𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 | 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘯

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 |
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?

"𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐘?" 𝐈 𝐌𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃, folding my arms over my chest.

His eyes flicked over me, slowly scanning from my legs to the curve of my hips, all the way up to my face. I saw the way his lips twitched slightly. "Nice outfit."

I shot him a cold glare, heat rising to my cheeks. "I forgot you were coming...forgot that I even texted you my address"

"Clearly." His smirk grew as he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. He was wearing a navy blue polo t-shirt that clung to his body a little too well, and his jeans hung low on his hips. He looked like he belonged in a magazine, and he knew it.

"Can I come in, or are we doing this project out here on the porch?"

"Give me a second." I turned, stomping back upstairs to throw on something more appropriate. In minutes, I swapped my tee for an oversized sweater and leggings, trying to shake off the tension from seeing him at my door like that.

When I came back down, he was already sitting on the living room floor, papers spread out, as if he owned the place.

I sat across from him, opening my laptop. "We need to finish this project," I said, ignoring how his eyes were still on me instead of the papers.

He leaned back, propping himself up with one arm. "You're really not gonna ask me how I'm doing?"

"I don't care how you're doing," I replied, not looking up from my screen.

I could feel his gaze burning into me, and it was making it hard to concentrate. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, I couldn't take it anymore. "What?"

"You're really gonna act like nothing's going on?" His voice was low, smooth, like he was daring me to acknowledge the tension between us.

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You know what I'm talking about. This... thing between us. You hate me, right?"

I shrugged. "You've given me every reason to."

"Then why are you so jealous of Sofia?"

"I'm not jealous of Sofia," I snapped, my fingers gripping the edge of my laptop tighter. "She's my friend. I just don't trust you."

"Because you think I'll hurt her?" He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Or because you're afraid I'll get under your skin?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I shot back, but I could feel my heartbeat quickening.

"You've noticed it, haven't you?" he asked, his eyes darkening as he stared straight at me. "The way you can't stop watching me. And don't pretend like you haven't. I see the way you look at me when you think I'm not paying attention."

I looked away, my jaw tightening. "What about Sofia?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "She seems pretty into you."

"Sofia doesn't mean anything to me," he said, his voice casual, like he wasn't just blowing up my friend's feelings. "No girl ever has. They're just... distractions."

I blinked, trying to process his words. "So you're saying you're using her?"

"I'm saying she's a nice girl," he said with a shrug. "But that's it. Nothing serious."

"Wow," I muttered, shaking my head. "You're a real piece of work."

"Hey, don't act like you're surprised." He leaned forward, his face inches from mine. "We both know I'm not the type to settle down. Not with Sofia, and definitely not with any other girl."

We locked eyes, the air thick with tension, neither of us backing down.

"You're so easy to read," he murmured, his lips curving into a cocky grin as he leaned back.
"I love it."

I let out a frustrated breath and focused on the project, but I could feel his gaze lingering on me the entire time, and it was driving me insane.

Without warning, he snatched the paper I was holding out of my hand.

"Hey!" I snapped, reaching for it, but he held it just out of my reach, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"What, can't reach it?" he teased, waving it in front of me.

I leaned forward, trying to grab it, but he pulled it away again. "Give it back, Rafe."

He shook his head, amused. "You've got to be quicker than that, princess."

My frustration flared, and without thinking, I lunged at him, trying to wrestle the paper out of his grip. We were both laughing, and I shoved him hard, sending him backward onto the floor. I scrambled to grab the paper, but Rafe grabbed me by the waist and pulled me down with him.

I landed on top of him, and suddenly, the laughter died down. Our faces were inches apart, my hands pressed against his chest. His grip on my waist tightened, and I could feel the warmth of his body through my clothes.

For a moment, neither of us moved, the tension thick between us. His breath was warm on my face, his blue eyes focused, unrelenting. I couldn't tear my gaze away from him.

"Still gonna deny it?" he whispered, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, the sharp ring of his phone cut through the moment. Rafe cursed under his breath, releasing his grip on me as he sat up and pulled out his phone. I moved off him quickly, trying to calm my racing pulse.

He glanced at the screen, his expression hardening when he saw who was calling. "It's Sofia," he muttered, the mood instantly shifting.

I watched as he answered, his voice softening. "Hey, Sof. What's up?"

I pretended not to listen, gathering the papers scattered around us, but I couldn't help catching snippets of the conversation.

"Yeah, I'll be there later," he said, glancing briefly at me. "Felipe's party, right?"

Of course, it was about the party. The one everyone had been talking about for days.

Rafe hung up the phone and turned his attention back to me. "You going tonight?"

I shrugged, still trying to act indifferent, even though my pulse was still racing from our earlier moment. "Yeah, I might."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced by my nonchalant act. "You should. Could be fun."

"I'm sure it will be," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "What, you're going with Sofia?"

He chuckled, leaning back casually. "Nah, I'm not going with anyone. Just... showing up."

"Right," I muttered, turning my attention back to the papers. The sooner we finished this project, the better.

For the next hour, we actually managed to focus—mostly. Every now and then, I caught him glancing at me, that same look of amusement never fully fading, but I ignored it, determined to get through this without letting him get under my skin again.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Rafe stood up, stretching. "I think we're good for now."

"Yeah," I agreed, standing as well. "We'll pick it up again later."

He grabbed his phone and stuffed it into his pocket, his eyes lingering on me for a moment longer. "See you at the party, Catalina."

"Yeah, whatever," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I followed him to the door.

As he left, I couldn't shake the feeling that tonight was going to be anything but simple.