Sunset games. Rafe Cameron

three

CHAPTER THREE
[3]
"reflections" the neighbourhood

The next day, Olivia found herself at home, stretched out on her bed, the soft hum of the ceiling fan the only sound in the room. She stared at the ceiling, her mind wandering back to the beach. She couldn't shake the strange feeling she'd had when JJ spoke about change. Maybe it was nothing, just one of those moments that got stuck in her head, but it felt like more. Like something was shifting between them.

Sighing, she rolled over and checked her phone.
A message from Sarah popped up.

SARAH
Come over! I'm bored out of my mind.

Olivia smiled, instantly feeling lighter. Sarah was her best friend, the one person she could always count on for a good time. Without thinking twice, she grabbed her bag, slipped on her sandals, and headed out the door.

Sarah lived in one of the biggest houses on the island. But to Sarah, it was just home, and she never cared about the fancy things that came with it. That's one of the reasons Olivia loved her so much-Sarah was real, never letting the island's rich lifestyle get to her head.

As Olivia knocked on the front door, it swung open almost immediately.

"There you are!" Sarah grinned, pulling her into a quick hug. "I was about to die of boredom."

Olivia laughed, stepping inside. "Well, I'm here to save you. What's the plan?"

"No plan." Sarah led her through the house toward the kitchen. "We'll figure it out as we go. Maybe swim in the pool? Or we could take the boat out later."

"Sounds perfect," Olivia said, glancing around.

The house was quiet, which was unusual.
"Where is everyone?"

"Dad's at work, and... well, Rafe's around somewhere." Sarah rolled her eyes. "He's been moody lately, so who knows what he's up to."

Olivia's stomach tightened slightly at the mention of Rafe. They'd never gotten along, not really. He had a way of making her feel small, like she didn't belong in his world. Still, sometimes-on rare occasions-there were these moments. Moments where his sharp gaze softened, like there was something unspoken between them. But she pushed those thoughts away as quickly as they came. Rafe Cameron wasn't someone she could figure out, and honestly, she didn't want to.

They headed out to the pool, the warm sun instantly soothing any worries she had left over from the night before. Sarah had set up two lounge chairs by the water, and they settled in, chatting about everything and nothing, the way only best friends could.

"So," Sarah started, a mischievous grin spreading across her face, "what's going on with you and JJ?"

Olivia blinked, surprised. "What? Nothing. Why?"

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Please. I saw how he was acting the other day at the beach."

Olivia felt a flush of warmth creep up her neck.
"Everything is good I promise."

"Uh-huh." Sarah gave her a knowing smile.
"Sure, Liv."

Before Olivia could come up with a defense, the sound of footsteps on the stone patio made them both turn. Rate appeared from around the corner, his gaze locking onto Olivia almost immediately. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and board shorts, his usual cocky swagger in every step.

"Well, well," Rafe said, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm. "Look who's here."

Olivia tensed but forced a casual smile. "Hi, Rafe."

He smirked but didn't say anything else, just stood there for a moment, his eyes lingering on her a bit too long before shifting to his sister.

"I'm heading out," he said, barely glancing at Sarah. "Try not to destroy anything while I'm gone."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Sarah muttered, rolling her eyes again.

But as Rafe turned to leave, Olivia couldn't shake the feeling of his gaze trailing back to her, even if it was just for a second.

The moment passed, but Olivia's heart thudded in her chest. She hated the way Rafe made her feel-like he was challenging her, pushing her buttons just to see how she'd react. It annoyed her, but there was something else there too. Something that made her uneasy.

"Ugh, don't mind him," Sarah said, brushing off her brother's interruption. "He's been acting weird lately."

Olivia nodded, but her thoughts stayed tangled up in Rate's presence. She shook her head, trying to focus back on Sarah, back on the fun day they had planned.

"Anyway," she said, forcing a smile, "let's forget about him. We've got a whole afternoon to ourselves."

Sarah grinned. "Exactly. Let's make the most of it."

The rest of the day flew by in a blur of laughter, splashing in the pool, and easy conversation.
Being with Sarah always felt effortless. But every now and then, Olivia would catch herself thinking about Rafe-how he'd looked at her, how his usual cockiness had seemed to slip, if only for a moment.

And as the sun began to set once again, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, Olivia couldn't help but feel like her life was starting to shift in ways she wasn't ready to understand. Whether it was JJ's quiet words about change or Rafe's lingering gaze, something was different.

Little talk!!!

Hi I hope you are liking the story so far. I'll probably upload some more chapters today. I also want to thank all of you who are voting it means the world to me 😭💗.
By the way I have opened a TikTok account about this fanfic (cobxpogues) if you want to go check it out.
(And don't forget to vote if you want more chapters 😉❤️).

-MAx