'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter XC

"Well that's just disappointing."

Your moment with Rafe was abruptly interrupted when a girls voice with a toxic tone to it was heard from close by you, snapping you back into reality. Both you and Rafe turn your heads to see the girl from the convenience store standing in place, alone but with a couple of tote bags on her shoulder like she had just finished shopping.

Rafe straightens his posture as he angles his head back in annoyance while you stand in front of him, confused as to why she felt the need to cut in at all.
"Heather." He says as he stares daggers at her.
"From the shop?..." You ask quietly.
"What of it?" Heather spits, switching her gaze from Rafe to you with a face of disgust.

Heather was still holding a grudge against Rafe since the day he purchased the helium balloons from her fathers shop before the Midsummers party, back when Rafe had shrugged her off so carelessly for the other girl standing in the isle. You.
She hadn't ever been the type to stay true to only one guy but her one time fling with Rafe at a bone yard party all those years ago had left her with a certain type of perception for him. Rafe wasn't easy like the other guys she involved herself with.
He was mean, hard to understand and stand-offish. He was simply different.

"What's so disappointing, Heather?" Rafe asks, impatiently.
Heather flashes an amused smirk as she looks you up and down with a cold gaze, wondering how a puny little half-pogue girl could have softened him up so much in a way that Heather couldn't.
"What you've become, obviously." She laughs.
"I'm sorry-?"
"When did you get sooo...what's the word..."
"Busy?" You finish, annoyed.
"Revolting."

You fix your stance to face her as you turn your body away from Rafe, your moment completely robbed now as Heather remains invading on your juice date.
She has always had something against you since the day you met her but you couldn't ever figure out what or why, but it was becoming progressively obvious now that she was angry at the world for lacking in something that you didn't.
She was envious.
The side glances, the attitude, the obsession with that god forsaken bone yard party and her delusion with Rafe. It adds up too perfectly.

Rafe scrunches his face in bewilderment at Heathers random show of rudeness towards him considering the last time he had spoke to her, she was leaning over a cash register, head over heels in an embarrassing attempt for his attention.

Heather cocks an eyebrow up at you, confused as to why you don't seem to be reacting to her.
"Well? Are you just gonna stand there?" She asks.
"What?" You giggle smugly, "You want me to jump your ass? Cause I will."
"Y/N-" Rafe grins, amused at this side of you.
"Excuse me?" Heather remarks as she averts her appalled gaze to Rafe instead, "This? This is what you're into? Some rabid pogue girl with no class?"
"Rabid but she's got infinitely less STD's than you, I'm sure." He smirks as he proudly pulls you into his side.
Heathers jaw drops as her eyebrows furrow angrily together. Her floozy reputation getting the better of her as she grips her tote bags tightly before pushing past you and Rafe, continuing up the street with heavy footed stomps.
"What a toddler." You say in disbelief.
Rafe finds himself amused as he watches Heather clumsily trip over her own feet, unable to keep up with herself as she hurries away steaming all while you stare off to the side, unsure of what's gotten into you all of a sudden. You feel...

Is it jealousy?
No, surely not.
But what if this provokes her even more now?
Rafe clearly thinks nothing of her.
But they have history together.

Your mind runs wild with intrusive thoughts, battling yourself for contentment as you try to tell yourself that Heather, as pungent as she is, was nothing to concern yourself over.

You dwell deeply on the thought.
It almost wins you over until you feel Rafes arms swiftly swoop you up into his body, pulling you clean out of your train of thought. He hunches over you in laughter as he holds you tightly in an embrace and before you could return the hug, he pulls away again, smiling down at you energetically.
"What was that?" He laughs, "You jump people these days? You've definitely been taken in by the pogues, that's for sure."
You can't seem to speak but he doesn't take notice. He holds you by the hand, swaying it in his as he begins to lead you back to the beach.
"We're on a roll today, look at us!" Rafe exclaims excitedly as he takes a sip of his juice when he finally acknowledges your silence, looking down at you to see you haven't even tried your own juice.
"Hey, is something wrong?" He asks, softly.

Rafes sudden change in behaviour and tone surprises you. The transition from his fun and excited tone to then a gentle and placid one makes you realise what Heather meant.

I'm not holding him back, am I?
But he loves you, right?
Heather knows the real him.
Who's to say which is the real him?
The fact that I don't know, says a lot.

"Hey?"
You look up to meet Rafes eyes that were now filled with nothing but concern for you. Entirely different  from his upbeat poise from before. You feel guilty.
"Wha-...what?"
"Are you alright, Y/N?" He asks, sweetly.
"Yeah..."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry about me! I'm fine!" You respond  suddenly cheerful with a big, bright smile spread wide across your face but not a second of it was authentic.

His hand tightens in yours as the long stretch of  water comes into view again at last, seeing the others laying across their boards as they wait for you to return. The wind instantly grows wild with sea breeze, causing the petals of the flower in your hair  to dance amidst its gusts until it leaves you solely, landing on the sand to be buried in its grains.