“I insist,” he pressed, and before I could protest, his hand encircled my wrist. His grip was firm, not rough, but firm enough to tell me that arguing would be pointless.
With a sigh, I allowed myself to be guided to his car.
But as soon as I slid into the passenger seat, a scent invaded my senses. Not his usual clean, woodsy cologne.
No, this was something else. Something sour, cloying—a mix of perfume and sweat. The unmistakable smell of a heated night.
And the moment he leaned in to buckle my seatbelt, something caught my eye—faint at first, then unmistakable. A dark, bruised mark peeking out from his collar.
“Who gave you that hickey?” My voice was steady, but my hands clenched into fists on my lap.
“What hickey?” He feigned confusion, glancing into the mirror.
For the briefest second, I caught the flicker of panic in his eyes before he masked it with nonchalance.
“Oh, that? Must’ve been an insect bite. Got it at the hospital.” He even had the audacity to chuckle. “Didn’t realize it was that bad.”
I let out a slow exhale, my fingers trembling slightly. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”
Raphael sighed, gripping the wheel. “Nadine, you’re overthinking again.”
"Overthinking?" My voice was sharper now, laced with frustration and hurt. "You always say that. Every time. But can you explain your closeness with Colette at the event earlier?"
Raphael exhaled, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Nadine, that was just acting to show to our parents."
I scoffed, my fingers tightening into fists on my lap. "Acting? But you promised to introduce our relationship more deeply to the public, didn't you?
“Instead, you made it seem like you and Colette were closer than ever. Your friends teased me because of that—don’t you know?" My voice wavered despite my efforts to stay strong.
"I'm sorry, I didn’t think that far," he admitted, his expression unreadable. "But I told Colette to just act as is. Her kiss… that wasn’t part of the plan."
A bitter chuckle escaped me.
"Oh, yeah. And I suppose the hickeys and lipstick marks weren’t part of the plan either?" I sneered, my tone was sharp.
Raphael frowned and quickly checked the mirror again. His jaw tightened as he spotted the lipstick stain on his collar.
"This is normal, right?" he said, brushing at it as if that would make the evidence disappear. "I was carrying her earlier. Maybe it accidentally got on me."