HEARTLESS─── RAFE CAMERON [1]

chapter thirty

I blink once, then once again. It takes me a few moments to realize that I'm not in my room.

I'm in Rafe Cameron's room. If you told me this twenty four hours ago, I would have laughed in your face and told you to get away from me.

I turn to the side and over my shoulder, as slowly and as quietly as possible to look at the sleeping boy besides me. His eyelashes flutter with every breath he takes. His features are softened in sleep, the hard edges of his personality smoothed away. For a moment, he looks almost vulnerable, like a different person entirely.

I shift slightly, careful not to disturb him, and stare at the ceiling. I remember being here several weeks ago. Only that things were completely different. Aaron was still on my back about our break-up, going a little insane, and Rafe and I hated each other.

Aaron. I haven't thought about him in a long time. But there's nothing to think about. I'm simply glad that he has laid off Rafe and I. Maybe he's finally accepted the truth— which was long overdue. That him and I are over and will never, ever be together again.

I think back to the time when I was here. Finding the box of photos hidden in his room— the photos of us as kids— piling at the bottom of the stack. Now I see some of those photos pinned up on his wall.

I smile faintly. When did he put those up?

I sit there for God knows how long till Rafe finally stirs beside me. I turned to him, a soft smile playing on my lips as he blinked away the remnants of sleep, his gaze meeting mine.

"Morning," he murmured, his voice husky with sleep.

"Morning," I replied, my smile widening as I reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "Sleep well?"

Rafe nodded, a contented sigh escaping his lips as he shifted closer to me. "Like a baby," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he flashed me a sleepy smile.

I chuckled softly. With a sigh, I sit up and lean across the headboard. "I should probably go help with breakfast," I finally said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.

But before I could make a move to leave the warmth of the bed, Rafe's hand gently tugged me back down, and I fell back on the bed. "Not so fast," he murmured, his gaze holding mine with a quiet intensity. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

I nodded as I settled back against the pillows. "Okay..."

"Look, Lux," he starts in a suddenly serious tone. "I don't really do relationships. Well—No— It's more that...I don't know how to do relationships. Before you, there was Cassie, and then there was no one."

My heart starts beating furiously in my chest. "What— What are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is that, before you and Cassie, there were just random girls from the Island. One night stands, hookups..."

"I know," I say, averting my eyes from his as my face breaks out in a small smile. "That isn't exactly a secret."

"I know," he says. "But I want to try, with you, at least."

"Thank you," I say softly, releasing a breath of relief. "We shouldn't talk about this."

"Why not?"

"Shhh," I say, placing my lips on his fingers gently. I badly want to stop talking about this. "Why don't we do something today?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't we go to the Mainland?" My brain starts moving. "It's July. The Carnival should still be open, right?"

"The Carnival?"