When We Were Young

Chapter 33

Paula woke up the next day and for a moment her eyes roamed around the spacious and fancy bedroom in confusion until she recalled that she had moved in with Rafael the previous day. She rubbed her sleepy face and gave out a weary sigh. For the past month, her life was taking dramatic turns but she was glad that it had not affected Nina. In fact she was happy about changing houses.

She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and gasped. She must have been dead asleep to miss twenty five missed calls from Leandro.

She clicked on his messages.

"Are you okay,Paula? I am trying to reach you but you are not answering your calls."

"I am worried about you. Call me as soon as possible."

"Tell me he didn't force you into this?"

She felt a prickle of guilty. Leandro was clearly in love with her yet she never felt anything for him but sisterly affection. She has to tell him how she feels in case his hopes are up.

There was a light knock on the door and Mrs Bradshaw,the elderly housemaid peeked her head in.

"I came to tell you that breakfast is ready."

"I will be down in fifteen minutes," she replied with a polite smile.

After the maid left,she hopped into the bathroom and took a shower. She didn't want to be rude and keep people waiting for her on her first day.

She wore her yellow summer dress and sandals. She took her moment brushing her long dark hair until it shone. Her hand froze midway when she was about to apply lipstick.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and she frowned.

Why is she doing all this?

Who is she trying to look good for?

Paula knew the answer but she didn't want to admit it to herself. She closed the lipstick with a sigh.

"Rafael will never look at you like that again after everything that happened," she told her reflection in the mirror.

Nina,Rafael and Hazel were already having breakfast when she went downstairs. She stopped at the last stair watching them. They had not seen her yet.

Hazel was loading more tortilla espanola (Spanish omelette) in Nina's plate.

"You need to eat more, princesa."

Paula pursed her lips, about to let out a laugh. Nina looked shocked as Hazel continued to heap more food on her plate.

"I can't eat all this, abuela," Nina cried in protest.

Hazel simply ruffled Nina's hair with a warm smile.

"You need more flesh on these bones,mija."

Rafael lowered his morning newspaper and laughed.

"That's how she used to be when l was little," he told Nina.

"Did you eat all the food then?," Nina asked,her small eyes wide with surprise.