Golden Hearts | Rafe Cameron [1]

63

August 9

Rafe's pov

I don't get why I agreed to go with JJ and eavesdrop on Adeline's parents. But here we are, on our way to Adeline's house, and that jerk is by my side.

"So... you and Adeline are official now? I mean, you've been dating all summer, but are you like boyfriend and girlfriend now?" JJ asks.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I say.

"Just curious," JJ says, shrugging his shoulders. "Pretty unlikely pair, though."

"Why?" I ask blankly without looking at him.

"Because who would believe that Adeline Morgans, the island's most beautiful and popular girl, would go for Rafe Cameron, the island's most popular guy, but who hate each other the most in the world. What even happened to the hate?" JJ says.

"Don't call her beautiful. She's mine and you know it," I say firmly and irritably.

"Sorry, man. Didn't know you were so jealous," JJ says.

"Can you just shut up?" I say loudly to JJ.

"No offense. Didn't know you were the type who doesn't like to talk much," JJ says.

We arrive at Adeline's house, and now the hard part begins. How to get in without anyone noticing. But I have a plan. As long as JJ doesn't mess it up. It wouldn't surprise me if he did, though.

"So I have a plan that you need to promise not to mess up," I say.

"Okay, let me know," JJ says.

"We're going to get in through Addie's balcony to her room. Then you stay in there until I come back," I say, nodding towards the balcony just above us.

"Why can't I-"

"Just do as I say, okay?" I say and JJ nods.

We climb up to the balcony and hurry into Addie's room. JJ sits on Addie's bed, but I push him off so he sits in her armchair instead. I don't want him dirtying her bed.

I carefully open the door and walk along the long corridor until I reach the stairs, where I start to hear voices. I sneak down the stairs to avoid being noticed.

"Can't you just tell me where you've taken Adeline?" Jennifer asks. I stop behind the kitchen wall.

"I will, can you just wait a little?!" Hunter says with an aggressive voice, and then I hear Jennifer start to cry. "I've sent Adeline to a boarding school for girls who need help because Adeline is not well. She's not normal. She'll stay there until she starts college, when we'll be rid of her."

It hurts so much to hear Adeline's own dad say things like this about her, and that I didn't know about it until just a month ago. The thought that we both have dad issues makes it even worse. That neither of us succeeded when it comes to dads.

"What are you saying?" Jennifer says it so quietly that I can barely hear her and have to move closer to the door to hear her words coming out of her mouth.

"We know it's for her best," Hunter says.

"I didn't agree to this, Hunter. You know it won't help her. There's nothing wrong with her. She's a wonderful person. I don't understand what you're saying. We have to take her back now," Jennifer says.

"Forget it," Hunter says and hits something that sounds like a counter. I back away a little, startled by the loud noise, and hope no one noticed me before.

"Adeline is our daughter, Hunter. What do you think Nathan will say about this?" Jennifer cries, and I start to feel guilty for just standing and eavesdropping.