BLOODSTREAM 彡 Rafe Cameron

Chapter Four: Who Are You Really?

⋆｡𖦹 °.⋆𓇼˖°

Chapter Four

Who Are You Really?

Morning sunlight streamed into Townes' bedroom, casting a warm glow over the tangled sheets. But there was nothing comforting about it. The weight of the previous night's argument still clung to her like a thick fog. She lay still for a moment, her heart heavy with a mixture of emotions she couldn't untangle. Rafe had spent the night after their fight, the tension between them barely soothed by the conversation they'd had.

But now, as the light filled the room, she was left to wonder how long they could continue like this.

She carefully slipped out of bed, leaving Rafe still asleep. 'What am I doing?' She pressed her forehead against the glass, staring out at the empty streets. She wanted to believe that there was something good in Rafe, something worth saving, but every day it seemed harder to convince herself of that. He wasn't the boy she had met last summer, not anymore. The deeper she was pulled into his world, the more she realized how chaotic it truly was. Why did it feel like they were constantly teetering on the edge of something? One minute, they were close, like nothing could break them. The next, they were at each other's throats, barely holding on.

She heard the bed creak behind her. Rafe stirred, rubbing his eyes, and for a moment, her heart clenched. He looked different in the morning light—softer, vulnerable in a way she rarely saw. But it didn't erase the chaos that surrounded him. It didn't erase the anger and darkness that lingered just below the surface.

"Townes," his voice was rough with sleep, tinged with the weight of last night's argument. He sat up slowly, running a hand through his disheveled hair. His eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of guilt and exhaustion. "I'm sorry," he said, the words soft, hesitant. "About last night... about how I reacted."

His apology hung in the air, but it didn't erase the tight knot in her stomach. She turned, leaning against the window frame. "You scared me, Rafe. That wasn't you."

Or maybe it was. Maybe this was exactly who Rafe Cameron was—unpredictable, volatile. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. How long can I keep pretending that this version of him is just a phase?

Rafe's expression hardened for a moment, the guilt flickering into something sharper, but then he sighed, rubbing his face with both hands before looking back at her. "Everything's changing," he muttered, his voice low, raw. "My dad's losing control of everything, and now... now he's John B's legal guardian– like what the fuck is that?"

Townes blinked, the revelation slamming into her like a wave. John B's legal guardian? That didn't make any sense.

"What? Since when?" she asked, her voice a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Recently," Rafe muttered, bitterness seeping into his tone. "Sarah left Topper for John B, and now my dad's treating John B like some project. Like he's trying to save him or something." He scoffed, shaking his head. "It's all messed up. Nothing makes sense anymore."

Townes swallowed hard, trying to process what he was saying. Sarah left Topper for John B? That was news to her. She had heard rumors about Sarah and Topper, but the idea that John B was now in the middle of all this was... unexpected.

What the hell is going on in this town?

She wasn't sure if Rafe's anger toward John B was just about Sarah or if it ran deeper, something darker brewing under the surface. She could see it in his eyes—the frustration, the confusion. Rafe felt like he was losing control, and he didn't know how to handle it.