𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, RAFE CAMERON

10.

| Chapter Ten |

My body was shaking, I could feel it. My eyes rolled underneath my eyelids as if trying to open but it felt like they were glued shut. I couldn't decipher if I was being held down or if it was just my mind that thought it was in chains in a torture room you only see in horror movies.

My body jerked forward as my eyes jolted open, the static feeling buzzing from my fingertips to my arms. My chest heaved as I looked around the relatively dark room. I could tell the sun was rising just by the hazy hue of light casting in from my window.

I gulped air down into my lungs and reached for my water bottle on my nightstand, remembering Rafe sleeping on the floor once I saw his covered body spread across the blankets.

I closed my eyes but opened them shortly after seeing the nightmare reliving itself behind the darkness. It was horrifying, seeing those things and experiencing them when you have no idea what started it.

I scooted back against my headboard and sat there staring into the abyss for what felt like an eternity. I was startled when I heard shuffling beside my bed, looking down to see Rafe waking up.

After a few minutes of stirring around, he eventually sat up and glanced over at me, jumping back when he saw me staring at him.

"What are you doing up?" He whispered in a raspy voice, running his fingertips along his face as if to feel the scars forming from the previous night.

"I just woke up." I shrugged and ran a hand over my face before rubbing the tiredness from my eyes.

We sat in silence for a few seconds before he stood up and began folding the blankets that he slept with. "Are you coming to ours later?" He turned to glance at me as he handed me my pillow.

I took it from him and sighed, "I don't know yet. If I do, it'll be later tonight because my parents invited the Snows over for dinner tonight." I groaned and watched his face scrunch up in disgust.

"Have fun with that." He rolled his eyes but stopped for a short moment. He side-eyed me but continued with finishing the blankets.

"I'll try. I only know Cassian and I feel like it's going to be awkward." I huffed and stood from my bed, taking the blanket from him.

I turned back to him and gazed up at his bruised face, "Try not to get into trouble with your father and make sure Sarah is okay for me, yeah?" I asked softly and ran my fingertips carefully against his cheekbone.

He grasped my hand that was held up to his face and nodded, taking my hand in both of his and kissing my palm. "Thank you. If you weren't here then I don't know where I would've gone." He whispered and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm always here if you need me, you know that." I mumbled against his shoulder.

"I'll see you soon, love." He smiled lightly and dropped his hand from mine once he backed away.

I nodded and waved my fingers toward him, watching him silently slip out of my room. I walked to my window and waited for him to walk out of my door, smiling down at him once he looked up at me.

—

Later that day, five o'clock to be exact, I was rushing to pick out an outfit as our guests were arriving in the next few minutes and I had no idea what to wear. I scanned through my closet as my mind ran a thousand miles a minute with thoughts about how this night was going to go.