LITTLE SECRET | RAFE CAMERON

05: 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮

Alice looked down at her breakfast bowl, her head resting on her palm while her eyelids nearly fell shut.

The night had been pretty tough for her.

Yesterday's conversation with her mom had left her so confused that she lay awake in her bed for hours. It had felt like the longest night of her entire life. She had rolled back and forth, from one side to her back, over to the other side and onto her stomach.

Then she turned the pillow over and placed it differently.

Then she got hot and had to throw the blanket off her, but it was too cold without a blanket.

It was a nightmare of a night filled with tormenting thoughts.

„You look like shit" Ian said, charming first words as he walked into the kitchen.

Alice's attention swung to Ian - her brother - who walked over to the fridge. Rolling her eyes, she went back to eating her breakfast, „Good morning to you too, asshole"

„I saw you laying in the hammock last night" He sat down across from her. „trouble sleeping, huh?"

He got a half-hearted nod from her in response as she took a spoonful of her cereal. But her body didn't feel like eating. It literally stuck in her throat, every spoon of cereal connected with bad thoughts that spoke to her.

It was as if her body was rejecting the food, the mere smell of it making her sick. She was struggling with this for quite a while now.

„Don't worry, it's not that serious" She brushed it off.

He looked at her with a frown. An expression she hated because she knew he was trying to see right through her, read her like a book.

„How's JJ, haven't seen him around lately"

This time the next spoonful of cereal really stuck in her throat.

She broke out into a heavy cough, caught off guard by his offensive questions. She hadn't told him about the break up yet. If Ian had found out that JJ had cheated on her with Kiara of all people, something unstoppable would break out.

And even though she hated keeping secrets, she just couldn't find the courage to tell him.

„Is everything okay between you two?"

„Don't you have some dumbbells you should be lifting right now or some shit?"

„Sorry that I care" He scoffed and watched as Alice stood up hurriedly.

Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her phone from the counter as well as her bowl, which she put in the dishwasher before leaving him alone in the kitchen just to hide back in her room upstairs.

She knew Ian just wanted to talk.

Well, he'd never really liked JJ - and she couldn't blame him for it - but there was nothing he could do about the fact that his little sister fell in love with him.

Unfortunately.

She dropped on her bed and looked up at the blank ceiling. On the night of the party, it all felt so much easier. The alcohol had taken her mind off things - at least for a short while - but she couldn't just become an alcoholic now because some dumb boy had ripped her heart out of her chest.

So, instead of sneaking into her dad's wine cellar to get wasted, she simply grabbed her phone.

ALICE
Hi
Can I come over?

SARAH
Of course
Bring your bikini!

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

„I feel bad for not telling Ian" She sighed, taking a sip from her drink.

„Well, we both know what he would do if you tell him" Sarah looked over at her knowingly.

The girls were lying outside on the sun loungers by the pool. The sun was burning down on the island and beaded little pearls of sweat on their bodies. Actually, it was a really nice afternoon, but Alice couldn't even enjoy it. Because yes, she was well aware of what her brother would do to JJ.

Sarah sat up on her lounger with a sigh. „but I don't get why you're still protecting him. I mean if Topper cheated on me, I'd tell Rafe" She pushed her sunglasses up onto her head.

„Tell me what?" Rafe interrupted, who had been watching the two girls for the last few minutes.

Alice looked over her shoulder in surprise.

With an backwards cap on his head and wearing nothing but his swim trunks, Rafe pushed away from the door frame.

She was so taken by the sight that she didn't even notice Topper following him.

„If Topper cheated on me" Sarah repeated as her boyfriend came up to her.

„Why would I ever cheat on you?" He gave her a peck on the lips before sitting down next to her on the lounger.

„Why are you two so nosy, we're talking about private stuff here"

„Oh yeah, cause' it's so private that JJ cheated on her" Rafe chuckled and sat down on the edge of Alice's lounger, not caring about her laying on it.

„Thank you for your sympathy, Rafe"

He looked over at her and smiled cheekily, his gaze briefly wandering down to her bikini top, from which her breasts - shiny from
the sunscreen - peeked out a little, but what he wanted to see was mostly covered by fabric.

She knew it was a bit revealing, but a single woman should be allowed to live, right?

„Always." His eyes swung back up to hers.

Sighing, she crossed her legs and leaned further back on her lounger, trying to ignore the fact that he was so close to her exposed skin. She closed her eyes and still felt his eyes staring at her, literally drinking in the sight of her.

„You didn't tell Ian?" He cleared his throat, watching her as she crossed her arms behind her head.

She opened her eyes again and looked at him through the dimmed lenses of her sunglasses as he adjusted his cap. „no, I didn't and I won't"

He narrowed his eyes, making it seem like he was sorting his words as he watched Sarah and Topper getting up and get in the pool.

„So he runs around the island spared after hurting you?" He wondered when the two were out of reach.

The way he said it made it sound like the greatest crime in the world. As if JJ was actually doomed to be punished for it.

Frowning, Alice pulled her legs to her body and wrapped her arms around them, making him realize that it wasn't anything she wanted to talk about.

„You know-„ He reached for her sunglasses and pulled them off. „-I could make him regret what he did"

Oh, and she knew he could definitely make him regret, but he was probably just looking for a reason to beat up one of the Pogues.

„Just let it go, Rafe" She shook her head expressly.

JJ made a mistake, and yes he had hurt her too, but there was no way she was going to set Rafe on him now. Mainly because he was unpredictable.