"Cross legged in the dim light"

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I was lying on my bed, scrolling mindlessly through my phone when my mom's footsteps echoed down the hall. They were deliberate, the kind of walk she used when she was about to deliver news I wouldn't like.

I barely glanced up when she appeared in the doorway, arms crossed, a look of determination mixed with forced calm.

"Juliette, we need to talk," she said, stepping inside.

I groaned, dropping my phone onto my chest. "That's never a good opener."

Her lips twitched, but she didn't smile. "We've been invited to dinner at the Camerons' tomorrow night."

I sat up straight. "What?"

"Rose invited us over," she continued, smoothing her blouse as she sat on the edge of my bed. "It's important for us to go. With Ward gone, their family's... shifting, and Rose thought it would be good to reconnect."

My heart dropped at the mention of Rafe's family, my mind flashing back to the kiss. The kiss I hadn't stopped thinking about. And now, I was supposed to sit at their dinner table and act like everything was fine?

"This is a business thing, isn't it?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Her expression softened, but her voice stayed firm. "It's more than that. It's about community. Our families go way back, and maintaining those connections matters, especially now."

"Community," I repeated, scoffing. "So, this isn't about me. It's about appearances."

Mom sighed. "It's not just appearances. It's about making sure we're part of the conversation. Rose wants to move forward, and so should we."

I shook my head, leaning back against my pillows. "And by 'move forward,' you mean sit across from Rafe and pretend there's no history between us"Pretend we didn't kiss, that things aren't... complicated?

Her eyes flicked to mine, sharp and assessing. "I know things between you and Rafe have changed. But this isn't just about you two. It's about both families coming together. You're friends with Sarah again, right?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "But Sarah's not the problem."

She tilted her head. "Then what is?"

I hesitated, my chest tightening. "I don't know what this dinner means. Rafe and I... It's complicated. And I'm not ready to figure it out with everyone watching."

Mom placed a gentle hand on mine. "I understand. But you don't have to figure everything out tomorrow night. Just show up. Be polite. You're stronger than you think, Juliette."

I exhaled slowly, the weight of her words sinking in. I had worked so hard to repair things with Sarah, to get back to some version of normal. And now Rafe was throwing everything into chaos again.

"I'll go," I said reluctantly.

Her face softened into a smile. "Thank you."

"But don't expect me to act like nothing happened with Rafe."

She stood, smoothing her skirt. "All I ask is that you be civil. The rest is up to you."

As she left the room, closing the door softly behind her, I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing.

Rafe.

Tomorrow night, I'd be sitting across from him, Sarah by my side, pretending everything was okay. Except it wasn't. I wasn't ready to let him back in—but I wasn't sure I could keep him out, either.

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