Always you

Chapter 39

The house was quieter than usual, tension hanging in the air like a thick fog. Sasha sat cross-legged on her bed, scrolling through old text messages from Rafe. Her thumb hovered over the screen as she re-read his last message to her: "I'll be okay. Don't worry." She huffed softly, her heart twisting. How could she not worry when he had vanished without a trace?

Her phone remained silent, as it had been all day, despite her countless attempts to call and text him. No answers. No replies. It felt like she was screaming into a void. The worst part was that no one else had heard from him either—not Rose, not his friends, not even his father. Ward had brushed it off, claiming Rafe was probably sulking somewhere or clearing his head, but the strain on his face told a different story. Even Wheezie had asked quietly at lunch if Sasha had heard anything, her voice tinged with worry.

Sasha sighed, leaning back against her pillows, her phone still clutched tightly in her hand. The weight of uncertainty pressed down on her chest. She had been trying to convince herself that Rafe would show up, like he always did, but this time felt different. The silence was louder.

Suddenly, the door to her room swung open, startling her. Alex and Daniel walked in, their energy a sharp contrast to the somber mood in the room.

"Sasha," Alex said, his tone softer than usual. "Mom's calling everyone down for dinner."

Daniel glanced at her, then noticed the way she was holding her phone and the anxious expression on her face. He walked over and sat beside her on the bed, gently taking the phone from her hand.

"Sash," he said firmly but kindly, "staring at your phone won't make him call faster."

"I know," Sasha whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just—what if something happened to him? What if—"

"Nothing's happened," Alex interrupted, sitting down on her other side. "It's Rafe. He's probably being stubborn or sorting something out. He'll come back."

"Yeah," Daniel added, putting an arm around her shoulder. "And until he does, we're not going to let you sit here and drive yourself crazy. After dinner, we're going to the old diner for ice cream, just like old times. You need a break."

Sasha hesitated, her gaze flickering to the phone in Daniel's hand.

"Come on," Alex urged. "Leave it here. If he calls, you'll see it when we get back."

Finally, Sasha nodded. She let out a shaky breath and stood up, leaving her phone on the nightstand. As the three of them headed downstairs, Daniel promised again, "Ice cream after dinner. It's happening."

Down in the dining room, the atmosphere was slightly lighter. Marie had made an effort to create a comforting meal, though the worry etched on her face was hard to miss. Everyone chatted in low voices, but the absence of Rafe lingered like an unspoken shadow. Sasha tried to focus on the conversation, letting Alex and Daniel's banter distract her.

Upstairs, her phone sat silently for a while, its screen dark. But then, it buzzed to life, the unfamiliar number flashing across the screen. It rang once, twice, three times before going silent. A few moments later, it buzzed again—a voicemail notification.

Sasha, oblivious to the call, laughed weakly at one of Daniel's jokes, not knowing that upstairs, her phone had just brought a new piece to the puzzle.

Sasha climbed the stairs slowly, her mind still swirling with thoughts of Rafe. Dinner had been a blur of conversation she could barely follow, her focus drifting to the emptiness she felt in his absence. Alex and Daniel had done their best to cheer her up, but it was like putting a bandage on a wound that refused to heal.

She pushed open her bedroom door and reached for her phone on the nightstand, noticing a notification glowing on the screen. Her breath hitched when she saw it—a missed call from an unknown number and a voicemail.

Her heart pounded as she unlocked the phone, her fingers trembling. The pullover she had been holding slipped from her grasp and landed on the floor, forgotten. She tapped on the voicemail, her hands clammy as she pressed play.

Rafe's voice came through, shaky and tense but unmistakable.

"Sasha... it's me." There was a long pause, the sound of heavy breathing filling the silence before he continued. "I—I don't have much time to explain. I just wanted you to know I'm okay... or I will be. I'm handling things, but I need you to trust me. Please, don't try to find me. Just stay safe, Sasha. That's all that matters to me."

Another pause, as if he was struggling to find the right words. "I'm sorry for leaving like this. I'll be back... I promise."

The voicemail ended abruptly, leaving Sasha standing in stunned silence. Her phone slipped from her hand and landed on the bed as her mind raced. He was alive—but where was he? What was he doing? And why couldn't he tell her more?

A mix of relief and frustration surged through her. She was glad to know he was okay, but the cryptic message only left her with more questions. She picked up her phone and hit redial on the missed call, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Damn it, Rafe," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

She sat on the edge of her bed, gripping her phone tightly. For a moment, she debated whether she should tell someone—Marie, Alex, maybe even Ward—but something in Rafe's voice made her hesitate. Whatever he was involved in, it sounded dangerous, and she didn't want to make things worse.

Instead, she opened her messages and typed out a reply, hoping against hope that he'd see it.

Sasha: I got your voicemail.
Please
  Rafe... don't shut me out.
Come back home. Let me help you.

She stared at the screen for a moment before hitting send. Then she sat there, staring at the phone, waiting for a reply that didn't come.