𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 | 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

０２１．

Ren thought that she knew Rafe pretty well.

Aside from the fact that they'd been all but attached at the hip for over a week now, he'd opened up about some pretty personal shit to her. He'd trusted her with hiding a body. She figured that made them pretty close by any standards.

But in spite of all of that, she was still entirely taken aback to see how fucking charasmatic he could be.

She'd handed him a few dime bags and cut him loose into the crowds gathering at her father's clubs, and then she and Vanessa had watched with jaws dropped as Rafe offered handsome, friendly smiles in exchange for more money than even Ren made on a normal night.

And though she'd never admit it, part of her was bothered by it. Not by the fact that he was selling so much so quickly -- that didn't make a difference to her. No, she was bothered by the way he'd smile for a heartbeat too long at especially pretty tourist girls, the way he didn't shy away if his fingers brushed against theirs when he handed them their drugs.

Rafe wasn't her boyfriend. Whatever they were, it certainly hadn't been decided that it was exclusive. For fuck's sake, she was still struggling to admit to herself that she was using him to get information so her father could decide whether or not he wanted to rob the Cameron family blind.

And still, she found herself gritting her teeth and reaching for another shot every time Rafe leaned down to whisper in the ear of yet another pretty blonde girl as she batted her lashes at him in hopes of getting free drugs.

"I'm going to get out there, try to get the rest of this sold," Ren muttered after a particularly brutal swallow of whiskey.

She watched as Vanessa narrowed her eyes, glancing between Ren as she bent down for another shot and Rafe, standing by the bar and handing out dime bags like they were candy.

Ren and Vanessa had been friends for nearly a decade now. Ren was very much aware that Ness was clocking every shot taken, every lingering glance in Rafe's direction. Her friend knew exactly what was going through Ren's head, and Vanessa made no effort to hide her narrowed eyes as she said, "You're just torturing yourself pretending like you're not in love with him."

Ren choked on her shot, nearly coughing a lung out as she struggled to process Vanessa's unexpected claim. With eyes still watering, Ren sputtered, "Oh my god -- what?"

With a smug, satisfied grin, Vanessa just shrugged. "That was a shot in the dark, but thank you for confirming my suspicions," she said, raising her brows knowingly as she took a slow sip of her martini.

"I don't love him," Ren defended helplessly, "I barely even know him. I just -- we aren't even, like -- it's just sex."

"Oh, it's just sex, but he pretty much lives with you, and you're also letting him get in on the family business, which you never even considered with Cain, and you look at him like he hung the fucking moon, and you're notoriously moody but also somehow in the worst mood I've ever seen you in while he's down there flirting with tourists. Don't bullshit me, Ren," Vanessa crowed, laughing as she leaned back in her seat.

Before her friend could take note of the blush heating her cheeks, Ren rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, holding up her middle finger to Vanessa before making her way toward the heart of the club with dime bags in her hand.

She didn't love him. She didn't give a fuck, Ren promised herself. Vanessa was just being ridiculous. She was probably drunk and rambling, even though she'd only had about half as many shots as Ren had.

Yeah, that's what it was. Drunk rambling.

Infinitely grateful for the darkness on the dancefloor hiding her bright red face, Ren scanned the club. She took note of a tall boy, probably a year or so younger than her, making his way toward Rafe with eyes fixed on the bags of coke in his hands.