𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦

"I'm sorry I started the fire, Tate. If I had known you were up there-I'd have never done it," Rafe said as the couple got into the truck.

"Rafe, you need to leave me the fuck alone. What I know about you could get you locked away for life, so unless you want that to happen, I'd let it go" Tatum buckled her seat belt and turned towards him.

She took a deep inhale, closed her eyes for a second, and looked back at Rafe, "Why are you so fucking obsessed?"

Rafe's brows furrowed, and he looked at her with a dumb expression on his face. "That's what you want to ask me right now?" He chuckled lightly.

"Why are you so fucking obsessed?" Tatum repeated herself again.

"I'm not obsessed with anything," Rafe grabbed her small hand in his bigger one.

"The fuck you're not. You've been obsessed with me for years, and when I told you I wouldn't make a decision, you killed Sheriff Peterkin," Tatum snarled at Rafe.

"Tatum, baby, I'm a big boy, don't think you have that much of an effect on me. And nothing I did today was because of you, she was going to kill my father, T. Your godfather," Rafe stared at her.

"Just because you're 6'2 doesn't make you a big boy mentally, Rafe. You act like a fucking child, and you never get punished for it. And she was arresting him," Tatum scowled, rolling her eyes.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Tatum," Rafe chuckled lowly, "You're only talking shit because you won't admit you're in love with me."

Tatum scoffed, her eyes practically bulging outside of her head.

"Oh, wow, Rafe. Could you get a bigger ego? Oh, the Kook Prince, everyone, bow at his feet! You're an asshole to everyone besides me. Do you think that makes you a likable person?"

"I don't have to be a likable person as long as people respect me. That's what matters most," Rafe said in all seriousness.

"That's what matters most? Rafe, people don't respect people who don't respect other people. Your name is what gets you through life," Tatum could speak to that herself, being a Thornton and all.

"And so what? What if I do get my way because of my name? It's not like I'm known as Ward Cameron's favorite child, because that's Sarah. Has been her whole life too," Rafe pouted, turning the car left to the Cameron estate.

"Don't you want something more for yourself? More than being a Cameron? More than being linked to this dreadful life we live? You just shot someone, and you're not grasping the reality of what you did, Rafe."

Rafe rolled to a stop at a red light, turning to look over at Tatum. "Why do you care so much about how I'm perceived, Tate? Like you said, I'm not your boyfriend so what does it matter?"

Tatum knew Rafe was lowkey gaslighting her, but she needed to show him that she cared for a reason. That he was the reason.

"Have you noticed how even though you killed a woman today, I'm still in an enclosed space with you? Just the two of us?"

She readjusted herself in the passenger seat, turning to face him some more.

"Just because I said I couldn't make a decision, doesn't mean there's nothing there, Rafe. We can be flirty and have our fun, but when it comes to a relationship, you can't just walk out the door when I call you a douchebag."

Rafe thought back to the time he was hanging out with Tatum at her house, and when he asked why they didn't hang out more often, she gave that exact answer.

The thing was, Rafe acted like an asshole because that's what he had been shown his whole life. Ward Cameron was the biggest fucking closeted asshole in Outer Banks.