he whispered, voice laced with guilt and worry.
"I'm sorry, I'm.. I'm not ready yet," she said shakily, her voice so soft it barely reached his ears.
Rain gasped, sitting back on his knees beside her. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it." His voice cracked, desperate to reassure her. His hand hovered near her cheek but didn't touch, afraid he'd scare her further.
"It's fine," she murmured, eyes downcast, still catching her breath.
He ran his hand over his face, trying to steady himself before glancing at the clock on the nightstand. "It's midnight already. You should get some rest."
Without waiting for a response, Rain leaned in, sweeping her into his arms in a bridal carry. Frances clutched his shirt, her heart still racing, but she didn't resist. He placed her gently onto the bed like she was made of glass, then pulled the sheet up to her chin, tucking her in with quiet care.
He rushed to the other side of the bed, slipped under the covers, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She let out a small exhale as he kissed the crown of her head, his warmth seeping into her like a soothing balm.
"Good night, Rain."
"Good night, baby. Sleep tight."
"Hmmm," she mumbled in reply, her voice already drowsy.
Within minutes, her breathing evened out, and her body relaxed fully against his. Rain didn't move, he only watched her in the dark, a faint smile on his face, his heart thudding.
"I'm crazily in love with this girl," he whispered to himself, brushing a strand of hair off her cheek. "I wanna marry her immediately."
He held her closer, his arm locking around her waist protectively, as if afraid she'd vanish. Their bodies were so closely entwined, it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.
And in the stillness of that room, wrapped in the warmth of their fragile reconciliation, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to believe in something pure.