This is Me Trying ⭑ Rafe Cameron

thirty two

THIRTY TWO
[32]
song: devil's advocate by the neighbourhood

Rafe had already started drinking when Cassie had called him. He wasn't expecting to hear from her at all today. And her voice on the other line threw him off, as he didn't care enough to check who it was before he accepted the call.

"Hey." She said, and her voice was so clear, so gentle. A direct contrast to his father, who'd he'd been arguing with over the phone for hours all day.

Rafe leans up from the chair he sat on on the balcony, rubbing his eyes as if that would make him sober up. The mere thought of her after the day he'd had made all of his rage begin to simmer back down.

"Rafe?"

He realized he hadn't responded. "Sorry," He stood up from the chair, starting to pace. "What do you need?" The question sounded ruder than he had intended. But he assumed Cassie wouldn't be willingly be calling him for any other reason.

"Are you going to that thing at Kelce's tonight?"

Rafe was quiet for a few seconds as he thought. "Kelce Jackman?"

"Mhm."

His head was spinning. He'd allowed himself too much time to mull over his father's words, and now they consumed him, ate at his every thought and hovered over him as he made every decision. Rafe rubbed his temple, then nodded as he responded. "For his Mom's birthday?"

He was glad Cassie had called, he'd forgotten about it and his family goes every year.

"Oh, I guess so." Cassie shrugs.

Rafe had wandered back inside, shutting the balcony door behind him. Pouring another glass of whiskey, he continued. "Why? Are you?"

He could hear her hesitate. "Well, I don't know. I ran into some girls from Kildare Academy today and they invited me."

"They did?" Rafe said, taking another sip.

"Don't act so shocked."

"Well, they're just usually pretty picky about who goes to those sorts of things." Rafe says, and catches glance of himself in the mirror. The wound on his head was still looking rough, and it had started to form a purple bruise.

"Birthday parties?" She spoke, annoyed.

Rafe smiled as he brought the glass back up to his lips. Always amused by her chosen oblivion to the other side of the island. "It's more than that." He says.

"Well I was going to ask if you'd go with me so I wasn't alone, but now you're freaking me out." She said.

Rafe wondered when it was Cassie had decided that they were okay again. Was getting hit over the head over a crowbar all that it took? He spoke to her so naturally now that he found it hard to recall when she was cold with him, though it wasn't long ago at all.

"Why do you want to go?" He asked, still looking at himself in the mirror.

She was quiet for a few seconds. "I don't know. It's a good distraction, I guess. But if it's—"