you

⁸

As the night progressed, Laila found herself unable to shake the weight of their earlier conversation. She stole glances at Rafe across the room, watching as he interacted with others, a magnetic presence that drew others in, even as her heart raced with confusion.

When the discussions finally wrapped up, Laila excused herself for some fresh air, hoping to clear her head. She stepped outside onto the porch, feeling the cool breeze on her skin. The stars sparkled above, and she closed her eyes, trying to find some semblance of peace.

"Mind if I join you?" Rafe's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to see him standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable.

"Why not?" she replied, her tone more sarcastic than she intended. "It's not like I can escape you anyway."

He stepped closer, leaning against the railing beside her. "You know, I didn't expect to see you here. Not with Cole."

"Yeah, well, surprises are the theme of the weekend ," Laila replied, crossing her arms defensively. "I thought I was coming here to work, not to deal with you and your undeniable charm."

Rafe chuckled softly, a sound that turned her insides into knots. "Undeniable charm? Is that what you call it? I thought it was just me being honest."

"Honestly annoying," she retorted. The air between them thrummed with unsaid words and unacknowledged feelings.

"Laila," Rafe said, his tone turning serious. "What do you really want?"

She felt her heart race at his proximity, the familiar tension rising once more. "You think you know me so well, don't you?"

"Better than anyone else," he replied, his voice low and intense. "And that's what scares me. Because no matter how much I try to move on, I can't shake the fact that you still get under my skin."

"What does that even mean?" she demanded, frustration bubbling to the surface. "You were the one who chose to walk away, Rafe. You could have fought for us, but you didn't."

"I thought you were happy with Cole?" he shot back,almost laughing, voice rising slightly. "I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go."

"Letting me go?" Laila laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "You didn't let me go. You abandoned me when I needed you the most!"

Rafe's expression softened, a glimmer of regret flashing in his eyes. "I never meant to hurt you, Laila. You have to believe that."

"Why should I?" she challenged, her heart racing with anger and longing. "You made your choice, Rafe."

"And now I'm here, trying to figure out if I made the right choice," he admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper. "But seeing you with him? It's harder than I thought it would be."

Laila's heart twisted painfully in her chest at his confession, his vulnerability cracking through the walls she had built around herself. "So that's it? You regret leaving me because you see me with someone else?" she shot back, her voice sharper than she intended. "That's not fair, Rafe."

"It's not about fairness," he replied, frustration evident in his tone. "It's about honesty. I'm not the only one who has feelings in this situation. You act like you've moved on, but I can see it in your eyes—you're still conflicted. A couple days ago you were feigning for me."