𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝙨𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.

─☼☼☼─

"𝙇𝙊𝙏𝙏𝙄𝙀."

She didn't open her eyes but pulled the blankets up over her head at the sound of his voice.

"Lottie."

This time when he spoke, he was closer to her, his voice almost directly in her ear.

"You've gotta get up."

His hand gently reached out, tugging the covers to reveal the slumbering Charlotte who still refused to open her eyes.

"No." She grumbled, blindly reaching out to try and re-cover herself. "It's too early."

Rafe let out a breathy laugh, bending down to press a kiss to her bare shoulder. "The potential dealer is going to be here in an hour. We gotta get ready."

Prying open one of her eyes, Charlotte drank in Rafe's appearance.

He face will still written with sleep, his chest bare, a pair of pajama pants hanging loosely around his waist.

Unwillingly, Charlotte's thoughts strayed to the night before, the way their bodies had been tangled together in the sheets.

It was the first time they had slept together since the day after everything went down on the airstrip.

But even thought everything was different now, it didn't feel like that when they were together like that.

Seeming to mirror Charlotte's thoughts, Rafe took a hold of one of her hands, gently pulling her up and toward him. "Trust me," he murmured, eyes scanning her partially dressed body, "I would much rather stay in bed all day."

Knowing the influence she had on him, Charlotte closed the space between them, their lips instantly finding one another's. Rafe secured his hands on Charlotte's face, his hands cradling her jaw like two puzzle pieces fitting together.

Leaning forward, Charlotte let her hands roam Rafe's bare chest, earning a small grunt from the back of his throat.

"I know what you're doing." He mumbled, their lips still partially pressed together.

Grinning, Charlotte pulled away, giving him puppy-dog eyes. "What am I doing?"

Looking down for a moment, Rafe pursed his lips. "You know what."

"Oh come on!" Charlotte called as Rafe disappeared into the bathroom. "Why are you so worried about selling this damn cross. You already have the gold!"

Silence settled for a moment before Rafe spoke from the bathroom. "Is that what this is about?" He wondered, voice hitching slightly. "You're trying to stop me from selling the cross."

Charlotte exhaled, flopping back down on the pillows, knowing that's exactly what she wanted to do. "It's not yours." She said quietly, afraid of bursting the bubble they had been in for the past few weeks. 

When he emerged from the bathroom, Rafe wasn't wearing a look of anger, in fact, he looked almost sympathetic. 

A sigh tumbled from his lips as he rounded the bed, crouching down in front of Charlotte. "I know this is hard for you." He said softly, "But this cross is mine, okay? I got took it out of that church, I got it from Limbrey, I saved it from ending up at the bottom of the ocean. Can't you see that?"