Rafe gently placed Heather into the passenger seat of his car, his hands lingering for just a moment longer as he helps her get settled. He'll reach over to fasten her seatbelt, but she swats his hand away.
"I got it," she mutters, her voice sharp but tired. Rafe steps back, nodding in understanding, as Tyler approaches with Heather's bag in hand.
"I got you a cold Coca-Cola can for your leg," Tyler says with a sheepish grin, trying to lighten the mood. Heather chuckles softly at her brother's thoughtfulness, pressing the cold can against her scraped knee.
She notices a few cuts on Rafe's face as he turns to Tyler. A gash on his forehead and a split lip stand out, but Rafe doesn't seem to care. His sole focus is on her. It makes her heart soften despite her earlier anger.
"Thank you," she says quietly to Tyler, giving him a small smile before he and Rafe get into the car. As they drive towards Rafe's house, the tension in the air lingers, but Heather can't help but sneak glances at Rafe, his jaw tight with concentration as he drives.
When they arrive, Tyler's phone rings, and he groans. "It's Dad. Rafe, you got her?"
Rafe nods, helping Heather out of the car. Every step she takes sends sharp pain up her leg, and she winces audibly. Without a word, Rafe swoops her up into his arms, lifting her bridal style to carry her up the stairs. Heather lets out a soft gasp but says nothing, letting him take control.
He carries her into his bedroom and then into the bathroom, placing her gently on the counter. The familiarity of the room is unsettling, though this time, she's completely sober. Rafe begins rummaging through the cabinet, pulling out a first aid kit.
"Alright, you ready for Doctor Cameron?" he jokes with a playful grin.
"Do I have a choice?" she quips back, raising an eyebrow. Rafe smiles, but winces as his lip stings from the cut. Glancing in the mirror, he curses under his breath.
"You might need a visit from Nurse McAllister," Heather teases, her tone softer now, "if you'll let me."
Rafe nods, but insists on tending to her first. He pulls out gauze, Neosporin, hydrogen peroxide, and bandages, carefully working on her scraped leg. His hands are gentle, and the way he takes care of her makes her walls begin to crumble.
"Hey... I want to apologize for my attitude earlier," Heather says softly, her eyes meeting his.
"Don't," Rafe interrupts, shaking his head. "You have every right to be mad at me."
Heather is taken aback. Rafe owning up to his faults? It's unexpected, but somehow it makes her feel a little less defensive.
"I still feel bad if I was too harsh," she admits, and Rafe accepts her apology with a quiet nod.
"I just... I get caught up in the moment sometimes. I don't think about right or wrong, I just do whatever," Rafe explains, his voice low. Heather notices blood trickling down his chin from the cut on his lip. Without thinking, she reaches out, gently wiping it away with a tissue.
"You're bleeding," she says softly, holding his chin to pat the wound with care. Rafe freezes, unused to someone being so tender with him. He falls silent, allowing her to continue cleaning his cut, her touch careful and soothing.
"You don't have to explain yourself," Heather whispers, as she continues to tend to his lip. Rafe watches her closely, mesmerized by her gentle nature. She uses the same supplies he'd used on her, delicately applying them to his lip.
"The more you talk, the more you bleed," she says with a soft laugh, noticing how he keeps reopening the cut every time he speaks.
"Well, maybe I like the nursing," Rafe flirts, flashing her a teasing smile. Heather blushes at his words, her heart racing as the atmosphere between them shifts.
YOU ARE READING
The Lines We've Crossed
Fanfiction"You're not so little anymore," Rafe told Heather as he stood beside her in the kitchen. "Is that why you keep looking at me like that?" Heather asked her brother's best friend, who only ever viewed her as his best friend's younger sister and nothi...
