Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 79

Rafe's POV

The sun's setting just as I pull the car up to the driveway of the house I'm having built. Teresa's sitting next to me, her fingers resting lightly on my arm, and even though she's seen the place before, I can't wait for her to see how far it's come. I glance over at her, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

I hop out of the car and walk over to her side, opening the door and offering her my hand. "Come on."

She takes my hand, her smile growing as she steps out of the car. I lead her up the path toward the house, the soft glow of the setting sun casting a warm light over the partially finished exterior. The frame's more complete now, the windows have been installed, and the place is really starting to look like a home.

Our home.

"You remember this place?" I ask, glancing over at her.

Her eyes widen as she takes in the changes, a soft gasp escaping her lips. "Rafe... wow. It's really coming together. It looks amazing."

I grin, watching her reaction. I've been working hard to make this perfect for us, and seeing the way her face lights up when she looks at it makes every bit of it worth it.

"There's more," I say, tugging her toward the door. "Come inside."

The moment we step inside, her eyes sweep over the space—more of the walls have gone up, and some of the details we picked out together are starting to show. The kitchen is coming together, the wood flooring we talked about is in place, and there's an overall warmth to the place that makes it feel like it's really ours.

"This is... incredible," Teresa murmurs, her voice filled with awe as she steps further into the room. "It's like a dream."

I step up behind her, sliding my arms around her waist and pulling her back against my chest. "It's gonna be perfect," I whisper against her ear, my lips brushing softly against her skin. "Just wait until it's finished. We'll finally have a place that's ours."

She turns around in my arms, her eyes soft and full of affection as she looks up at me. "I can't believe you're doing all this for us," she whispers, her voice thick with emotion. "Rafe, this is... it's everything."

I cup her face gently, my thumb brushing across her cheek. "I'm doing it because you're everything to me. I want us to have a future, Teresa. A real future. This house... it's just the start."

Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and she leans up, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. The kiss is slow, tender, filled with all the things we don't always say out loud but feel so deeply. I hold her close, my heart swelling with the warmth of her love, the certainty that she's my future.

When we finally pull away, she rests her forehead against mine, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I love you, Rafe."

I smile back, my heart pounding with the weight of it all. "I love you too, Teresa. And I'm going to make sure this is the best home we could ever have."

For a moment, we just stand there, holding each other in the middle of what's soon to be our house. And even though it's not finished yet, it already feels like home.

---

Later, I'm sitting in the study at Tannyhill, flipping through some paperwork for the house, when my dad walks in, his expression serious. There's something in the way he's looking at me—something heavier than the usual tension between us. He shuts the door behind him, and I know right away this isn't just a casual conversation.