SAVANNAH
Benjamin was waiting for me at the beachfront, sitting on one of the benches. Rafe’s brothers played by the beach and with Anya watching them mess around. With the picturesque scenery and light atmosphere, I realized I shouldn’t be worried about this.
“I didn’t expect he would ask for you. I’m sorry,” Rafe whispered. His forehead pressed against mine.
I ran my hands along his arm. “I’ll be fine. Trust me. I can handle myself.”
He nodded. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
“If he ask me to break up with you and offers money, I’ll simply decline. If he tries to throw juice on my face, I’ll immediately jump to the beach, pretend I can’t swim, and scream, so he has no choice but to save me.”
“That’s pretty detailed.” He laughed softly. “Fine. I forgot who I was talking to. You’re you.”
“Yes, I got it. Okay?”
“You do.” He cupped my face and kissed me.
I walked toward Benjamin. He was looking into the distance, watching the waves while sipping his fruit juice. The morning sunlight had the right heat; it felt great on my skin. It was a fine day.
“Hi,” I announced myself.
“There you are.” He stepped down from the bench and put down his glass. He looked like a youthful dad with a hat, pair of slippers, plain white T-shirt, and brown beach shorts.
“Have a seat, Savannah. Or is it Savi? I heard my boys call you that.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you.” I slowly perched on the bench next to him and inhaled the fresh seawater scent. The sounds of the waves soothed me too.
“So, how are you, Savi?”
I gave him a smile. “I’m feeling good, honestly. Thank you for welcoming me into your beautiful home.”
He nodded, humming. “I apologize for what you witnessed last night. I know it doesn’t concern Rafael, but we’re family. Whatever happens in the house, he feels responsible.”
Whoa. At least he was aware of that. But hurting his son gave a bitter taste to my tongue. Well, who was I to judge?
“I think that’s just how he is. He’s looking out for them.”
“Do you think I don’t look out for my son, Savi?”
“Oh, no. That’s not what I mean.” I looked down at my feet and felt the white sand slipping into my sandals. “You do look out for them, I think.”
“But? I want to hear your thoughts about this, Savi,” he said softly. “Honestly, I want to know and see how my son let you in. He’s close-hearted. As you may have noticed, we don’t get along.”
Oh. I knew what this was about now. He was just trying to figure out his son and how I got him to open up to me. But in truth, I had no idea either. Rafe didn’t tell me much about his feud with his dad. It wasn’t about what he thought about me or if I was suited for his son, which was surprising.
“But… Can I say anything I want?”
“Yes, please. I want your honesty.”
“Alright.” I took a deep breath. “With all due respect, sir, I think everyone is scared of you.”
“I’m aware.”
“But they’re trying.” I sighed. “Your sons are trying to be someone you expect them to become. Especially Rafe. He thinks of you in everything he does and every decision he makes.” God, I hope it was fine telling him this. This was Rafe’s privacy. On the other hand, this man was still his dad.
“Does he? Did he tell you that?”
“Not directly, but I’ve noticed.”
“I thought about what he told me last night. Rafe is obedient and respectful. But it was the first time he ever tried to speak with conviction for himself. I wondered if it’s because of you that he’s changed. After all, you are the first woman… No, the first person aside from the executive assistant he brought here. He has no one in his life but us.”
Goosebumps rose on my limbs. “I’m sorry if you think that way. I’m not even sure if I did anything about it.”
“No, I don’t mean anything awful about it, Savi. I’m just surprised because this is also the first he opened up about his feelings. He hates me.”
“Oh, he feels. He feels so much. He’s kind and courteous, but he’s afraid of showing it as if something is stopping him—like he doesn’t deserve it.” I lowered my head, feeling like tearing up. “But I’m proud of him. I trust your son, Benjamin. Why do you think he hates you? He doesn’t seem like a person who hates anyone.”
“Some unfortunate event occurred in his childhood and in our family. He thinks it’s his fault, so he probably still believes I blame him.”
“Do you?”
“I don’t. He’s my son. How can I blame him?”
“Did you tell him that you don’t?”
“He despises bringing it up.”
