Secrets in the Dark

Chapter 12

Ava had no idea how deep she was sinking until it was already too late. The plan was simple at first: seduce Rafe, make him cheat on Sophia, destroy the image of him as the perfect boyfriend. But the lines between revenge and desire were starting to blur, and Ava couldn't tell which was pushing her anymore. Was she trying to break him? Or was he the one breaking her?The pull of Rafe Cameron's darkness was something she couldn't seem to escape...

A few days after their last conversation at the bar, Ava found herself standing outside the Kook's beach house. The night air was warm, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was both soothing and unsettling at once. She had convinced herself she was in control—this wasn't about Rafe; it was about making him hurt. But tonight, everything felt different.

She wasn't just here for revenge anymore and a part of her knew that what she was about to do would change everything.

Sophia had been gone for the evening for some reason, Ava wasn't entirely sure. But Rafe had been there, lounging by the pool, his usual smirk on his face as he stared out at the water. He looked alone, vulnerable, in a way she had never seen before.

Ava took a breath, adjusting her dress—the one that had worked last time—tight and black, with a slit that ran up to her thigh. She made her way to the back of the house, where Rafe's usual spot was, at the edge of the pool, a bottle of tequila sitting next to him.

"Didn't think you'd come by," Rafe's voice broke through the silence before Ava had even reached him. She hadn't even seen him notice her.
She kept walking toward him, her movements slow, purposeful.

"Just wanted to see how you were," she said, her tone low. She sat on the edge of the pool, close enough that their legs almost brushed. "How's Sophia?"

He let out a small laugh, but there was no humor in it. "She's fine. You should know that. She's everything you're not."

Ava's breath hitched at the comment, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping lower. "And what's that, exactly?"
Rafe's gaze flickered over her, his eyes briefly softening before the cold, calculating mask came back down. "Sweet. Innocent. Doesn't need to get tangled up in the mess that you and I were."

Ava fought the urge to shudder, but she leaned in further, close enough now that the scent of his cologne mixed with the salt in the air. "So, I'm a mess?"

His gaze locked onto hers, his eyes darkening. "Yeah. You always have been."

The words stung, but they didn't hurt like they used to. Ava had grown used to the sharpness of Rafe's words. She wasn't the same girl she had been months ago, uncertain and broken. She had a plan now. And this time, she wasn't going to let him break her.

She reached for the bottle of tequila on the edge of the pool, pouring herself a glass. She swirled it, watching the liquid move as she took a long, slow sip. "Maybe we're both a mess," she said, her voice low, almost suggestive. "Maybe we never should've let it end."

Rafe didn't say anything at first, his eyes scanning her face, as though he was trying to decide if she was serious. But after a moment, he grinned. "You must have had a lot to drink" he snarled looking down at her half empty cup. "You really think I'd go back to you, Ava?"

"I don't know," she replied, leaning back on her elbows. "You seem like the type to go for the dangerous ones. You like chaos, don't you?"

Rafe chuckled, his eyes flickering with something deeper and darker. "And what makes you think you're still dangerous to me?"

Ava's heart raced, but she didn't let it show. He had a strange look in his eyes. One that she had never seen before. She must really be pushing it right now. Either that or Rafe is really drunk. Ava swallowed hard, het eyes flickering down to his lips and the back to his lifeless eyes. "Maybe because I know what you like. Maybe because I know what you need."

Rafe's expression changed into something more seductive as he leaned in closer, his face mere inches from hers. "Is that so?"

Before she could respond, he reached forward, taking the glass from her hand and setting it down next to him. He placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in closer. He let her face rest near his for a long moment as he circles the sensitive spot on her neck possessively. She could feel his breath on her face coming slowly from his nose in a slowly controlled manner. The warmth of his touch made her skin tingle, but this wasn't about the pull between them. This wasn't about the way her body reacted to him after all this time.

This was about making him feel what she had felt. It was about power.

But as his lips pressed against hers, her thoughts scattered. There was no plan, no revenge. There was just the sensation of him—Rafe. His mouth on hers, hard and insistent. His hands pulling her closer as if he were trying to consume her.
Ava kissed him back, deepening it, her hands reaching for his shirt, pulling him closer. Her heart thudded in her chest, but the more she kissed him, the more she realized: this wasn't about revenge anymore.

It never had been.

***

The next morning, Ava woke up in Rafe's bed. Her body ached, her mind fuzzy, but the guilt was sharp. Rafe wasn't in the room, and for a moment, she lay there in silence, trying to remember how exactly she'd ended up here. The night had been a blur—tequila, the intensity of Rafe's touch, the way he kissed her as if he couldn't get enough.

And now? Now, she felt hollow.

She heard movement downstairs and pushed herself out of bed, smoothing her hair and pulling on her clothes as quickly as she could. She wasn't ready to face him again, not like this.
But before she could leave, Rafe's voice drifted up the stairs. He must of heard her banging about in her panicked state.

"You're not going anywhere."

Ava froze. She knew he was right. She couldn't leave. Not yet.

Slowly, she walked down the stairs, her stomach twisting. Rafe was standing in the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. He didn't look at her, just took a sip, his face unreadable.

"What?" she asked, crossing her arms, not sure if she could meet his gaze.

He turned, his lips curling into that familiar, dangerous smirk. "You really think I'm going to let you walk away after last night?"

Ava's breath hitched in her throat. Last night. She had kind of hoped it was a mistake, that it had just been some twisted play on her emotions. But deep down, she knew it wasn't. It had never been a mistake.

"Is this a game to you?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Rafe's expression hardened slightly. "I'm not playing games, Ava. You're the one who's playing, remember?"

Ava bit her lip, a wave of shame washing over her. She hadn't just seduced him for revenge but it had started that way and he knew what she had been doing this entire time hadn't he? But somewhere along the way, she had started to crave him again, want him. And now she had made her bed.

The silence between them stretched until Rafe set his coffee down and took a step toward her. His voice was quieter now, but the weight of his words hit her like a wave.

"You always come back, don't you? Even when you know you shouldn't."

Ava swallowed hard, the truth of his words sinking in. She didn't know what she was doing anymore. But she did know one thing—this wasn't over. Not yet.