𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄. | 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

017. she returned back to her white horse

TATUM HAD CALLED Topper for an update the second she stepped out of the courthouse. There is still no answer from Rafe until Topper reveals to the girl that he's fled off somewhere in his yacht.

By the time she headed off to the docks, his yacht was back. She searched twice throughout the boat and no sign of him. That's when Tatum recieves a call from Sarah.

The blonde teenager had informed Tatum that the Carreras have spotted him at The Wreck. It's later in the evening by this time and the restaurant's close to closing time. He must've gone there knowing no one would be there to see him.

So Tatum hastily makes her way down to The Wreck. "Where is he?" She asks, running into the front entrance, all out of breath.

Anna peeks her head from behind the pillar in a small fright until she realizes who it is who's just barged in after hours. "Tatum, honey, what are you doing here? I thought you had already left for New York."

"I'll explain in a bit—where's Rafe?" She's on a mission and only has one thing in her mind and it's Rafe.

"Outside in the back where you two used to—" But before Anna can finish her sentence with the mop in her hands, Tatum starts running to the back doors. "—Thank you, Mrs. C!"

In the back part of the restaurant there sat Rafe, all alone under slightly dimmed string lights hanging onto wooden posts. He plays around with the food in front of him. Haven't taken a single bite of it ever since Anna brought it out for him.

Little does Tatum know, he's been here for almost three hours. The patty in his burger has grown stone cold, curly fries all soggy, and ice now melted in his drink.

"Rafe," Tatum does her best to keep composure.

The boy looks up—his side facing her direction, not having a clear view of who it is. But with the sound of her voice, he immediately realizes it's Tatum in front of him. His jawline sharpens as he clenches his jaw. "How was the wedding?" He asks blankly.

"Rafe, stop..." She pleads, her hands starting to grow cold and shaky.

"No, Tate." His eyebrows knot together. "You shouldn't be here. I'd assume you two would've left this island by now."

"Rafe, will you just please look at me?" Her voice hardens, pursing her lips tight together.

He finally builds up the courage to turn his head over to her direction. The expression on his face softens when he first sees her current state. Eyes slightly red and puffy, sniffing from her nose, and roughed up white dress.

"Nash... my divorce attorney had to stop the private ceremony because I had forgotten to sign the papers myself." She starts off. "I had been so busy with the thought of getting your signature down, I'd forgotten about my own and mailed it back to him with no second thought."

Tatum wipes her nose with her hand, sniffing. "He, um, h—he gave me a pen. A black inked pen and held the papers in front of me to sign it so we could continue with the wedding. And in that moment, I just froze."

"And in that moment I asked myself 'Tate, you have the papers right in front of you and a pen to sign the signature, why won't you just sign it already?' And the next thing I know, I let go of the pen... I didn't sign the papers." Her voice grows weak.

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself to sign them." Tatum's lips quiver as she uses her hand to cover her mouth. "I—I just couldn't!" The female sobs.

Rafe pushes his chair back, quickly making his way over to her, pulling her in his arms. He stares off into the distance, holding his tears in. "Shhh, it's okay." He whispers.

"I'm so deeply sorry for ever leaving you. It was so selfish of me too and I regret every bit of it—putting you through such immense pressure with sending you the papers back and forth these past years." Her voice cries in his chest.

"You never have to be sorry for what you did in our past. You did what you had to do for you. Not for me, not for anyone else, but for you. And I'm so proud that you went out there and made a name for yourself." His hand caresses the back of her head.

When Tatum finally pulls herself away after a little recollection of herself, she wipes her tears away. "Sarah told me you went to find me after I left. She told me everything that you've kept inside for almost five years. After finding that out—I don't know, something in me just grew so hollow."

"It made me start having second thoughts about my life with Owen and our future. The thought of marrying someone again and it being rushed brought me back to us. I just couldn't go through that trauma again... It took me almost five years to finally feel like I'm at a pace in my life where everything's just right..."

"... and then the next thing I know I'm about to say my vows to a person I've only known for a year. And it shouldn't have affected me to think that way if I really loved him with all my heart. But I couldn't imagine anything with Owen after that like I did when I married you." She looks deep into his eyes.

"Fuck, I can't look at your eyes." She blinks, looking away from his strong gaze.

"Why?" He innocently asks.

"Because they're all I think about—ever since the kiss at the beach. I've just memorized your face as if it's my bathroom mirror or some prayer that needs to be said every night before bed. God! I love you, Rafe. I never stopped loving you."

"Tate," his lip twitches.

"No, no—if I'm being given a chance to say what my heart wants me to say, then I'll take it and that's right now." She stops him before he can continue on. "I can't completely give up on us, knowing you haven't for the past few years, and when your heart knows, it knows. There's no absolute way of explaining it. You can only trust it because in the back of my mind... I still believe we can still get our second chance to do it all over again."

"And doing it right this time." She finishes off.

Wow. Rafe is in total awe and shocked. She really means everything she's just said to him. He takes both of his hands, caressing each of her warm and flushed cheeks. The buzzcut boy leans in closer to her.

"I said my part and it's only fair that you have your turn. So... what is it? What do you want, Rafe?" Her eyebrows raise up a little bit, waiting for an answer.

"I want..." He's hesitant at first. "No—nevermind what I want." Rafe starts shaking his head. He doesn't know what he wants or what he wants to say. But he grows quiet.

"Please don't leave me hanging," Tatum pleads, grabbing onto his wrists. "What do you want?"

"You," He locks his eyes with hers, going in for a kiss.

Tatum is caught by a surprise with the kiss, accepting it on her end. She closes her eyes, moving back and forth with him. Chills run down the back of her bare spine. Her hands tracing down to the side of his hips, pulling him closer to her as she gets on her tip toes.

The two pull away to catch a breath from a kiss that only lasted a couple of seconds, but felt longer. "Always you, Tate. Nothing else." He finally confesses.

Tatum can't help, but curl up a big smile, shyly chuckling. Rafe does the same, picking her up for another tight embrace. He begins to spin the both of them around on the dock, causing her to squeal.

Faint cheering and clapping appear from a distance. And when Rafe finally sets Tate down, they both come to a realization that Anna and Mike have witness them finally fall in love with each other again. For the better and right reasons this time.

And there Tatum stands, with her Prince Charming under the bright moon above them. She left four years ago from him and his white horse in search for something bigger she's always dreamed of. With it all leading her back to that same white horse where her Prince Charming was waiting for her, patiently, all this time for this very moment.

author's note:
BIGGEST CHAPTER YET! omgggg finally, they made up. ahhh!! this is literally one of my fav chapters, wonder what will happen nextttt.
— clara ୨୧