The Arrangement

Chapter Ten

Lily woke with a start when she heard someone banging on her door. Used to emergencies at the hotel, she was quick to sit up and scan around the room. When she realized that she wasn't at home, she frowns as she glance at the clock beside her bed.

Lily had to grab the clock and stare at it closely just to be sure she was really seeing the right numbers. The banging sound on her door didn't stop and it was annoying her.

"It's barely four o'clock." She mutters, glaring at  the still closed door. "Who in their right mind would be up at this hour?" Choosing to ignore whoever was making all of that racket, Lily lay back down and buried herself under all of those pillows in a vain attempt to block off the noise.  

The knocking stops for a moment or two but came back in such a persistent manner. Despite all of the pillows covering her head, Lily could still hear it.

"Go away." She groans tiredly.

The knocking stops a second time. A moment later, it came back with a vengeance.

Unable to go back to sleep with all the infernal racket, Lily finally slipped off her bed. Dragging on a robe and slipping on her slippers, she slowly made her way to the door. "Someone had better be threatening to blow up this house if you people expect me to wake up at this godforsaken time." She mutters, annoyed that the person knocking wouldn't stop.

Maybe I should hit this person with something REALLY solid?  Lily thought grumpily, trying to keep her eyes open but failing miserably. That will certainly give me some peace and quiet around here.

She had just opened the door when someone large rushed in, grabs her unceremoniously before giving her a really tight hug.

"Good morning Lily!" Raph greets cheerfully while he happily rubs his cheeks on Lily's chest.  

Lily had certainly woke up with a jolt when Raphael Villafuente had her in his arms. She managed to pushed herself away from the man before she took several steps back and quickly ties her gaping robe close before eyeing the man warily.

"Raphael Villafuente," Lily mutters, recalling the very excitable man from last night. "Wha - what are you doing here?"

Raph's face made a dramatic change.

If Lily hadn't seen it with her own eyes she wouldn't have believed how quickly his moods changes. One minute his face had the look of immense joy a second later it warps into a fierce frown.

Raph marched towards her determinedly and had managed to back her to the wall. Trapping her between his huge arms, Raph leans forward. "Raph." He said in a dead serious, no nonsense voice. "I told you to call me Raph."

"Raph." Lily whispers out, testing the name for the first time. The moment she had whispered his name the man suddenly burst into a brilliant smile.

Really scary.

Lily wonders which was worst, a foul mouth fiancée or this unstable childlike cousin of his.

Trying to put some distance between them, Lily slips out from under his arms and took a measured step back. It still unnerved her to be this close to the huge man.

"Would you mind telling me why you're here?" Lily asks him, "At this time of the day?"

Forgetting his earlier upset, Raph smiles even brighter. "I came to help you dress."

Lily could actually feel her jaw drop. She really didn't know what had shocked her the most. His short but blunt response or the fact that he was actually there to do what he had just said.