HEARTLESS─── RAFE CAMERON [1]

chapter thirty one

I convinced my parents to let me stay over at the Cameron's with Rafe just a little more than a week later. Sleeping in Rafe's bed feels right...and sleeping next to him gives me some of the best sleep I've ever had.

"Soon I'm going to have to start lying to my parents, you know," I say as I roll around in Rafe's sheets.

"About what? Staying over here?"

I nod.

"You could just tell them you're hanging out with Sarah."

I roll my eyes and snort. "Yeah, as if they'll believe that. God, you're seriously bad at this. Lying to your parents."

"Yeah, and that's because I don't lie to them," he says in a matter-of-fact tone. "I just don't tell them where I'm going and they don't ask. I think you should start taking some advice from me."

"Yeah, you're funny. You think that'll work with my parents?"

"Okay then, why don't you say you're at Brie's? Dior's? Michael? Jeez, you have so many friends. I can't even keep count anymore."

I roll my eyes again. "Life 360, idiot. And you're going to have to meet them at some point, if we really keep doing this thing."

"I feel like they all have a lot to their reputation that proceeds them," Rafe says as he turns towards me. "Dior is a classic Kook girl. Brie loves to hook-up with every guy with a somewhat decent reputation. And Michael...well, Michael is Michael."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, that Michael is just another Kook on the island. Well, actually, no, is Michael gay?" Rafe furrows his eyebrows.

My eyes go wide in alarm and I snap to look at him. "What did you just ask me?"

Rafe laughs out loud and repeats his question. "Is Michael gay? I'm truly curious."

"No, you idiot. He's not gay. He's literally with Dior right now. You didn't see them at Midsummers?"

"No, I didn't, because I was too focused on you."

That puts me at a loss for words, even momentarily. But I compose myself. "Wow, Rafe," I say sarcastically. "Never thought you had such a way with words."

He gives me a smirk as I continue. "Now you know. And not to mention you got three out of three wrong. You're going to have to meet them. Soon."

"Yeah, well, not today."

I turn to him in interest. "Oh really? What did you have planned?"

Rafe smirks at me as he begins to make his way out of the warm covers of his bed. "You're just going to have to wait and see."

***

"Oh my God," I say as I stare at what's in front of me. "The Druthers. So this is why you made me bring Sarah's swimsuit."

"What?" Rafe says. "You wanna go somewhere else?"

I turn to him and shake my head furiously.

"Well— Good— I mean— I was thinking we could take her out to the marsh. The water shouldn't be too rough."

"It's perfect," I say, swallowing my excitement as I climb onto the boat. "It's perfect."

"Good," says Rafe as he climbs onto the boat after me. He starts the engine, which begins to sputter.

As we make our way farther from the shore, I lie down on the bow of the boat, which is warm from the sun's heat. I close my eyes and let the breeze blow through my hair. The sun is shining high in the sky and feels good on my skin. I don't know how long I lie there for in silence. I almost forget about Rafe altogether, who is clearly letting me rest.