𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 | 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘯

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 |
𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬

𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐒 𝐈 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐘 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒, I caught sight of Rafe standing by his dresser, rummaging through a drawer in nothing but his boxers, his hair wet and glistening. His muscles flexed with each movement, and he looked so focused, as though he was searching for something he couldn't find. I hadn't seen him this... natural before, caught off guard and not putting up his usual front.

He looked over and saw me watching while sitting up slowly.
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Did I wake you?"

I shook my head, brushing the sleep from my eyes. "Nah, don't worry. You didn't."

I glanced at the clock, surprised by how much time had passed. "Wait, what time is it?"

"Almost noon," he answered, leaning back with a small, almost proud look, like he'd conquered the entire morning while I'd slept.

My eyes went wide. "Noon? God, I slept forever." I looked at him again, curious. "How long have you been awake?"

Rafe shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. "Few hours," he said, his voice casual. "Already went to boxing practice and everything."

That made me sit up straighter, raising an eyebrow. "You box? So that's what you meant when you said you liked 'doing things that feel real,' huh?"

"Something like that," he replied with that familiar, mischievous gleam in his eye. Before I could think better of it, I added, "Bet I could still take you down, though."

His smirk turned wicked, and he leaned down toward me, bracing his hands on either side of the bed,his muscles flexing. He was close now, his face just inches from mine, his gaze steady and challenging. His voice dropped, going low and a little cocky. "Oh, really?"

I bit my lip and nodded, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "Definitely."

I reached up, tracing a finger along his bicep, pretending to inspect it. "I mean, you can't be that strong," I teased.

That was all it took. In one swift move, he grabbed me and pulled me down onto the bed, pinning me effortlessly. His fingers found my sides, and he started tickling me mercilessly. I shrieked in surprise, laughter escaping before I could stop it as I tried to squirm away.

"What was that?" he taunted, clearly amused by my struggle. "Still think you can take me?"

"Rafe!" I gasped, between fits of laughter. "Stop—okay! You win!"

His hands stilled, but he didn't move. Instead, he lingered close, his face inches from mine. His breath was warm against my skin, and for a moment, neither of us said anything. My heart pounded in my chest, that electric tension sparking in the silence. He held my gaze, and it felt like there was some unspoken truth in that look, something I couldn't quite put into words.

But just as I was about to say something, my phone buzzed loudly, shattering the moment. Rafe rolled his eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh as he pulled back, mumbling, "Does this seriously have to happen all the time?"

I gave him a smirk, grabbing my phone and glancing at the screen to see Adrianna's name flashing. "Duty calls," I said, lifting the phone and answering with a grin.

He just shook his head, watching with that smirk that told me he was enjoying every second of this back-and-forth more than he'd admit.

Adriana's voice burst through the line the second I picked up.

"He doesn't want to let us go," she said, panic dripping from every word. "I called him, and he said he can't just let us go so easily. I don't want to do this anymore, Catalina. Yesterday was a nightmare. I almost threw up while the guy tried to take off my clothes."

I rubbed my temple, trying to think while her words stabbed through me. "Adriana, slow down," I said, forcing calm into my voice even though my chest was tightening. "He can't just trap us."

There was a shaky inhale on the other end of the line before Adriana spoke again. "Are you home?"

My eyes flicked to Rafe, who was leaning against the edge of his dresser, watching me with a raised brow. His expression didn't give anything away, but when I hesitated, he gave a small nod, like he was telling me it was okay to tell her.

I sighed. "I'm at Rafe's. I panicked last night, and he helped me out."

Adriana paused. Then her voice dropped, sharp with disbelief. "Did you leave the customer?"

"Well," I started, glancing at Rafe as I spoke, "Rafe kinda... beat him up."

There was a heavy silence on the line, and I swear I could hear Adriana's breathing growing quicker. Finally, she snapped, "What the actual fuck? Do you know what Gustav is going to do to you because you let a customer get beaten up? Or, more importantly, because you were the reason the customer got beaten up? Catalina, are you crazy?"

Her words hit like a slap, but I wasn't in the mood to flinch. "I don't give a fuck," I said, my tone hardening. "I don't want to do this anymore, Adriana. This is going to get us killed."

Adriana's voice cracked with anger. "No! The thing you're doing is going to get us killed! You think Gustav is just going to let this slide because we don't 'wanna do it anymore'? Catalina, you're putting both of us in danger!"

"Adriana—" I started, but her voice cut through mine, raw and desperate.

"You're not thinking! Do you know what they'll do if Gustav gets pissed? Do you—"

I didn't let her finish. My thumb jabbed the end call button, cutting her off mid-rant. The room suddenly felt too quiet, the weight of her words pressing down on me.

When I looked up, Rafe was still watching me, his expression unreadable. I let out a breath, leaning back against his bed. "She's overreacting," I muttered, though the tightness in my chest said otherwise.

𝜗𝜚

The taxi ride home felt oddly quiet, the hum of the engine drowned out by my racing thoughts. I was still in Rafe's clothes—his hoodie swallowing me, his mom's sneakers a little too tight on my feet. The jacket he insisted I take was draped over my shoulders, and the scent of his cologne lingered faintly, grounding me in a way I didn't expect.

Before I left, Rafe had made me breakfast. Eggs, toast, and a half-burnt pancake he apologized for with a boyish grin that didn't match his usual arrogance. He'd even offered to drive me home, but I declined, not wanting to bother him any more than I already had.

As the taxi pulled up in front of my house, I noticed the air had shifted. The warmth of summer was fading, replaced by the crisp edge of autumn. I paid the driver, wrapped Rafe's jacket tighter around myself, and stepped out. The breeze sent a chill through me, and for a brief moment, I stood on the sidewalk, staring at the familiar facade of my house, trying to muster the courage to walk in.

Digging into my bag for my keys, I froze when I heard footsteps behind me. My stomach flipped, and I turned around, my heart sinking when I saw who it was.

Gustav.

He didn't look angry, which somehow unsettled me more. His usual smirk was firmly in place, but there was something in his eyes that made my skin crawl.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I hissed, glancing over my shoulder before grabbing his arm and pulling him to a spot out of view from the street.

Gustav let me drag him without resistance, the smirk never faltering. When we were out of sight, he leaned casually against the wall, his mockery clear in every inch of his posture.

"Running away from your job?" he said, voice dripping with condescension. "That's the last thing I expected from you, Catalina."