Beneath the Waves

Chapter: 4 hidden depths

It wasn’t long before Isabella found herself alone again this time, not by choice. The Pogues were busy investigating their treasure lead, and her parents had forced her to attend yet another Kook dinner.

The house was alive with chatter and clinking glasses, but Isabella slipped out to the veranda, needing air. She leaned against the railing, staring out at the dark water below.

“You clean up nice,” a voice drawled behind her.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. “Do you ever leave me alone, Rafe?”

Rafe stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. He wasn’t drunk this time, but there was still something dangerous in his posture, his gaze. “I could ask you the same thing. You’re always in my way.”

“Your way?” She turned to face him, her anger bubbling up. “I’m not in your way, Rafe. You’re just obsessed with controlling everything around you.”

“And you’re obsessed with playing the rebel,” he countered, his voice low. “But you’re still here, aren’t you? Still dressing up, smiling for the cameras, pretending you’re not one of us.”

Her breath caught. “I don’t belong here,” she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

For a moment, Rafe didn’t respond. Then he stepped closer, his voice softer than she’d ever heard it. “Neither do I.”

The vulnerability in his eyes startled her. She had seen him angry, cruel, sarcastic, but never like this.

“What do you want from me, Rafe?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

He hesitated, his hand brushing against the railing beside hers. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I can’t stop thinking about you.”

The confession sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t know what to say—didn’t know if she believed him. But the intensity of his gaze made her feel like the ground beneath her feet was shifting.

“Then maybe you should try harder,” she said finally, turning away before he could see the confusion in her eyes.