LITTLE SECRET | RAFE CAMERON

57: 𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥

There was only one last week to go.

One whole week until the Island Summernights event would finally take place at the Island Club, and unlike the last few years, Alice was pretty damn excited this year. The dress Rafe had bought her had been hanging on the door of her closet ever since she'd brought it home, protected from any dirt by the cover it was in.

This year it meant more than ever before.

It was this strange feeling deep in the pit of her stomach when she thought about Summernights.

Like the moment before jumping into a cold pool, when the nervousness rises up to the ribs and adrenaline spreads through the chest like a flood. Pulling and quivering, almost like a warning.

It would be the first time Alice would attend an event with her boyfriend as a plus one. So the warning feeling was probably nothing but anticipation.

„Alice, we're leaving" She heard her mom's voice calling from downstairs and pulling her out of the train of thoughts.

„I'll be right there" She shouted back and quickly put the three glasses down by the drinks she had prepared on her table and hurried downstairs.

Her parents were standing in the hallway by the front door with their bags packed. Two large suitcases that meant that for the next week, the house would belong entirely to her and Ian.

Their parents' annual vacation couldn't have come at a better time.

„Okay you two, you know the rules. No alcohol, no drugs, no parties, no boyfriends or girlfriends and no smoking weed" Her father enumerated and looked at Ian at the last point. „we don't wanna come back to a devastation, do you understand?"

The two siblings nodded obediently.

„Oh my sweet little babies" Laurel squeaked as soon as Owen had finished his stern father acting. She opened her arms wide and wrapped them around Ian and Alice at the same time, Alice's head on her left shoulder while Ian's was on her right. „I'll miss you so much"

Ian threw an amused look at Alice over their mom's back.

„And you have a lot of fun with your girls tonight, and text me from time to time" Laurel said and turned to Alice after the dramatic goodbye.

„I will" She smiled warmly. If she even has time to think about texting her.

When their mom finished pretending that a week was as long as a year and Ian helped her take the luggage out to the car, she was left alone with her father.

She put her hands behind her back and looked at him, not saying a word. It was almost frightening how little she and Ian resembled their father.

Sometimes she wondered if they were even related by blood.

Owen's eyes, which had previously been following his son, slowly wandered to his daughter. „you have to do me a favor, princess"

„Sure, what is it?"

„Keep an eye on your brother for me. He may be older than you, but you're smarter" Owen said, tousling her hair. „can trust you more, cause' sometimes he doesn't know where his head is at"

Alice looked down between herself and her father and nodded.

She knew he'd been harder on Ian, saw him differently. Ever since he'd decided against the family business in favor of a career as a lawyer, he'd been pretty hard on him.

It was all those little things between them that caught Alice's attention.

For example, that she got a big hug from her father as a goodbye, but Ian only got a curt nod, which made him sigh heavily when they finally closed the door behind their parents.

She looked at him sympathetically. „you okay?"

„Yeah, it's nothing new" He shook his head dismissively, a dark strand of hair falling over his forehead. „he thinks his fucking company is more prestigious than a lawyer"

„I think he just wanted you to follow in his footsteps"

„Yeah, footsteps that are dirty" Ian let a snort pass through his nose as the two walked towards the kitchen. „he should be glad he'll have a lawyer in the family, he'll need it"

Alice sat down on the high chair by the kitchen island. She watched as Ian headed for the small cupboard with the glass doors, through which she could clearly see the many bottles lined up inside.

He took out the large whiskey bottle, poured himself a glass and gulped it down just as quickly as he had poured it in.

Rule number one was officially broken. In under a minute, new record.

Ian wasn't...an alcoholic. He wasn't, she had just noticed that he had been hitting the bottle faster than usual lately. But everyone had their own baggage to carry, dark abysses that were immediately covered by personal masks when the sun first shone in the morning.

There was probably nothing a person wanted to hide more than their own vulnerability.

„When are your girls coming?" He asked as he poured some ice into his glass this time before the whiskey.

He leaned back against the counter behind him, his hand tight around his drink while the silver rings he wore on his fingers scraped against the material.

„In half an hour" She replied, minimal concern at her brother's drinking behavior. „why don't you invite someone over, so you won't be alone tonight"

„So that I'm not alone or so that I don't disturb you at your sleepover?" He joked with a grin before taking a sip.

Rolling her eyes, she snickered. „you can hang out with us and get your nails done for all I care"

„I'll think about it"

„About inviting someone or getting your nails done?"

„Both." He said, making her laugh, before disappearing from the kitchen with his drink and going into the living room alone.

And as Alice watched him retreat alone, a strange feeling rose up inside her.

She had spent so much time with Rafe that she had hardly even noticed how much Ian had changed. At the mere sight of her brother, she felt as if there was nothing left of the little boy she remembered so strongly from her childhood.

Had she let it get this far because she had been too distracted in recent months?

Before she could even begin to think about it, the doorbell rang loudly.

She hurried down the hallway, heard the loud TV as she passed the living room and took a deep breath as she reached for the door handle.

When she finally opened the door, two familiar faces beamed at her with warm smiles.

Jada and Sofia had arrived.