Always, I'll Care | Rafe Cameron

two

Chapter Two

∞

Erika

I can't believe that motherfucker brought a date.

I mean, I know it's been nine months, but while I spent those nine months heartbroken and refusing to even look at another guy, he spent it moving on? Not that I should have expected any more from him, though. He never fought for me when we were together. Why would he fight for me now?

"Oh my god, Rika?" I hear someone call my name, as I pull out a chair to sit down at an empty table.

"Hey, Sarah," I give her a small smile and a hug.

"I can't believe you're here," she says, as we both take a seat. "When did you get back?"

"Just this morning," I tell her. "Ev picked me up from the jet and we came straight here. Did you know Rafe had a girlfriend?"

I went straight to the point. I'd stayed in touch with all of them. How could none of them mention it?

"What?"

Why does she seem more surprised than me?

"Yeah, a heads up would've been nice," I take a roll from the basket on the table, and begin picking it apart in my hands.

"Rik, I didn't know," she shakes her head at me. "Are you sure?"

I nod. "I just met her outside."

"Seriously?" her eyes went wide. "I mean, I know dad told him to bring a date, but I didn't think that girl was his girlfriend."

"Well, he didn't exactly say she was," I admit.

In fact, he kinda did the opposite, excusing her presence as a last minute thing. Maybe I was overreacting. She probably wasn't his girlfriend.

"Oh, okay," Sarah says. "I was about to say... I don't think he's capable of being with anyone but you."

I shake my head and pop a piece of the roll into my mouth. "That can't possibly be true."

"Are you kidding?" she asks. "I mean, he's never been the easiest person to be around, but at least he was bearable when he was dating you. But now..."

I tilt my head to the side. "What?"

"He's different," Sarah shrugs, staying too vague for my liking.

I needed details. All the details.

"Different how?"

"Well, for one, he acts likes he doesn't care about anything," she says. "Dad got on his ass because his grades went to shit and he almost didn't graduate. All he does is get coked out and high all the time. He didn't even try to apply anywhere."

Huh. Maybe he was more affected about our breakup than he let on. He was never the type to show much emotion—other than hatred or anger—but the signs would always be there. And from what Sarah's telling me now, he hasn't been doing well at all.

"Have you and Wheeze tried to talk to him?" I asked, causing her to scoff.

"As if that'd do anything," she says. "He's never listened to anyone but you."

"Oh my god," Tiff suddenly comes up and joins us. "Did your idiot of a brother seriously bring a date?"

She takes a seat on the other side of me, while Sarah and I follow her eyes towards the door, where Rafe and Sofia now stood with his hand on the small of her back.