Whatever that was, it made me curious. What could’ve happened in his childhood that he still hadn’t moved on? But I didn’t have the right to ask.
“Sounds like Rafe. But trust me. He’ll open up eventually.” Like he was slowly opening up to me.
“You sound like you already know, even for a short time.” He stared at me for a moment. “He did say he wants to marry you, does he?”
I nodded eagerly. Although it started out weird.
“You know, Savi. When I heard about you, I thought he was only using you because of his duty as the future head of this family and all this hard work my father had built. I doubted that he’d ever brought in a woman he’d actually care about. But seeing you now, talking to you… Maybe I was wrong after all.”
It was for his duty. Until we became real.
“I’m not the most suitable woman for him. I just got my divorce papers a few days ago.”
“Thank you for telling me, although I already know. You were married to the youngest Reed.”
I lowered my head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” He set his eyes on the beach again, exhaling. “They aren’t much of a competitor these days. My company is a thousand times ahead.” He finally smiled, and it was charming, just like Rafe’s.
“You do mind, don’t you?” I whispered. “That I’m divorced.”
“I’m not a very attentive father, Savi, but I trust my sons too. If Rafe doesn’t mind, then I don’t mind. I’m not that callous.” He looked at me again. “Tell me. How did you meet him?
I grinned. “At the airport. Our phones got switched.”
“Things like that happen, huh? Let’s see how it goes from here.”
“He’ll be a good leader someday.”
“I know he will. What you saw last night, sweetheart, isn’t everything about this family. I’ve hurt my sons and I’m too prideful. But it’s to direct them to the proper path, like how my old man guided me.”
“We all have different preferences for living our lives. You have your own path, and your sons have them too. Sorry.” I looked away. “I just met you, but…” I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“It’s alright, dear. It’s better to hear honesty than something you only wanted to hear. It’s refreshing.” He picked up his juice and took a sip. “Like this mango juice.”
“People tend to please.”
“But not you, surprisingly. I’m getting a grasp of what’s happening here now. You have a sense of direction. I wonder if that’s what he saw.”
“As a matter of fact, I think you and Rafe are similar.” They just needed to communicate and trust each other more. And despite being old-fashioned, I guess he had a soft side like his son.
“Really? My wife thinks so too.”
“You should listen to her more.” I chuckled. I couldn’t believe I was actually enjoying this conversation. First impressions weren’t always correct. Um, Benjamin?”
“Yes, dear?”
“You have a beautiful family.” Even though they had misgivings and differences, they were just looking out for each other.
“Thank you. Your brother raised you well, Savannah.”
My heart soared. “I owe him everything.”
“Very well.” He rubbed his palms. “I don’t want to keep you here. It’s Rachel’s birthday too. I’m not always present when she needs me.”
I nodded. “It’s a pleasure speaking with you, Mr. Sebastian.”
“Thank you. You, too, Savi.”
He shifted his sight to his wife speaking to the maids on the balcony. He wore a pair of shades and excused himself first to go to her. Rachel halted and kissed her husband’s cheek when he appeared next to her. I smiled in admiration.
Rafe came shortly and sat on his father’s seat. “Well? How did it go?”
“He didn’t throw his juice on me, so no beach jumping happened,” I joked.
His mouth twitched slightly. “Seriously.”
“We just had a heart-to-heart talk about you.”
“What about me?”
I patted his knee. “I didn’t badmouth you, don’t worry.” I relaxed my shoulders and leaned on the bench. “He’s not that bad, you know.”
“Tell me about it.”
I shook my head. “It’s private.”
“How is it private if it’s about me?”
I laughed at him. “I knew you’d be like this.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Are you making fun of me, Ms. Gibson?”
“No.” I pressed my lips together. “Aren’t you going to give me a house tour?”
“Oh, about that. I might give you one. Anya is fitting her dress for the party upstairs. Our tailor just came and brought dozens of choices. You can pick yours. I told her your size.”
I gaped at him. “How did you even know my size?”
“A wild guess. Come.” He stood up and helped me get up. He caught me in his arms, pressing me against him. “But you’re still telling me what Dad told you.”
“Maybe when I feel like it.” I brought my mouth to his and kissed him tenderly.