Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 53

Rafe's POV

She's pissed, I can see that much. Her arms are crossed, eyes narrowed, practically daring me to push her further. But there's also a resignation in her posture, a realization that I'm serious—that I'm not going to let her go, no matter how much she tries to push me away.

"Fine," she snaps, her voice dripping with venom. "You wanna lock me in here? Go ahead. But you'll regret doing this, Rafe."

I raise an eyebrow, fighting to keep my face neutral even though I'm dying to know what she means. "Yeah? And why's that?"

"Because I'll be a pain in the ass," she says, her eyes blazing with defiance. "You want us to stay here? Fine. But I'm taking the bed. And if you even think about getting closer to it, I'll kick you in the nuts so hard you'll feel it for a month."

Despite everything, I feel a smile tugging at my lips. There's fire in her eyes again—a fire I thought I'd snuffed out with everything I'd put her through. But it's still there, burning brightly, and seeing it makes something inside me ease, even if it's just a little.

"Deal," I say softly, my voice more sincere than I mean it to be. "I'll take the floor."

"Damn right you will," she mutters, turning away from me, her shoulders tense. She makes her way to the bed, plopping down with a huff. It's almost funny how she curls up on her side of the mattress, facing away from me, like she's staking her claim on the space.

But I don't care. I don't care if she never lets me touch her again, if she curses me and hates me for the rest of our lives—just having her in this room, knowing she's here, that she's safe... it's enough.

Hell, I'd sleep outside in the hall if that's what it took.

I grab the extra blanket from the closet and move to the edge of the bed, reaching for one of the many pillows scattered across the mattress.

But as my hand closes around one, Teresa's voice cuts through the silence, sharper than a knife.

"Nah-uh, nope." She shifts, clutching the pillows closer to her chest, almost like she's protecting them."This is my bed now. These are my pillows."

I freeze, staring at her in disbelief. "You're serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious," she snaps, her tone daring me to challenge her. 

The corner of my mouth twitches, a smile threatening to break through despite everything. "You're kidding."

"Nope." She narrows her eyes, daring me to challenge her. "Got a problem with that?"

A slow smile spreads across my face, something genuine and real. God, she's fucking incredible. Even after everything, she's still fighting me, still giving me shit like she always did. It's like a glimpse of the girl I fell in love with—the girl I'm still in love with.

"No, ma'am," I say quietly. "No problem at all."

She huffs, satisfied, and rolls back over, pulling the blanket up to her chin. I just stand there for a moment, looking down at her, letting the realization that she's here, in my bed, wash over me.

I shake my head, grabbing the spare blanket and spreading it out on the floor. It's uncomfortable and cold, but knowing she's here, just a few feet away, is enough to make it bearable.

I settle down, closing my eyes and listening to the sound of her breathing—steady and calm, a soothing rhythm that makes everything else fade away. For the first time in days, I feel a tiny bit of peace.

"Goodnight, Teresa," I whisper, even though I know she won't respond.

And she doesn't. But that's okay. Because we're here. Together.