Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 55

The air outside feels too cold, too sharp as I step out of Rafe's house. The morning sun is just starting to peek over the horizon, casting long shadows across the yard. I shiver, wrapping my arms around myself as I make my way to my car, my mind spinning with everything that just happened.

Rafe... God, Rafe. Why can't I get away from him? Why do I keep letting him get under my skin, break down my defenses?

I pull open the car door, sliding inside and slamming it shut behind me. The silence is deafening. No more whispered pleas, no more desperate apologies. Just me, alone, with the echo of his words ringing in my ears.

"Don't think for a second this means I'm letting you go."

I close my eyes, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white. I shouldn't have taken the keys. I shouldn't have come here in the first place. But I needed to see him. I needed to remind myself why I can't forgive him, why I can't just let everything go back to the way it was.

But it's so hard.

With a frustrated sigh, I start the car, pulling out of the driveway and onto the empty street. I have no idea where I'm going, no idea what I'm supposed to do now. I should go home, but what then? Pretend like everything's normal? Pretend like Rafe didn't just pull me back in again, like he didn't get under my skin and make me feel... everything all over again?

"Fuck," I mutter under my breath, swiping at the tears that blur my vision. Why does he have this power over me? Why can't I just forget him, leave him behind like I know I should?

But I can't. I don't know if I'll ever be able to.

And that's the problem.

Rafe's POV

I pace the length of the room, my hands fisting and unfisting as I try to calm the storm brewing inside me. She's gone. Really gone. For now. But I know she'll come back. I know she's not ready to cut me out of her life completely. Not yet.

"Fuck," I mutter under my breath, kicking the edge of the bed in frustration. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, expecting a text from Kelce telling me she's home safe or maybe even... No, she won't text me. Not after what just happened.

The screen lights up, and I see the message:

Kelce: "She's home. Pulled up a few minutes ago. Didn't look like she was crying, but... y'know."

Relief and a weird sense of disappointment hit me all at once. I don't want her crying, but I hate that she can just drive away from me, walk away from us, and still act like she's okay. Like I don't matter. Like we don't matter.

I type a quick reply.

Me: "Keep an eye on her. I want to know if she leaves again."

His response is almost immediate.

Kelce: "You sure that's a good idea, man? You're pushing it."

I glare at the screen, my teeth grinding together. What the hell does he know about any of this? About what it's like to love someone so much it hurts? I punch out a response, the anger simmering beneath the surface.

Me: "Just fucking do it."

There's a long pause, and I'm ready to punch something when his reply finally comes through.

Kelce: "Yeah. Okay. I got it."

I stare at the phone for a few more seconds, my jaw clenched, then toss it onto the bed. She's back at her place. I take a deep breath, trying to force the tension out of my body, but it's useless. I feel like I'm being torn apart from the inside out.