RIPTIDE | Rafe Cameron

27. 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘥

Waking up beside Rafe these last two days after sleeping alone while he was in the Bahamas is exactly what I needed to feel closer to normal again.

Even though he seems the same when he's lying beside me, he's changed since his trip to the Bahamas. He's even more short tempered than usual, and there's a deeper darkness in his eyes that wasn't there before. It scares me slightly, not because I'm scared that he'd hurt me, because I don't believe he could hurt me, but because I feel like I'm losing the real Rafe. Something must have happened in the Bahamas, but every time I ask him he just snaps and tells me that it's none of my business or that he's too busy to discuss it.

As we lay in bed, the crisp white sheets covering our half naked bodies, I stare at where his hand rests on my waist. His knuckles are grazed from the punches he threw at the party two nights ago. I gently brush my fingers over the marks on his once perfect skin, finding myself riddled with anxiety over what else he could have possibly been involved in on his trip to the Bahamas. The marks he got from protecting me could be hiding damage caused in the Bahamas, and I just have to live with that.

When I look at him as he sleeps, he appears nothing but peaceful. It's almost as if any burden or worry just dissipates when he's asleep. I wonder whether he has dreams like mine, if he has nightmares about the things he's seen, because I don't believe he'd tell me if he did. I brush his hair out of his face, admiring every detail of his face, hoping that we can just always be this peaceful.

My phone buzzes on the bedside table beside me and snaps me out of my daydream. I reach over and grab it, seeing that it's almost noon and an incoming call from Pope.

"Hello?" I answer, feeling a wave of dread and panic in my stomach as I sit up, removing Rafe's hand from my waist as I pick up his discarded t-shirt from the floor and pull it onto my body.

"Hey Sid, are you with Rafe?" I hear Pope's calm and reassuring voice speak through the phone.

"Yeah," I reply, glancing at Rafe who is still fast asleep, "He's sleeping."

"Okay," Pope replies, "Do you think you could meet me at the chateau? I really need to show you something."

I would be terrified by this statement, if it weren't for the absence of panic in his voice, "What's going on?" I mutter.

"I can't tell you over the phone, just please get here as quickly as you can." He reiterates.

"Will JJ be there?" I ask, inhaling as I feel Rafe's arm snaking around my waist, gently trailing his finger against my bare skin in the shape of a star.

"He won't give you any grief, if that's what you're worried about." Pope assures me, and I do believe that he will do what he can to prevent JJ from laying in to me.

"I'll be there as soon as possible," I mutter, glancing at Rafe to see his eyes opening slowly.

"Thanks for this Sid," Pope replies, "See you soon."

"Bye." I whisper, hanging up and placing the phone on the bedside table.

"Where will JJ be?" Rafe mumbles, lifting the fabric of the t-shirt I'm wearing and kissing my hip.

"Pope needs to show me something," I sigh, "It's probably to do with his college admission."

"Can't it wait?" Rafe whispers, sitting up beside me and moving my hair to kiss my neck slowly, "I've got plans for us today."

"What plans?" I ask as he tugs on the neck of the t-shirt, littering kisses along my shoulder.

"A day in bed, just the two of us." He replies, running a hand over my stomach.