𝔅𝔬𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔡𝔦𝔢 - Rafe Cameron

①①

...

The next morning, Jazmine woke to the comforting weight of Rafe's arm draped over her abdomen. She blinked at the soft sunlight filtering through the curtains, her mind drifting back to the night before. Arguments between her and Rafe were rare, but they always ended the same way—with quiet reconciliation and his arms around her.

Carefully, she moved his arm off her, making sure not to wake him, and slid out of bed. After grabbing a fresh towel, she headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

When she emerged, the steam clinging to her skin, Jazmine opened the shared bathroom cabinet. Rafe had claimed just a single drawer, while she occupied nearly the entire space. Her gaze flickered to her phone as she checked the date—July 8th.

Her brows furrowed. Jazmine was as punctual as clockwork, and her period always arrived at the start of the month. Maybe the stress from everything lately had delayed it. Shaking her head, she placed the phone back down and turned to her skincare routine.

As she ran her fingers through her damp hair, her hand stilled. A small clump of hair came away between her fingers.

"What the fuck," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet room.

Her heart raced for a moment, but she took a breath, rationalizing. Maybe she'd tied it too tightly recently. Quickly, she finished styling her hair, pushing aside her unease.

She grabbed a casual outfit from the closet, dressed swiftly, and stepped toward the bedroom door. Her eyes landed on Rafe still asleep, his face buried in the pillow and one arm curled around a cushion. It made him look even bigger than usual, and she couldn't help but linger for a moment. God, she loved his arms.

Smiling faintly, she adjusted the blanket over his back, tucking him in before heading downstairs.

Bella greeted her immediately, the dog bounding toward her with excitement.

"Hey, baby," Jazmine cooed, kneeling to scratch Bella behind the ears before heading to the kitchen.

She poured kibble into Bella's bowl and prepared a quick breakfast. Before leaving, she made sure to leave a plate ready for Rafe, covering it neatly.

Kneeling in front of Bella again, she ran a hand over the dog's head.

"I'll be back soon, okay? Be good."

Bella wagged her tail in response, and with that, Jazmine grabbed her things and headed out.

... 

Once they arrived in front of their house, Jazmine stepped out of her car and saw JJ already outside, bent over the Twinkie, trying to fix it.

He straightened up and walked over to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Everything okay?" Jazmine asked, her voice soft and concerned.