WILD RIDE (Rafe Cameron x OC) *COMPLETE*

Chapter Twenty (Alana)

CHAPTER TWENTY

Alana

Three Days Later

Rafe has come to sit through all my shifts. He doesn't say anything. He babysits the same beer the entire time and sometimes gets food but usually he sits there on his phone or his computer and just watches me or watches the door.

I try to work around him. Try to not look at him or even pay him any mind but Kie's mom can see it on my face that I want to so badly sit there and just talk to him. Each passing shift that he just sits there and waits... He even follows me back to Tannyhill. He doesn't get off his bike. He doesn't do anything but watch for me to get up to my bedroom.

Today I got home from a morning shift around 1 PM. I had gotten to work at 5 this morning to prep the entire restaurant and today was the first day that Rafe didn't show up. He must not have known the change in my schedule.

When I got home there was a brand-new book sitting my bed. No note. No bag. Nothing. Just a brand-new book. I'd never seen it before or heard of it. It was cute and had an animated couple on the cover. I'm so used to the sultry real life covers from my mom's old books that this one was so different to me. But I liked it a lot.

I open the pages and flipped through it. No writing on the pages... No hearts in the margins or smiley faces. Nothing was underlined and nothing was highlighted. When I picked up the book I saw that under it had been a pack of book tabs, thin highlighters, pens of all different colors, and book marks to match the colors on the cover.

Pinks and blues and purples. All the colors that I love.

I fall back onto the bed and start to read the book. Giggling at it already and realizing it's just a modern-day fluffy romance. Lingo that I understand and don't feel like I have to look up on my phone to understand.

The storyline already is much more relatable and believable too. A rivals to lovers that brings a smile to my face with the turn of each page. I can already see myself reading this one until the pages fall out.

Rose walks past my room and I go to the door frame. "Hey, thanks for the book and stuff. I appreciate it."

Her brow jerks up. "Huh? I didn't-"

She notices the book in my hand and smiles. "That son of a bitch..."

"Who?"

"Rafe. I caught him with a bag earlier and he said he was just grabbing some more of his clothes while Ward was out. When he left he had nothing... Seems like he got that for you."

I blush and chew my bottom lip. "Rafe got me a book?"

Rose shrugs. "Chivalry isn't entirely dead now is it?"

She walks back down the stairs and I head back to my bed and fly through more pages. Gasping, laughing, blushing, and even crying at words written before me. After finding out Rafe was the one who got this for me I find myself picturing him at the male love interest in the book.. I hadn't found myself doing something like this since way before I even started to date JJ.

Wheezie goes across the hall into Rafe's room, well, his old room. She fills up a duffel bag and I see her putting her own piggy bank into it. I close the book and stand in the hallway and watch her for a moment quietly.

By the time she finishes putting some of his stuff into the bag along with her money, she turns to walk out and jumps at the sight of me.

"Holy shit- Alana you scared me."

"What are you doing?"

"Rafe needed clothes."

"And a piggy bank?"

Wheezie goes silent. I snatch the pig from the bag and place it into her hands before taking the bag from her. "Tell me where he is and I'll bring this stuff to him."

"Alana... He needs money to survive."

"I'll handle it." I promise to her. "Save your money."

-

The house is abandoned but it's a huge estate right on the water. All the houses pretty much are but this one I think I like more than Tannyhill. Rafe is sitting on the back porch on the third floor and there's empty bottles scattered across the table, a bong, a full ashtray, and a fucking porn magazine.

"Nice." I say as I toss the bag at his feet. "Really fucking nice. And you were going to have Wheezie come here? She's a child."

He ignores me. "Oh so we're back to this now." I sit down next to him leaving on a little bit of space between us. He looks through the bag and pushes all the clothes to the side and checks the pockets. "If you're looking for money, Wheezie didn't put any in there."

"Why not?"

"Now he speaks." I clap my hands together. "I told her not to."

"Why the fuck-"

I reach in my pocket and pull out all the tips I've been saving. All the paychecks I've cashed and was going to use to buy my first car. A new one off the lot not just some run down piece of shit.

"It's 15k." I tell him. "I've been saving for years and now... Now I'm giving it to you."

His eyes water. "I'll pay you back every penny, Routledge. I swear-"

"Don't bother." I cross my arms and lean back. "You can just use your inheritance to buy me a really big house and a Bentley truck someday."

Rafe laughs. "No. I'm paying you back I promise. Avocado."

"Using the magic word to make this deal with me, huh?"

Rafe placed his hand onto my bare thigh and looked into my eyes. It brought me back to the first day on the boat when he refused to let his eyes meet with mine. The day we came up with this stupid magic word that we both hold onto so dearly.

My stomach tightened and those dragons in my belly danced making my palms sweat and my tongue go fuzzy. There wasn't a single coherent thought. Or one that wasn't filthy.

"I got the book..." I told him as I leaned into my own bag and pulled it out. "And all the stuff too.. You didn't have to do that."

"That asshole ruined one of your books. I wanted to do something nice for you." He tells me. "You been okay? No one's come around and bothered you? Threatened you?"

I shake my head. "N-No."

Fuck... Someone must have told him about how Barry put that gun in all our faces and tried to rob us of the gold and then JJ- the moron he is- robbed Barry and bought a fucking hot tub with the money instead of just giving it back.

"Good... That's good." Rafe picks up the bottle and takes a swig. "Listen I know right now this all looks bad but I'm getting my shit together. I'm going to run this family and I'm going to take care of this family. You won't ever have to worry."

I force a smile. "Rafe.. I'm not your family."

He looks at me confused. "Yes you are. I- I- I know what I'm talking about and I'm just really fucking shitty with my words when I have to say shit like this."

"Like what?"

He swallows hard. "I fucking love you, Alana, and I'm so scared of fucking all this up because I'm not good at relationships with literally anyone I mean.. Look at me. I'm a mess. But I love you."

I pause for a moment and smile at him. "I know... You bought me a book. I love you too."