I Can Fix Him (no really I can) || Rafe Cameron

26. No Place Left

I had no idea where else to go.

I had walked around the island aimlessly for hours, trying to clear my head, but all I could think about was how much everything had changed- how everything felt wrong. The argument with Kiara had been the breaking point, and now I didn't know how to fix it. I should've known it would get to this point eventually, but I didn't realize just how deep the divide had grown between us.

It was bad enough I didn't talk to my parents anymore- not since the trial had started. That rift was still fresh, and even if I wanted to reconcile, I wasn't sure I'd be able to. Kiara's words had been sharp, cold, accusatory. She implied I was choosing Rafe over everything, over the Pogues, over our friendship. And maybe she was right.

Maybe I had changed. Maybe I was choosing him over the people I had once called my family. But Rafe had changed too. He wasn't the same guy anymore. At least, not entirely. But I was struggling to reconcile that version of him with the past, the person I had fallen for. The man who could have easily gone back to his old ways.

That night, after Kiara had practically kicked me out of the house, I felt lost, like I was drifting further away from everything I'd ever known. The island felt too small, too suffocating, and the empty space between me and my friends felt impossible to cross.

I should've called one of the Pogues, any of them, but i couldn't. I couldn't face them, not after everything that had happened. So, I did what I knew I had to do.

I went to Rafe.

My mind was made up, even though my heart was heavy with doubt. As I walked the familiar path to his house, the thought that kept running through my mind was that I had nowhere else to turn.

I arrived at his house, and for a moment, I just stood there, hesitating. I didn't knock right away. Instead, I watched the way the lights inside flickered, the shadows moving in the windows, as if the house itself was alive, watching me.

I couldn't deny the strange pull toward him, the sense of familiarity that drew me to his door despite everything that had happened. I hadn't planned this. I hadn't expected to feel this desperate. But I did.

I lifted my hand and knocked, my heartbeat thumping in my chest. It felt like a lifetime before the door creaked open, revealing Rafe, looking a little more at ease than he had in the weeks since his release.

"Penelope?" His voice was soft, and there was a tinge of concern in his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

I opened my mouth, but for a moment, the words wouldn't come out. I was tired of explaining myself, of trying to make sense of everything that had fallen apart. I just wanted to be done with it.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know where else to go."

"Hey," he said, his expression softening as he stepped aside. "You don't have to apologize. Come inside."

I didn't need anymore encouragement. I stepped over the threshold and into the cool, dimly lit house, feeling an odd sense of relief wash over me as the door closed behind me. Rafe didn't close the distance between us right away, instead, watching me carefully, as if unsure whether I'd break into pieces right in front of him.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice quiet but steady. "Is everything okay with your friends?"

"No.." I admitted, letting out a shaky breath. "We... me and Kiara.... Got into a huge fight. And I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know where I belong."

I sat down on the couch, still keeping some distance between us, but I felt his eyes on me, waiting. I felt the silence stretch between us, thick and heavy. There was so much I wanted to say, but no words seemed right. Not for this moment.

"I don't talk to my parents anymore," I finally added, unable to meet his gaze. "And now... now I don't have anyone else. I just..."

I trailed off, unsure how to explain the mess of emotions I was feeling. It was easier to say it all in pieces, broken fragments, than try to make sense of it all at once.

Rafe took a step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "You're not alone, Penny."

"I'm sorry," I said, the tears threatening again. "I didn't want to come here. I didn't want to lean on you, not like this. But I...I don't know where else to go."

He didn't seem to hesitate. Without a word, he moved to the chair opposite me and sat down, his posture more relaxed, but his gaze still intense, like he was trying to read me.

"You don't have to apologize. I'm not going to turn you away. You can stay here as long as you need."

His words were so simple, so genuine, and they hit me harder than I expected. I felt something break loose inside of me- the knot in my stomach, the tightness in my chest.

I let out a shaky laugh, wiping away the tear that had fallen. "You're too kind. I don't deserve this."

"You deserve everything," he said, his voice low and steady.

I turned my head toward him, my heart hammering in my chest. I hadn't expected to hear that from him. He was the last person I'd ever imagined would say something like that.

"Rafe," I whispered. "Thank you."

The tension between us shifted then. It was like all the air in the room changed, and for a moment, I felt as though I could finally breathe.

The distance between us vanished when he took a step closer, reaching for my hand. His grip was firm, but there was a gentleness to it I hadn't seen before.

"You don't have to thank me," he said softly. "You're everything to me, Pen. Don't forget that."

The words settled in my chest, like a weight being lifted. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the silence fill the space between us, and when I opened them again, I felt that old sense of hope flicker inside me.