Always you

Chapter 36

The house was quiet, cloaked in the stillness of the night, with only the faint rustle of trees outside breaking the silence. Sarah padded softly down the hallway, her bare feet making little noise against the hardwood floors. She had woken up thirsty and was heading to the kitchen when a faint light glowing from the study caught her eye.

Curious, she stepped closer. The door was ajar, and she could hear muffled voices. As she peeked in, she realized it was just Rafe, pacing the room with his phone in his hand. His expression was tense, his movements agitated.

Pushing the door open further, Sarah stepped inside. "Rafe? What are you doing in here?"

Rafe looked up sharply, his face hardening as he saw her. "What are you doing awake?" he snapped, clearly annoyed. "Go back to bed."

Sarah crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "I could ask you the same thing. What's going on with you? You've been acting strange for days."

Rafe sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's none of your business, Sarah. Just leave me alone."

Sarah didn't budge. "No. I need to talk to you. It's important."

Rafe groaned, clearly frustrated. "Fine. You've got two minutes. Make it quick."

Sarah stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you this, but... Alaia approached me once before."

Rafe froze, his eyes narrowing. "What are you talking about?"

Sarah took a deep breath. "About a year ago. She came to me, asking about you."

Rafe's face darkened, and his voice rose. "A year ago? And you're just telling me now? Are you kidding me, Sarah?"

"I didn't think it mattered!" Sarah shot back, her tone defensive. "She looked like a mess, Rafe. I didn't know if she was telling the truth or if she was just another person trying to drag you into some drama."

Rafe stepped closer, his anger palpable. "What did she say? What exactly did she want from you?"

Sarah swallowed hard. "She wanted to know where you were, what you were doing. She was desperate. But I didn't tell her anything. I told her to leave and never come back."

Rafe's fists clenched at his sides. "And you didn't think to mention this to me? Not once? Sarah, that was around the time she went missing!"

"I didn't know!" Sarah yelled, her voice cracking. "I didn't know she was involved in something bigger! I thought she was just some girl from your past trying to stir up trouble!"

Rafe turned away, gripping the edge of the desk tightly. His knuckles turned white as he processed what Sarah had just told him.

"What else, Sarah?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "What else did she say?"

Sarah hesitated. "She... she said she was in trouble. That she needed your help. But I didn't trust her, Rafe. I didn't know what she was involved in, and I didn't want to drag you into something dangerous."

Rafe let out a harsh laugh, his shoulders tense. "Well, congratulations, Sarah. She found a way to drag me in anyway."

Sarah frowned. "What do you mean?"

Rafe turned to face her, his eyes blazing. "She's back. And whatever trouble she was in then, it's worse now. She's brought it to our doorstep, and it's only a matter of time before it blows up in all of our faces."

"Rafe, I—"

"Save it, Sarah," Rafe said, his voice cutting. "You should have told me. Maybe I could've stopped this before it got this far."

Sarah stared at him, guilt flashing across her face. "I didn't mean for this to happen, Rafe. I was just trying to protect you."

"Well, it's too late for that now," Rafe muttered, running a hand over his face. "Thanks for nothing."

He stormed past her, leaving the study and disappearing down the hallway. Sarah stood there for a moment, her heart pounding as she replayed the conversation in her head.

Whatever mess Alaia had dragged Rafe into, it was worse than she'd imagined. And now, it was threatening to unravel everything.