LITTLE SECRET | RAFE CAMERON

13: 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴

For a moment, Alice didn't know what to say, but she almost felt as if she had been a different person on his birthday. „you're messing with me"

„I'm not." He shook his head as if he had a clear picture of the night in his head.

The only thing that could've possibly explained what was going on in her head when she begged Rafe Cameron for a kiss was that she became quite...open as soon as a little alcohol started flowing through her veins. She would almost say that most of the time she not only overstepped her boundaries, but lost them completely when she drank a little.

Well, shit happens.

But what was much more important was that Rafe hadn't kissed her that night. Instead, he had taken her upstairs to the guest room and put her to bed. Alone, of course. And even when he'd covered her up with a blanket and watched her heavy eyes slowly fall shut and calm spread across her face, he'd still pulled himself together and ignored her request.

He didn't want her to wake up the next morning and find out she did something she never would've done sober.

Confident in herself, Alice shook her head and took a sip of her drink. „you're lying, I never beg"

„Oh yeah?" He huffed teasingly and pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, while his eyes pierced right trough hers.

His words were like whispered temptation.

She took a generous sip of her drink, hoping the alcohol would get to her sooner than what Rafe was doing. Or what she thought he was doing.

Alice knew that he liked to use his charm to win girls over, but now that she was experiencing it for herself, she understood why so many of them fell for him.

He was...a lot to bear.

She couldn't deny that lately she was having thoughts that you shouldn't have about your best friend's brother. Maybe it was because Sarah kept saying that in order to get over someone she would have to get under someone.

Did she consider that her own brother could possibly be that someone?

But as she looked at Rafe, something bored into the corner of her eye.

And Rafe could clearly see her gaze suddenly and slowly emptying. It was as if the brown of her eyes lost all color, as if she was looking straight through him while unease spread across her face.

She was staring at something behind him.

Well, or rather at someone.

With a furrowed brow, he glanced behind him and tried to follow her eyes. It might have sounded...self-absorbed, but he wondered what on earth was more interesting to her than him at that moment. His eyes frantically rushed through the crowd in search of the distraction until he spotted this mop of blond hair. At the sight, everything that had been so warm when he had looked at Alice froze inside him.

It was pure jealousy that he felt as he looked back at Alice, whose eyes were glued to JJ.

But what she felt when she saw JJ was very different from Rafe's feelings.

He looked...alright. He had dressed up a bit, which was unusual for someone like JJ. He wore a black vest over his white shirt, which he had buttoned up to the collar and had a matching bow tie at his neck, which presumably Kiara had tied for him, since he never knew how to do it himself. And his blond hair was back to the same length it had been when they'd first met.

The sight of him was a sting that threw her back in time and yet she knew they were both there for different reasons.

He was working for people like her and her family and her friends and everyone, who was lucky enough, to be born on the Kook side. And suddenly Alice felt so silly in her pretty dress and flower crown while she was having fun and fulfilling her Kook princess title.

Two different worlds and yet they existed at the same time.

She breathed in and finally looked at Rafe again, who's eyes narrowed. „I...I'm sorry" She apologized and raised her hands, tapping them briefly against his chest. „I'll be right back"

He shook his head in disbelief as he watched her walk away. His eyes followed her while he felt the desperation within him, because she left him behind just to get to JJ.

Alice saw his bright smile from afar as she walked towards him. Her steps were confident, showing no signs of the pain that she actually felt inside now that she was looking at him. She saw his eyes running down her, taking in the sight of her, but all she felt was pure disgust.

„What the hell are you doing here?" She pushed him lightly against the shoulder.

His smile faded out, but he laughed in confusion as deep lines formed on his forehead and held up the tray in his hand. „working"

„Working?" Alice huffed. „of all the possible jobs, you choose to work at Midsummer's?"

JJ scoffed in exasperation. „Sorry princess, but some people don't get everything shoved up their ass and have to take any job they can get"

The discussion caught the attention of a few people around them. Pairs of eyes full of confusion and almost even disgust towards JJ swung to them.

„You're unbelievable" She hissed through her teeth and grabbed JJ by the arm to flee out of sight of all the gawking eyes.

When they finally stood farther away, she took a deep breath, but JJ's eyes ate at her. Those damn blue eyes.

He cleared his throat. "you...uh, you look beautiful tonight"

„Oh yeah, have you already told Kie that?" She shot back while crossing her arms in front of her to close herself off from him.

„Can you please stop hating me so much because of one little mistake?" He sighed heavily.

„A little mistake?" She scoffed and looked at him in disbelief, shaking her head as she took a step closer to him. „you fucking cheated on me"

„It was a one-time thing and it meant absolutely nothing" He said and took a dangerous step towards her, their distance gradually narrowed. JJ carefully guided his hand up to a strand of her hair and gently pushed it behind her ear. His touch made her breath hitch as his eyes roamed over her face.

Those blue eyes which she used to love.

„I know what I did was wrong" JJ nodded as if he was trying to get her to believe him. The air between them thinned. „but...I was thinking of you"

He cheated on her. He cheated on her, let her see it for herself and now wanted to tell her that he was thinking of her?

The only person he was thinking about was himself.

„You're..." She began, her words getting cut off by her struggled breathing, „...you're the worst guy I ever fucking met"

It was the tears burning in Alice's eyes that made it impossible for her to breathe properly.

She slowly started to feel as if the material of her dress was tightening around her chest, leaving no room for her to breathe. She quickly turned away from him as she felt the first tear roll down her cheek.

„Alice, please" JJ reached for her hand to stop her.

„Don't..." She mumbled weakly and pulled her hand away, heading inside the Island Club as quickly as possible to disappear.

Disappear from JJ. From pain. From lies and her own heart that no longer felt like hers.