And you've set | Rafe Cameron

C H A P T E R 20

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Knowing what she would have to do, Callie already prepared the way she would tell Rafe it was over. Maybe a little "I can't be with you anymore" would be enough?

She didn't want to do it on the phone so she knew she would just wait until the next day, which wasn't the best day to tell him either. It didn't matter, she would be broken anyways.

Callie rushed inside her house, didn't even pay attention to who was inside and ran towards her bedroom. She laid on her bed and cried in her pillow, sobs almost choking her.

She felt a hand covering her back and immediately jumped in fear. She turned around and saw Rafe, with Cooper standing in the door's gap.

She covered her mouth with both of her hands as Rafe pulled her in for a hug. She kept crying, not even paying attention to the words he was telling her.

He left kisses on her hair as she kept crying, and Cooper looked at her with empathy in his eyes.

"I can't do it," she sobbed, as he pulled away a little bit. "I- I really can not"

"What can't you do?" Rafe sat on the bed next to her and Cooper sat down on the floor.

"Hey Callie you'll be fine it can't be that bad," Coop spoke, to what he faced Rafe's dark gaze.

"Breaking up with you " she breathed deeply. "I can't but JJ- he- he said I must choose," she looked at her brother, then at Rafe "I can't have both he said"

Rafe didn't reply but hugged her tighter, one arm around her waist the other one in her hair. She wrapped her arms around him too and rested her head on him. She kept crying but silently, not daring to break the silence.

"Well I've never loved that kid. You could start hanging out with us. Or Sarah I'm sure she'd-"

"Coop stop," Rafe understood it wasn't the best way to deal with the situation. "See how she cries, I don't think it's what she wants and you're not helping now"

Callie nodded, pulled away and curled up her knees against her chest. "You don't have to choose Sanders"

"I'm scared I have to"

"Is there a way Rafe and I can help?" asked Cooper, obviously lost.

"Yes there's a way we can help. But she won't like it"

Callie looked at Rafe weirdly, not sure what he was thinking about. "I'll talk to him, personally"

"No Rafe, how is it gonna help?" Callie asked, wondering how the hell was this a good idea.

"Trust me" he only replied, before getting up and walking towards her desk.

He grabbed her phone and she got up immediately. "Don't call him! Things could get worse"

"Oh yeah? how? I mean how can it be worse?" Rafe said, coming back to sit on the bed and unlocking her phone.

"Fine," she finally agreed.

Rafe got into Callie's contacts and found JJ's number. He called a first time but JJ refused the call.

"Of course he won't reply," Callie mumbled, as her brother left the room in defeat.

Rafe called him three times more until JJ finally replied. Callie's heart missed a beat when she heard his voice.

"Damn Cal what the hell? Why would you call me four time? " JJ asked on the other side of the phone.

She could hear he was still mad at her, but this call was her last chance and she knew it. He still showed that he cared and it meant a lot to her.

"Hey bro it's Rafe"

JJ stayed silent for a few seconds until they heard a sigh. "What do you want?"

"I just wanna talk. Nothing more"

"Fine tell me but please make it quick"

"I think it's dumb reacting this way. We both love her and you can't tear her apart from me. Just the way I can't tear her apart from you"

"She's too good for you"

"Yes she is, but look, I really love her, and I won't hurt her I promise"

JJ left out another sigh and stayed quiet for a while. "Damn she's not a girl for you. But if you promise you-"

"We both want her to be hap-"

"let me finish. If you promise you won't cheat or anything, then I can make a bit of efforts. I'll still hate and you'll still be in my sights but I think I can pretend. If it's for her"

Callie quietly raised her arms in the air and acted like a winner at the end of a race would. "I promise"

"She really loves you, you know?" JJ said. Callie smiled and so did Rafe.

"I know, I won't disappoint her," Rafe replied and Callie felt butterflies in her stomach.

After he hung up the phone, Callie felt a hundred times better than an hour ago and couldn't express how glad she was.

"Thank you Cameron," she kissed him on the lips, then about ten times all over "Indeed I love you Rafe," she said smiling.

They both laid in the bed, and Callie finally felt like breathing again. "When will I stop saving your life?" Rafe asked to joke, before tickling her. She bursted out in laugh and tried to put his hands off her.

Once the laugh subsided, Callie looked at him and finally asked what she wanted to ask him since California and their discussion. "How has it been going with your dad?"

"He almost kicked me out yesterday. I don't even know why," he explained, drawing circles on her arm. "It's like he loves hurting me"

"Wow I'm sorry," Callie said, taken aback by his words. "Maybe James isn't that bad then"

Rafe rolled eyes and gave her a quick head kiss. "It's not because other people go through some shit, that you have to be okay with what you're going through"

She nodded and kissed him gently, thanking him for being there when she needed him.

That's true, he had always been there. After what happened with Topper, to drive her until Stanford when no one else could, to protect her from Topper once more at Mainland and even now.

Later that day, Rafe came back home reluctantly and Callie fell asleep more relaxed and happy than expected. She was kinda scared to see JJ again but knew now he accepted, it would be easier.