STRANGE LOVE | RAFE CAMERON |

CHAPTER 21: | WOULD I LOSE YOU? |

Allison woke up with a newfound determination. She couldn't let doubts and accusations control her. She needed answers but had to find them without hurting those she cared about.

Slipping out of bed, she quietly made her way to Wheezie's room. Pushing the door open just a crack, she peeked inside to find the young girl still fast asleep, her chest rising and falling with the slow, steady rhythm of dreams. Allison smiled softly, a wave of protectiveness washing over her. Wheezie was innocent in all of this—a child caught in a web of lies and deceit. For her sake, Allison knew she needed to keep it together, to find answers without tearing everything apart.

In the kitchen, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as Allison prepared breakfast, her hands moving on autopilot while her mind raced with thoughts of the previous night. The party, Nicole's careless words, the way Rafe's voice had wavered when she confronted him—it all played out in her head like a movie she couldn't pause. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Rose enter the room until the older woman spoke.

"Good morning, Allison," Rose greeted, her tone polite but distant, as always.

"Morning," Allison replied, forcing a smile as she flipped pancakes on the stove. She wondered, not for the first time, how much Rose knew. The woman had an air of calm detachment as if she had seen too much to be surprised by anything. Did she know what Rafe was capable of? Did she care?

"You're up early," Rose observed, pouring herself a cup of coffee. There was a faint note of curiosity in her voice as if she found Allison's early morning presence unusual.

"Yeah, I just thought I'd make breakfast for everyone," Allison said, trying to keep her tone light.

Rose smiled, a small, almost imperceptible curve of her lips. "That's very thoughtful of you," she said, taking a sip of her coffee.

Allison nodded, but her mind was elsewhere, spinning with thoughts of Rafe. She needed to talk to him again, to get the truth out of him without pushing him away. But how? Every time she tried to get close, he shut her out, retreating further into himself. And every time he did, the distance between them grew wider, the trust they once shared slipping through her fingers like sand.

・ • ・ • ・

Rafe sat in the passenger seat of the car, his hands nervously drumming on his knees as he waited for his father to finish up inside. The sun was already high in the sky, casting a harsh light on the events of the past few days. The weight of the gold—the literal and figurative burden—pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe. But what weighed even heavier was the conversation with Allison.

As Ward finally emerged from the house, Rafe's thoughts raced. He knew he had to be careful, to play his cards right. One wrong move, one slip-up, and everything could come crashing down. And then what? He would lose Allison, the one person who made him feel like there was still something good in him, something worth saving.

Ward got into the car, glancing at his son. "Ready to head back?" he asked, his tone casual as if they were just returning from a regular business trip.

"Yeah," Rafe replied, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. The truth was, he didn't feel ready for anything. But what choice did he have?

As they drove back to the airport, Ward tried to make small talk, but Rafe was barely listening. His mind was miles away, replaying the conversation with Allison over and over. He wondered if she believed him, or if she was starting to see through his lies. The thought of her finding out the truth—the real truth—filled him with a cold, creeping dread.

When they finally arrived back home, Rafe felt a knot of tension tighten in his chest. He needed to see Allison, to reassure her, to make her believe that everything was okay—even if it wasn't.