𝔅𝔬𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔡𝔦𝔢 - Rafe Cameron

⑥

The days went by without Jazmine even noticing. Once the gold was melted, they molded it into bars, while Jazmine was in charge of handling the stones.

One by one, she cleaned them before putting them up for sale, while Barry and Rafe took care of the gold.

Carefully, she reviewed every offer Rafe received, paying attention to the location and time, making sure nothing went wrong. Jazmine passed the information on to them, and Rafe and Barry would handle the rest.

Jazmine had adapted to life in the Outer Banks. Even though she didn't know the town well yet, she often went shopping, and her room was now full of her finds. Clothes, jewelry—Rafe spared no expense.

The duo kept up the tradition of meeting every evening for dinner, even if they were apart during the day. Their conversations felt natural now, and Jazmine saw Rafe as a friend, if she dared to say it. And Rafe... he felt the same.

That evening, Jazmine wore a beautiful plum-colored dress. The dress flowed down to her ankles, hugging her figure. She had just stepped out of the shower, so her hair, still in its natural state, was styled in a bun, with a few strands framing her face.

Sitting on the terrace with her notebook in hand, she had just closed a deal, and she still had several stones left to sell. She enjoyed counting the cash each night.

Rafe stood at the doorway of the terrace, watching Jazmine scribble in her notebook. Her posture was straight, her expression focused. From the first day, one thing was clear: Jazmine was breathtaking.

He didn't know if she was aware of the effect she had. Did she know the way people, both men and women, stared at her when she walked by? Rafe noticed the looks she got every day, boys too shy to approach her.

Jazmine was tough to read, elusive. She presented a cold facade to those she didn't deem worthy of her time, like Barry.

Without interrupting her, Rafe stepped onto the terrace and leaned against the railing.

Jazmine still hadn't lifted her eyes from her notebook, busy writing.

Rafe sighed a few times, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, clearly trying to get her attention. Finally, Jazmine snapped her notebook shut, her brow furrowing in annoyance.

"What?" she said, her tone sharp as she raised her eyebrows.

"Nothing," Rafe shrugged, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Am I bothering you?"

"Yes, you are. What do you want?" Jazmine replied, crossing her arms and staring at him, unamused.

"We have a deal tomorrow morning. I want you to come with me," Rafe said, meeting her gaze.

Jazmine raised an eyebrow, her skepticism clear. "What, Barry's not available?"

Rafe let out a chuckle. "Oh, come on, you've never come with me."

"Honestly, no," Jazmine said, shaking her head. "I set up the deals for you guys, and now you want me to tag along?"

"We're a team, aren't we?" Rafe insisted, taking a step closer, his eyes searching hers.

"Come on, take a break from those jewelry stores and the rich folks you sell the stones to, and come experience the real world," he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Jazmine's expression hardened, and she gave him a pointed look. "As if I don't know the real world."

"You're starting to look more and more like a Kook, you know," Rafe said, trying to lighten the mood with a playful grin.

"Please," Jazmine rolled her eyes, visibly irritated, "don't use that word in front of me."

"I don't get why you all bother with these ridiculous labels," she added, shaking her head slightly.

Rafe's smile faded a bit, but he kept his gaze steady. "We don't bother. Those labels define us, you know. Those people aren't like us."

"Us?" Jazmine asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.

"Yeah, you're one of us now, aren't you?" Rafe said, a spark of something unreadable in his eyes.

Jazmine tilted her head, a small smirk appearing on her lips. "Am I?"

"You're still missing a few accessories," Rafe said with a soft laugh, "but you'll get there soon enough."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Jazmine on the terrace, her gaze following him as he disappeared

...