𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 / 𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗻

flashback four

He craves a fight with her.

Because he knows that they can't go back to how things were, thats obvious. He knows that even if he tried, or wanted to, it was a bad idea. That them even being civil was a bad idea. So the only thing he could do, without repercussions, was fight.

But he'd grown to enjoy the arguments. The constant back and forth. She always ignited a fire in him with her words, a feeling that he'd never felt before in his life. One that only she could bring out in him and he was slowly becoming addicted.

There was something about the sight of her walking towards him that made his stomach flutter like a fourteen year old girl. Because he knew that a fight was coming and that thought was thrilling.

What a concept.

But seconds before passing each other, Rafe watched them slowly steer off to the side, almost about to intentionally avoid them. But something irked in Rafe's gut and he just couldn't let it go. He had to start something. "Hey, guys!" He said loudly, just enough to capture their attention.

Dorian grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut as if to wake himself up from a nightmare that he wished he was having, because he hated to consider that this was really happening.

Rafe waved softly, a tight smile curving his lips.

Valerie blinked, as if she too was stunned, as if she too must have been in some – dream. But moments later acceptance crosses her features, because yes this is happening, and her and the Maybank kid come to a full stop right in front of him and Dorian.

She won't look at him though, but she smiles at her brother. "Hey, Dorian."

"Who's this little friend of yours, Claremont?" The question leaves Rafes mouth before he can stop himself.

"I thought you said–" Maybank cuts himself off sharply, eyes so obviously darting between Rafe and Valerie with lingering, unasked, questions.

He can imagine a million little things Valerie had probably rattled off to her new friend, but his mind wonders what instance Maybank was referring to. Maybe she'd told him that he hated her. Or that she hated him. Or maybe she told him that she loved him, or how he didn't love her back.

Maybe she'd mentioned how he'd been insistently ignoring her for the past four months, but it didn't seem too much like that right now. Maybe she'd said a lot of things but none of them could quite explain how complex their relationship had become, if you could even refer to it as one.

"Oh I'm sorry, Maybank, what was that?" He asks dryly, partly thinking that maybe – just maybe, he's so stupid, he might just explain exactly what he'd meant.

"Nothing." He answers instead.

But Rafe can't leave well enough alone, so he pushes, "You sure?"

Maybank tucks his hands deep into the pockets of his shorts, his bare heels digging into the sand as he rocks back and forth. "Positive." He says, flashing Rafe a tight smile.

He wonders if Valerie warned Maybank to be civil, just as he had been warned by Dorian.

Rafe glares at him, and he decides then and there, he doesn't like this guy. Not only because he's a pogue, because thats enough as is. But there's more to it, something about the way he holds himself, the way he speaks, it makes Rafe's blood pump and he figures that punching him would probably feel amazing.

"Well, it was real nice seeing you two." Valerie says curtly, curling a hand around Maybanks forearm, urging him to move forward.

But Rafe isn't satisfied. "Are you fucking him?"