𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, ᵒᵘᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃⁿᵏˢ

𝟬𝟭, paradise on earth

"trying to get rid of me, are you?" rafe teased and reached his thumb up to rub away the crease between juliet's eyebrows.

"no no! you just don't stay that often is all." juliet explained quickly causing rage to smile softly.

"i sleep better here." rafe explained lowly, still staring down at juliet.

juliet felt the question linger on the tip of her tongue and she couldn't help but ask, "your dad still bothering you?"

rafe quickly cleared his throat, suddenly feeling like it was closing, and leaned his head back on juliet's pillows to look at her ceiling, "when doesn't he?"

rafes quick change of demeanor and sudden coldness was something that happened often whenever the topic of his father arose in conversation. he still had his arms around juliet but his lack of eye contact was his way of disconnecting and juliet knew this all too well.

juliet looked up at him, watching his jaw tighten, "do you want to talk about it?"

rafe was silent for a moment as the question hung in the air. juliet knew that it was either touch or go with this topic. rafe would either vent immediately or would push away the topic and exit the conversation as quickly as possible.

juliet watched rafe swallow before speaking slowly, "it's just...i'm going to get a job, juliet."

"i know that." juliet responded right away and she immediately knew what ward was messing with rafe about.

"my dad doesn't, he doesn't believe me when i say it. he doesn't believe in me, not even a little bit. i mean he can trust all these random clients but not his own fucking kid." rafe scoffed and juliet could feel his body tense up underneath her own.

"rafe..."

"you want to know what he said to me when i told him i was working on finding a job? he said that i was lazy, that i didn't want a job and that's why i don't have one." the words felt like they were falling out of his mouth.

he always found himself in this position with juliet. he had become comfortable fishy juliet, more comfortable than he has ever felt with anyone else, and that meant that he finally had someone to tell all of this too. one way or another, whether he wanted to or not, he would always tell juliet anything that was bothering him.

"i thought he was going to make you work for cameron development." juliet pointed out, confused on why ward was making rafe go on a job hunt.

"oh he is, this is all just a test. he is trying to prove that i can't succeed if i don't have it handed to me. that's why i need to find a job so that i can prove to him that i'm actually worth something, that i'm not just some daddy's boy." as rafe described the game that ward was playing, juliet felt her heart cave in.

before she really knew rafe, she had always considered him lucky. he had a father, a family, and a home. juliet barely had any of those things. her father was always absent, never home or around, and if he was home he was on drugs or drinking. though as she came to really know rafe she realized that just because someone's father is present doesn't mean they're better off than someone who's father isn't.

"you are worth something, rafe." juliet tried to assure rafe but he shook his head and let out a soft sigh.

"i just want to be good enough for him." he muttered in response, embarrassed by his own feelings.

"rafe," juliet let out a sigh and sat up while softly grabbing rafes face to force his eyes to look at hers, "it doesn't matter whether or not your father thinks your good enough. you don't have to prove anything to him. the only person that you need to be good enough for and prove yourself to is yourself. you are so much more than some rich daddy's boy. you are smart and ambitious and worthy. i know it's hard for you to see that but i see it. i see how much you're worth and if your father can't see that then he is blind."