Whispers || Rafe Cameron

CHAPTER 5

It had been a few weeks since i had seen rafe working with my dad, i completely forgot all about him until i got an invite to kelces party. I stood infront of the mirror wearing a beautiful long flowing dress covered in flowers. "come lets go!" Malakai shouted as he stepped into my room, "you look great, now come on we are late."

Kelce's house was chaos. Music pounded through the walls. People spilled out onto the patio, shouting over each other, laughing, dancing. Sarah had dragged me into a circle near the kitchen, pressing a drink into my hand and launching into some story I wasn't paying attention to.

I kept looking around, searching for someone without meaning to.

And then I saw him.

Rafe.

He was leaning against the far wall, a red cup filled with something dangling loosely in one hand, his other arm slung around the shoulders of a girl I didn't recognize, a hint of jealousy came over me, i shook it off. His head tilted back in a laugh, but his eyes flicked around the room, sharp and restless even when he seemed relaxed.

I tried not to stare, but something about him always pulled me in.

"Earth to Alana," Sarah said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"Sorry," I muttered, tearing my gaze away.

Sarah followed my line of sight, her lips curving into a knowing smile. "You've got it bad, huh?"

"What? No," I said too quickly.

She laughed. "Right. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Before i could respond she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the back patio. "Come on, let's get another drink."

We pushed through the crowd, but I hesitated when we passed the staircase. I didn't even think about it-I just glanced up.

Rafe was gone.

Without telling Sarah, I slipped away, my feet carrying me down a hall like I already knew where I was going. The music faded as I walked off, replaced by muffled voices and the occasional thump of someone's footsteps.

When I reached a staircase leading down to a room, a basement i assumed, I froze.

The door was cracked open, faint laughter drifting out. I moved down the steps, curiosity outweighing my better judgment.

And there he was.

Rafe sat on the edge of a couch, his head bowed as he ran a small plastic card across a glass coffee table. A line of white powder stared back at him, and my stomach twisted.

I should've left. I should've turned around and pretended I hadn't seen anything.

his head snapped up, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine like he'd sensed me before he even saw me.

"Alana."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement, sharp and dangerous.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice quieter than I meant it to be.

He leaned back, his smirk lazy but his gaze intense. "What does it look like?"

"Is this your thing?" I snapped. "Getting high and pretending you're untouchable?"

He stood slowly, the movement deliberate, and suddenly the space between us felt impossibly small. "And you?" he asked, his voice low and mocking. "Is your thing sneaking around and judging people?"

"I wasn't sneaking," I said, though the heat in my cheeks gave me away.

His eyes softened for half a second, but then his mask slipped back on. "You don't belong here, Alana. Go back to the party."