blessing in disguise - rafe cameron

04

A loud knock startled me out of my sleep. Completely bewildered, I blinked and rubbed my eyes, scanning my room. Finally, I realized where the knocking was coming from—it was my mother, hammering against my door for what felt like the fifth time in a row.

"Alright, I'm awake." I called out through the door, still feeling groggy, to which she promptly walked in a few seconds later.

"Remember, Jenara, we're going to the Country Club later." she reminded me of the reason why I had no intention of waking up on this particular morning.

"Can't I just join you another time?" I complained, tilting my head back.

Instantly, my mother's head tilted to the side, and I knew I stood no chance against her.

"Fine." I accepted my defeat before falling back into bed.

This was not how I had imagined my first proper day back at home to be like. I had spent the entire previous evening racking my brain, trying to come up with a way to get myself out of this situation, but no chance.

When it came to family matters, my mother didn't take jokes lightly. Whether I liked it or not, I had to live with it and prayed more than I ever had before.

I desperately wanted to avoid running into a certain someone.

But considering the fact that the Country Club was practically the second home of the Cameron family, my chances were slim—very slim.

Reluctantly, I had to peel myself out of my sheets and prepare for what could possibly be the worst day of my life.

After having breakfast, I quickly jumped into the shower before rummaging through my closet in search of something to wear. Eventually, I settled on white linen pants and a blue tube top. I spiced up my outfit with a few pieces of jewelry and a small shoulder bag. Like every day, I kept my makeup and hair fairly simple and natural.

Just a few minutes later, I heard my father calling my name, and I made my way downstairs, where I encountered my dolled-up parents. They had always placed great importance on our appearance, sometimes even more than their affection towards me.

"Why the long face, darling? It's going to be great!" My mother smiled at me, and all I could manage to get across was a brief nod.

During the drive, I plugged in my earphones to block out everything around me and zone out for a second. At that moment, I couldn't think of anything; my mind went blank. I could only feel the immense uncertainty creeping through my body, which had accompanied me since the second I set foot on the island.

Arriving at the Country Club, my parents hurried ahead, while I trailed behind, attentively observing my surroundings. I felt like a deer about to be caught in the headlights.

Taking a deep breath, I eventually entered the Country Club and scanned the guests. No sign of the Kook King. But to my surprise, I spotted another member of the Cameron family, who also looked directly into my direction.

"Jenara?" the brown-haired girl gasped, her jaw almost dropping to the floor.

"Wheezie, oh my gosh. Hi!" I smiled at her, it being one of the rare moments were I would genuinely smile.

Without saying another word, she wrapped her arms around me and held on tight. "I missed you so much."

I felt her rapid breathing gradually slow down as I gently stroked her back.

"I missed you too, little one."

"You know, if you want to talk to Rafe, he's outside." she whispered to me and giggled. Poor Wheezie never found out what really happened between her brother and I, but it was for the best. She was too young.