The Fine Line - Rafe Cameron

Chapter Thirteen

The pogues were sprawled out in the living room of the chateau, the floor littered with half-empty beer cans and discarded shoes. The windows were wide open, letting in the cool night air, the faint sounds of crickets drifting in from outside.

Sarah and Alexandra were curled up together on the couch, Sarah flinching slightly as she shifted to examine the painful sunburn on her shoulders from their beach outing.

Kiara sat beside her on the floor, aloe vera gel in hand. With a slow sigh, she squeezed out a generous amount and began applying it to Sarah's skin, her touch steady as she gently massaged it into the burn. "I told you to reapply sunscreen," Kiara lectured, paying no attention to the way Sarah winced at the cool sensation. "SPF 5 is practically useless, Sarah."

John B lounged on the floor nearby, passing a joint back and forth with JJ. Pope sat quietly in the corner, a smile lingering on his face as he watched Sarah flinch dramatically every time Kiara moved her fingers.

Everything felt natural and familiar, like nothing had changed.

Alexandra grinned to herself, realizing how long it had been since she'd spent a day with just her friends. She had forgotten what it was like to spend the day with them, just wasting away the day.

Two days had passed since she'd last seen Rafe, and during that time, Alexandra had kept her distance from Sarah, finding excuses to stay in her room. She hated herself for it, but every time Sarah asked if she was okay, the words seemed stuck in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to tell her. Not yet.

She spent those two days on the phone with Rafe instead. They talked for hours every day. He filled her in on how he'd been hanging out with Kelce and Topper, how things were slowly getting better between them. He kept urging her to talk to Sarah, to tell her the truth, but Alexandra just couldn't bring herself to do it. She promised him she'd figure it out soon, but she needed a few more days to work out how to approach the conversation.

Sitting next to Sarah now, Alexandra couldn't help but think about how much longer she could keep this up. Every laugh, every smile Sarah gave her, felt like another reminder of the lie she was carrying. She wasn't sure how to balance it anymore—the desire to be honest with Sarah, and the fear of what would happen if she did.

Maybe soon. But not today. Today, she would keep pretending.

The buzz of her phone pulled her attention away from her thoughts. She felt it vibrate against her leg, deep in the pocket of her worn denim jacket. Her fingers moved instinctively, retrieving the phone without a second thought. As she glanced at the screen, her thumb hesitated for a moment. The name at the top caught her eye—Rafe.

Rafe 🩵

Miss you

Aww he misses me

Shut up

You saw me two days ago

And?

Two days is plenty. Come over

Alexandra smiled quietly, biting the inside of her lip to conceal it. 

"Who are you texting?" Sarah asked, leaning over with curiosity, causing Alexandra to quickly shove her phone back into her pocket.

Clearing her throat, she settled back onto the side of the couch. "No one."

Recognition dawned on Sarah's face as she poked her side. "You were texting your booty call, weren't you?"

"No, I wasn't," Alexandra chuckled, her cheeks turning an obnoxious shade of pink.