LITTLE SECRET | RAFE CAMERON

06: 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵

Alice felt the air swirling around her, the sun's warm rays warming her exposed skin. The leaves rustled softly as a breeze passed by, yet she remained lying on her sun lounger.

„Don't you wanna come in too, you've been lying in the sun for hours" Sarah called out to Alice, while she was in the pool with Topper.

Rafe sat at the edge of the pool. The sun beat down on his torso as his legs dangled in the water, and he listened silently to the conversation.

He looked over at Alice, who was still lying on her back with her face turned toward the glistening sun.

„Don't feel like swimming."

„Come on, you'll get sunstroke," Sarah kept trying, but Alice only replied with a dismissive hum.

She could already feel the hot sun draining her body, a weariness that settled over her. It wasn't that she didn't want to swim, it just had been hard enough for her to actually lie down out here in a bikini. And now that the two girls weren't alone anymore, she felt quite uncomfortable about showing off her body, so she just kept her eyes closed and let the sun burn down on her.

She already felt a little dizzy. The afternoon sun was unbearable.

And Rafe knew it too, as he stood up and walked over to her as quietly as he could. His broad frame blocked out the sun and cast a shadow over her.

„What do you want?" Alice's eyes narrowed as she opened them to see him standing next to her.

But she didn't get an answer.

Instead, he lifted her into his arms, making her squeal in surprise. Her hands cupped his neck, feeling his shallow goosebumps on her palms as he took his first steps towards the pool.

And even though she didn't trust him the most, she felt strangely safe with the way he held her body in his arms.

A security that Alice didn't want to feel.

„I took care of you when you were drunk, I'm not dealing with a sunstroke" He walked over to the edge of the pool.

„Rafe, put me down" She commanded.

A laugh escaped him as he stopped in front of the pool. She was already hanging over the water and all he had to do was let go and she would fall right in, but he didn't.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, making her eyes narrow.

Now that his cap held back his hair, his eyes had the space to shine and make her realize how deep they really went. The blue in them trapped her in his gaze.

Maybe this wasn't the right time to rave about his eyes. At least not when she also felt the touch of his fingertips on her body.

„Do you trust me?" He asked again.

„Should people trust you?" She shot back, causing him to glance down at the water for a moment.

„Probably not." He shrugged, his arms tightened around her and held her body close as he took the final step and jumped straight in with her.

Her lungs constricted as the pressure of the water took over her body. She gasped for air as soon as she was pulled back to the surface, her lower lip trembling from the cold as she clung to the shoulders of whoever had pulled her up.

She pushed her wet hair out of her face and rubbed the water out of her eyes before she looked into Rafe's face.

Beads of water hung from his eyelashes and made his blue eyes hit a spot inside her that she didn't even know she had for him.

„Let go of me, asshole" She pushed him away.

Rafe threw his soaked cap to the edge of the pool with a chuckle and pushed his wet hair back, letting the glittering beads of water roll down his chest.

She could already feel Sarah's arms wrapping around her shoulders from behind, but her eyes were glued to his, with a snarky smile playing on his lips.

As it began to cool, Alice was the first to climb out of the pool and felt a pair of eyes pierce her back as the water ran down her body.

She sat back down on her previous lounger and felt cold drops trickle down her back until a towel was handed to her.

„Thanks" She looked up at Rafe with a frown and took the towel from him, wrapping herself in it and watching as he sat down across from her.

His hair was darker than usual, soaked in water, still wet and tousled. He had a light sunburn on his cheeks, which she could clearly see when he glanced over at Sarah and Topper.

Alice didn't quite get it. Sometimes he was mean to her - just typical Rafe behavior - and then there were moments like the stupid towel thing.

Small wordless gestures that made her feel like he didn't hate her. At least not as much as she thought he did.

However, her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her phone.

„Hi sweetie, just calling to see if you'll be home for dinner" Her mother's voice sounded from the phone when Alice answered.

„Uh...yeah, I think so."

Frowning, Sarah joined Rafe and Alice, closely followed by Topper who shared the same silence as the two siblings.

„Should I send Ian to pick you up?"

After the moment in the kitchen earlier that day, Alice would have rather died than be alone in the car with her brother.

„No, I'll walk, it's only ten minutes"

„All right, be careful and don't talk to strangers" Laurel lectured before hanging up.

Alice reached for her loose beach dress that was draped over the back of the sun lounger.

„Mother Blakely calling?" Sarah chuckled.

„Yeah, she wants her daughter home for dinner" She replied, standing up and checking the time on her phone. „I have to go or she'll end up sending Ian to pick me up" She slipped on her sandals and ran the towel through her hair to dry it a bit.

„Do you want me to walk you home, it's getting late" Sarah offered.

„No, I'll be fine, it's only ten minutes."

Rafe watched her in silence. The dress she was wearing was thin, just above her knees. It was getting cooler, the sun was setting, and in the ten minutes she would be walking home, the sky would be bathed in pitch black.

He didn't like the idea of ​​what might happen if she walked home alone in that dress, „I'll drive you."