Episode 4

They went up the stairs as the noise of the party faded into the distance. Rafaela felt her heart racing, as if it were about to explode.

"Where are you taking me?"

Nick didn't answer, opening the door to his room at the end of the hallway.

Rafaela stopped at the door, hesitant.

"What are you doing?" Rafaela asked, crossing her arms and looking at him suspiciously. "I'm not one of your girls, Nick."

Nick smiled, but this time the smile was softer, without the teasing tone she knew so well.

"I know you're not. That's exactly what makes you... different." He leaned against the wall, as if he were more at ease. "You've always intrigued me, Rafa." He stared at her in a way that made her heart race, and Rafaela didn't know what to think.

"I shouldn't be here..."

Nick looked at her, still holding the door open.

"Then leave."

It was a challenge. Rafaela knew he expected her to back down, to run away as always. But something inside her refused to give him that satisfaction.

"I won't..." She said, looking away from him and entering the room.

She looked around. The room was spacious, with walls covered in band posters, the bed was made, and the desk was full of equipment and photographic cameras. The room had a personality that seemed to be an extension of Nick, and she didn't know whether to be impressed or suspicious.

Nick smiled, closed the door behind her, and approached slowly. Rafaela felt her heart beat even faster as he approached, until they were face to face.

"What are we doing here?" She asked, trying to appear indifferent.

"I just wanted a place where we could talk." He said, with a more serious tone than usual.

"Talk?" Rafaela raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Since when do you want to talk to me?"

"You know, Rafa..." Nick began, his tone lower now, almost soft. "You surprise me more every day."

"Surprise you how?" She asked almost silently, trying to ignore the heat that rose to her face.

"You should know..."

Rafaela looked away again, fixing her gaze on the cameras on the desk. It was easier to face the equipment than Nick's gaze. She approached the desk, running her fingers over one of the cameras, trying to ignore the tension in the air.

"Do you like taking pictures?" She asked, changing the subject.

Nick seemed surprised by the question.

"Yes. It's not something I usually show to everyone, but... it's something I like to do, I could spend the whole day taking pictures."

She picked up the camera that caught her attention the most and examined it, still avoiding his gaze.

"Who knew... the popular Nick from school has an artistic side." She said with a slight irony, but couldn't avoid a smile.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Rafa." Nick replied, approaching again.

This time, she didn't back down. She turned to face him, still holding the camera.

"Maybe because you never gave me a reason to want to know." She replied, looking at him with a firm gaze. "I like this camera." She said, putting it back in its place.

Nick was silent for a few seconds, as if he were processing what she said. Then, he took a step forward, further reducing the distance between them.

"What if I want to change that? If I want you to know me?" He asked. "Of all the girls here today, you're the only one..."

Rafaela blinked, confused.

"The only one?"

While Rafaela was trying to understand what he meant, Nick held her face carefully and brought his lips closer to hers.

The kiss started slowly, as if he were waiting for her to back down. But Rafaela didn't back down. On the contrary, she responded, feeling his lips pressing against hers with more intensity.

Nick pulled her by the waist, shortening the distance between them, and Rafaela felt as if all the air in the room had disappeared, letting her hands slide over the back of his neck. And so they remained, feeling their bodies react.

When she realized it, Rafaela had already taken off Nick's shirt, feeling his warm skin under her hands, and he didn't waste time taking off her blouse, stopping his hand on the zipper of the pants she was wearing.

"Are you sure?" Nick whispered, his breath ragged, and Rafaela, panting, agreed, she wanted to, and didn't know why she wasn't afraid of anything with him.

At that moment, all doubts, all insecurities disappeared. Rafaela knew she was about to do something important, something that couldn't be undone. But, looking into Nick's eyes, she decided that she wanted to go ahead.

As the two lay down on the bed, Nick looked at her with a serious expression, leaving aside all the confident posture.

"Rafa..." Nick was nervous.

"It's my first time..." Rafaela revealed, seeing Nick smile.

"You're not the only one who hides behind an image."

His words touched her in a way she didn't expect.

"It's also my first time." Nick confessed softly.

Rafaela seemed surprised, but his smile softened, gaining a tone of tenderness that she had never seen before.

Between the sheets in Nick's room, Rafaela surrendered to the feeling that had been growing inside her for a long time. And, although she knew that this would change everything between them, she decided not to think about the consequences. It was their first time, and that made them closer than ever.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***