LITTLE SECRET | RAFE CAMERON

14: 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮

Alice stormed through a door, which led her directly into a locker room.

The room was pretty much empty, no one but her was there, which is why the bang of the door fell through the room with a reverberating echo.

The emptiness and silence gave her emotions more space.

She slowly sank down on the seat in the centre of the room, her tears running down her cheeks and partially falling down on the fabric of her dress, while she felt like her lungs were giving in.

It took a lot for her not to break down in her sobs, as she was weak when it came to pain. She hated showing that she had sides to her that made her vulnerable and hated crying in front of others. She had only shown her vulnerability to a few people before, which is why she frantically wiped the tears from her face when she heard quick footsteps approaching the door.

But when the door opened, she got caught in his eyes.

He had watched the whole situation between JJ and her. Had to witness every fucking detail.

How JJ came closer and closer to her, how he touched her hair, talked to her and tried to envelop her with the same charm with which he had probably managed to do so back then.

It was the way JJ's eyes were so hungry for Alice that had Rafe seething from afar.

But Rafe, who had previously felt restless inside and was actually on the verge of looking for the Maybank boy and making him regret everything, approached her as his anger slowly turned into actual concern.

„What did he do?" Rafe asked with pressure in his voice, walking towards her. „did he hurt you?"

Nothing came out of her, not even a small word, because she felt a sob stuck in the depths of her throat.

He sighed as he crouched down in front of her.

Shame streaked her face as she tried to flee from his gaze, embarrassed by her own tears. But Rafe brought his hand to her chin and lifted her face, their eyes meeting through the dim light above them.

„Don't shut me out" He whispered and let his hand move up to her cheek.

Shaking her head, she sniffled and cupped the wrist of his hand that was on her cheek. She leaned into his touch and bit her trembling lip.

„Tell me what he did, Alice"

„He...he didn't mean to-„ She tried to say something, anything, just so that the nightmare would end.

But it was far from over.

Her words were interrupted by the opening of the door that led into the room.

Their eyes shot to the door, which slammed shut again with a bang behind JJ, who stood there without a word.

Rafe's hand on her cheek. Alice's hand around his wrist.

„This can't be fucking true..." He scoffed angrily as Alice got up from her seat. „...so that's what this is about, I don't get a second chance because you're fucking Rafe now?"

„What?" She was stunned and felt Rafe rearing up behind her. „we're not...he has nothing to do with this, JJ"

„Out of everyone on this island, him?" JJ spat, raising his hand to point at Rafe.

She shook her head in disbelief. „I won't hold on to a love that was never there"

„There is love, Alice" JJ pointed between himself and her as he took a step closer to her. A step that resulted in Rafe stepping in front of her and rolling up his sleeves.

„I think you should leave" He said, the veins of his arms clearly visible now.

„I'm not afraid of you, bro" JJ challenged him provocatively.

„You sure about that, Maybank?" Rafe mocked with a laugh. „want me to hit you like your old man does?"

„Rafe, don't-„ She took a step towards him. No matter what JJ had done, the situation with his father was one thing she never wanted to use against him.

„Alice, go back outside" He interrupted her, however.

„No, I don't want-„

„I'm not asking you if you want to, I'm telling you to go" Rafe cut her off and turned to her, his eyes wandering over her face, which was covered with concern.

Alice shook her head. She was a few things, but she wasn't stupid. Leaving the two of them alone in a room would probably end up being the worst decision of her life.

„Come on..." He sighed as he stepped closer to her, his hands gently cupping the sides of her neck and his thumbs stroking her skin.

„Yeah Alice, go and wait outside, he'll fuck you like the slut you are afterwards, don't worry"

Rafe's gaze suddenly became empty, the previous light with which he looked at her fading away. His jaw tightened while she felt his hands stiffen on her shoulders, literally watching as the anger in him gained the upper hands. He curled his lips into a thin line and slowly moved away from her.

„No, no don't-„ Alice tried to hold him back, but in the next second the horrific sound of Rafe's fist, which flew directly against JJ's cheekbone, passed through the room.

JJ staggered backwards from the force of the punch. Dark blood trickled over his lip, flowing from his mouth and hitting the tiled floor as he wiped it with the back of his hand.

But before he regained consciousness, Rafe had already grabbed him by the collar and forced him to the ground. The sound of JJ's head hitting the floor twisted everything in Alice's stomach.

„Don't you ever talk about her like that again" He hissed trough his teeth. His voice so cold, filled with a brutally she had never witnessed before.

Cursing under his breath, his punches gained strength and Alice's yells continued to bring absolutely nothing. She watched helplessly how blood splashes spread on the floor, which became more and more each time Rafe's fist pummeled JJ's face.

His hand red, covered with blood and still clenched into a steady fist.

But gradually she saw JJ fighting him less. A pallor spread across his face, while his eyes hardly focused on anything anymore. They rolled back, his eyelids fluttered shut.

„Rafe, stop" She pleaded and came closer to him, but backed away as he delivered the next punch.

She didn't know what to do. Rafe was...unpredictable, not to mention strong. In no world would she have been able to pull him away from JJ, but slowly his head went limp.

„Stop, you're gonna kill him"

Rafe held back his next punch. Hesitantly, he glanced over his shoulder at Alice, whose eyes were flooded with tears that softened his face.

Only then did he look down at JJ, whose eyes gazed up at him slackly, while the blood from his eyebrow settled along his temple into his blond hair.

„Next time I'll kill you, you hear me?" Rafe whispered to JJ, before pushing him to the ground and getting off of him.

And for the first time he saw the extent of his anger. His gaze wandered across the ruined floor, looking down at JJ, who was turning to his side in pain and coughed up blood. He looked at Alice standing next to him, her shaky hand cupped over her mouth, her eyes on JJ as he recognized the tears in her eyes.

And Rafe realized that he had shown her the worst side of himself.