Golden Hearts | Rafe Cameron [1]

8

0.8

The anger within me is immense, and I don't know where to turn, so I just stand there on the kitchen floor in front of my parents, completely frozen. Waiting for them to say something. To explain themselves about what on earth they're doing. There's no way I'm going to start dating Rafe Cameron. How could they even hope to persuade him? It'll never work.

We're meant to hate each other.
I won't survive dating him.

"Let me explain," my dad starts, but I cut him off.

"You have nothing! Absolutely nothing to explain!"
I scream directly into his face, making my mom flinch back a little and look worriedly at me.

"Adeline, let your dad explain first before you continue," my mom says calmly, and I prepare to scream again, but my mom gives me a look that silences me. I can't scream at her. I know this was dad's idea, but the fact that my mom went along with it? That's just crazy.

"It's not just our families who will benefit from you two dating. Even you two will, and you'll have very good opportunities for the future too. This is really something you both need to do. You'll date throughout the summer until you start college, pretend to be in love or something. You'll even attend midsummer together," my dad explains, almost seeming to relish telling us all of this.

"I really don't understand how you can do this to your own daughter? Force me to be with someone I hate. You know how much we hate each other," I say, feeling tears starting to form in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Adeline, but this is the best option right now," my mom says. "It's just for the summer."

"It's not just that. It's a really big deal," I say, now crying. I don't know what happened to the anger, but now I just feel disappointed and sad. The tears are taking over. I don't even want to know how Rafe reacted to this.

"I don't want to..." I say after both of my parents have been silent for a while, and I see anger building in my dad's eyes.

"You have to do this! You have no other choice, so stop being so childish now!" my dad yells out, making my mom stand up.

"Calm down a bit, Hunter" she says, placing her hand on his shoulder, but he aggressively push it away, causing my mom to step back a bit and give me a hug instead, which only makes me cry even more in her arms.

"It's going to be okay," she whispers and kisses my head.

"Tomorrow, Rose will accompany you to buy a dress for midsummer," my dad says. Rose? Why her?

"Why Rose?" I ask, surprised, while wiping away my tears, my mom still holding me.

"Because she has a good sense of fashion, and you need to match with Rafe so people see that you belong together," my dad says firmly, getting up quickly.

"So... we're dating now? Or when are we supposed to start dating?" I ask sadly, aware that there's no point in being angry. It'll just drain my energy. There's no use. There's nothing I can do when it comes to my dad. It's hopeless. Whatever I want, my dad will always have the final say. He has the most power, just like Ward, and this was probably their idea, while mom and Rose are forced to go along, whether they want to or not. I don't even want to know how Nathan will react to this.

"You'll officially start dating tomorrow, which means you'll also have to spend time together and be seen together. People should see you. That's why tomorrow you'll go to the country club together. There's usually a lot of people there. The rumor needs to spread," my dad says before leaving as if nothing has happened. I give up. There's nothing to do.

Absolutely
nothing.

"I'm so sorry you have to go through this, but there was absolutely nothing I could do, even though I tried," my mom says, releasing the hug to look at me and wipe away my tears from my face.

"I know, it's not your fault, mom," I whisper.

"Go to your room now and continue with your book before your brother comes home. Let me talk to him because he probably won't take it well," my mom says, giving me a sad smile, and I nod at her before going back to my room. This time without music and not happy. Not at all. Just surprised and disappointed. Angry and tired. Scared and unsure. Sad and frozen. All at once. All emotions except joy.

I don't even want to know how Rafe will take this. The first thing I do when I get back to my room is lie down on my bed. My face against my pillow, and then I start to cry uncontrollably. All the tears that I've been trying to hold back since this morning come out, and I feel the headache starting to come on, but I don't care. Because I care about absolutely nothing right now. Nothing is worth it anymore.

I had planned for the last summer as a teenager to be the best. To party and have fun with my friends. Not to date the person I hate the most.

Do they expect us to go to the country club tomorrow alone? It will never work. We'll just sit there silently staring at each other or arguing. If we argue in front of everyone, maybe they'll realize that we actually hate each other and aren't dating? But I don't know how Dad and Ward would take that though. Maybe it's not worth the risks. But then again, maybe it is?

A/N: I'm so sorry that this chapter was a bit shorter than it usually is but the next chapter will be at a bit earlier :)