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"Are you out of your mind?"Kiara almost shouted.
"Seriously? You guys were pushing for me to get closer to Rafe, and now that I'm practically as close as possible, you're judging me?" My disbelief was palpable as I locked eyes with them.
Perched in the restaurant's storage room, we aimed to keep our voices down to avoid stirring up trouble among the guests. With JJ teetering on the brink of quitting, we couldn't afford to worsen the situation by arguing in the middle of the restaurant.
"We wanted you to get closer to him, alright? Not to get together with him," John B clarified.
"We're not in a relationship!" I snapped back, as I met the silent stare of the blonde guy in front me. A wave of regret washed over me,drowning me in guilt and consuming my thoughts. JJ's cold, icy eyes cutting through me like a knife, a reminder of my thoughtless action.Sleeping with Rafe was a mistake, a betrayal of JJ's feelings. I couldn't shake the remorse for disregarding his emotions and diving into something with someone else...
Despite everything, I couldn't deny the overwhelming emotions I felt for Rafe. No matter their wrongness and the guilt they brought, his presence was intoxicating.He was like cocaine. In his presence, nothing else mattered;the world around us seemed dissolved into unimportance.
"I trust you," JJ's voice finally broke the heavy silence of the small storage room.
"But please, don't disappoint me, Anna." With those words he got up and left, leaving the weight of his trust on my shoulders.
Fuck.
"I know that Rafe can be very manipulative, Anna, so don't fall for it. If you do , you're fucked." Pope's words disrupted the tense air, his hand resting reassuringly on my shoulder, urging me to keep calm.
"He is right,Anna,"Kiara's voice was firm, repeating Popes warning. "Once you start believing even a fraction of his lies, there is no turning back." My thoughts raced with doubt and guilt. Was it really a lie when Rafe had taken the lives of more than ten men because of me?
Just then, the door swung open, revealing Rafe's presence. The look on his face spoke volumes, a storm was brewing behind his eyes, ready to unleash his anger. His anger wasn't directed at me though; it seemed to simmer beneath the surface, fueled by pure despise every time he saw the Pogues.
"We need to leave,"he said, strained with the effort to maintain composure.
I bid a hasty goodbye while not trying to cause any trouble, before leaving the small room. Rafe seized my hand as soon as we were amidst the many people, guiding me trough the exit. Only when we reached the deserted parking lot behind, he released his grip on my hand.
"Stop acting like my fucking boyfriend." I said and he smirked.
„I'm not your boyfriend?"he questioned.
Actually, I intended to reply with a simple 'no,' but a hesitation crept in, making me hold back. Rafe and I existed in that undefined space between "we are about to kill each other" and "we are going to fuck first and then kill each other" The night before we chose the second option because we were absorbed by the undeniable tension that have built up in all those days. But beyond that, it remained just that- a night where we couldn't control ourselves, nothing more.
"Did you ever ask me to be your girlfriend, Rafe?"I inquired instead.
He studied me slowly with his eyes, with the same smirk on his face that told me he was up to something.
"Get in, Ann."He gestured towards his car. : : : : : : : : : : :
"Are you plotting my death here?' I joked as I stepped out of the car. He had driven me to a hill overlooking the sea, the view was almost as beautiful as his blue eyes.
"Come sit with me," he almost whispered, settling at the edge of the hill. After a brief pause I easied myself beside him. A few moments passed in silence that was only broken by the rhythmic symphony of crashing waves and whispering winds.
"It's beautiful," I said after a while and immediately felt his gaze on me.
"My mother always brought me here." He explained and then swallowed hard. "It was our favorite place in the entire Outer Banks."
I could tell by his tone how difficult it was for him to talk about his mother, but he still did. Like he needed to tell me about it.
"How was your mother like?" I dared to ask. A quiet laugh escaped his lips and he looked forward again at the sun that was slowly disappearing under the sea.
"She was just wonderful. A person full of energy and love. She couldn't even hurt a fly and I hope that stayed that way. We didn't have any contact in all those years and I'm kinda scared of the day I will meet her again because I know how much she would hate me if she would find out that I'm just like him- that I'm just like my dad." With each sentence he found it more and more difficult not to burst into tears. I had never seen Rafe like that before, full of emotions that were about to explode.
"Rafe," I said, my hand gently resting on his shoulder, drawing his gaze towards me.
"You're different, okay?" I continued, meeting his eyes. "Ward may be a cold-hearted bastard," I said, a hint of amusement tinging my words, earning a chuckle from him and a faint smile from me.
"But you, Rafe, you're not like that. You were molded into something you're not by your father," I spoke softly.
His arms encircled me, pulling me into a hug unlike any other I've experienced. In that embrace, it felt as though our souls were intertwining, forging a connection stronger than words could convey.
His heart, which had been beating rapidly, calmed down and I could feel his warm soothing breath lightly on my neck.
"Anna," he said after a while.
"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" He asked and my heart almost jumped out of my chest.
I know that Rafe can be very manipulative, Anna, so don't fall for it. If you do , you're fucked
Once you start believing even a fraction of his lies, there is no turning back
