𝗥𝗔𝗙𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 ↬ [𝐄N]

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗞

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

╰┈➤ 𝘙𝘈𝘍𝘌 𝘐𝘕𝘚𝘐𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘋 𝘖𝘕 𝘛𝘈𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘔𝘌 back home. It was past midnight and I would have to walk all over Figure 8 to get to my brother and I's cabin. My cell phone battery was dead and I didn't know my friends' numbers. So his offer was actually quite right for me. A little company was always good.

I put a joint from JJ between my lips and Rafe, who was standing across from me, lit it for me. "Thanks," I ground out, blowing the smoke against his lips. "You should change. Weed isn't nearly as dangerous as cocaine, my friend."

He nodded, somewhat vigorously.
"I know, I know I'm getting clean. I promise."

I nodded in return, hoping for him he would keep his word. It only fueled his aggressiveness and impulsiveness, and that would ruin his future. Of course I would support him. It was almost impossible to do it alone.

"What were you doing out here by yourself, Emma?" he asked, noticing the urgency in his voice. Almost like he was expecting something that would throw him out of control. What was he thinking?

"Nothing special," I replied silently, taking another hit and looking toward the beach as I ran. "Come on. We both know that's a lie, huh?" I let out a sad sigh.
So sad that Rafe noticed.

He stopped and grabbed my shoulders and lifted my chin with his index finger - which had his ring on it.

"Who hurt you, Emma?," he asked again. His features more serious and icy than I had ever seen them.

I smoothed his hair a bit with my hand. "I like your new haircut."

Rafe was growing impatient. "Emma..." I just shook my head, examining his blue eyes and losing myself in them for a fraction. They were just as dangerous as the sea, which stole my dad from me before I even got to know him.

"Nobody hurt me, Rafe. Sometimes you just torment yourself with sad thoughts," I said and walked on. He caught up with me one way or another.

"Tell me your thoughts," he asked, seeming more ... hopeful this time and understanding.

"John B never got a chance to meet our mom before she died. And I never got a chance to meet our dad before he disappeared at sea. My brother and I grew up unaware of each other's existence. All the time that was stolen from us. All the empty memories that could have been made full."

"And what do you mean by full memories?" Rafe asked, walking a tad closer to me. I didn't know his voice could sound so calm. So vulnerable. I glanced at him. "A full memory is, for example, when the whole family sits at the kitchen table and eats. There are laughter, stories are getting told. It's like you can grab the love floating around in the room. And like she's floating into your heart all by herself."

I paused immediately, hating myself for telling him so much about myself. About things nobody knows but I.

I was embarrassed. But as soon as I looked into Rafe's eyes again, there was nothing but admiration. A hasty smile crept down the corners of my mouth before I looked ahead again. "Empty memories are different. They take up a lot more memory in your brain, as Pope would put it. They are like clouds that cover the others like the sun. How Dad taught John B how to fish or how to drive a boat, for example. This is an empty memory. My mom and I would have had room in it. Then they would have become one."

It wasn't until Rafe stroked my cheeks and had what must have been the most regretful look on his face, that I realized I'd been crying.

"We have to move on, Rafe," I murmured distractingly, more than embarrassed. However, he shook his head in the negative. "No. We'll walk until you're not sad anymore, okay? I don't want to leave you with a conscience that you're unhappy. Fuck, Emma, I don't care about any of them, alright?! I don't care about anyone! I don't even care about myself. But you ... you're probably the only person in this fucking world I care about that feels like completing the ugliest part of my soul."

I froze. And I really didn't know what to do now. It felt like things were finally making sense. And like things are about to get worse. But most of all, it was sad. It was even heartbreaking. Literally.

"Oh Rafe, your soul is not ugly. Not a bit. She's just broken. Hurt because you were harmed. Probably still are," I breathed against his lips, running my finger over it very gently and then looking at him. His words delicate: "That's- ... how you put your thoughts into words ... that's beautiful." I smiled and buried my face in his chest, hearing his heart beating loud.

And when I looked up at him again, he took my face in both his hands and kissed me. His lips said the rest of the things he couldn't. And they were so gentle with me in a way that Rafe Cameron couldn't have been expected to be. But I could feel much more what he had meant. As if two things had finally found their right place.

: ̗̀➛

"Wait, wait, there's someone," I whispered to Rafe after we reached John B's hut, pulling him behind a hedge with me. JJ and my friend Meggi were standing in front of us. JJ held her blonde hair in her hand and braided it into a braid. He was really good at it. And it suited her perfectly.

After she turned back to him, he had her cape on her head. "Look, suits you even better than me." JJ winked at her and looked our way.

Startled, I staggered back a little, bumping into Rafe, who stumbled and fell onto me, although I felt his muscular arms trying to hold me.

"Shit." I scrambled to my feet, sitting bolt upright on top of him, blushing bright red at the realization. Rafe just grinned, his hands placed on my hips.
"I could get used to that."

"Sorry..."

"Nothing you need to be sorry for," he interrupted, then shifted his gaze behind me.

Oh no. I suspected bad. "Did you both want ... behind a bush?," came JJ's confused voice, making the situation even more awkward.

I now stood fully on my feet and helped Rafe to his. Before I could say anything, he cut me off again. "That's none of your business, man."

My gaze slid to Meggi, who had an expression on her face that was almost screaming with happiness. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. After all, there was no party here and neither of them lived here. Or ... was it what I thought?

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