This is Me Trying ⭑ Rafe Cameron

thirty one

Cassie shuts her eyes and lets out a sigh. "No, I'm sorry, I haven't yet— but I'm sure she won't—"

"No, no, you're good." JJ shakes it off quickly. "You're good. I still have like two weeks left to pay the bills, I can try and come up with some money. Thinking of selling my bike."

"JJ, you're bike? It took you years to save up for that, there's gotta be something else." Cassie says worriedly. "Have you talked to Dale from the marina? Maybe he'll give you your old job back, they're always hiring—"

"Yeah, maybe." He cuts her off, and she could tell he didn't really want to talk about it anymore. "I'll call you later."

Cassie frowns. "Okay, love you."

"Love you too." JJ says, then hangs up.

Cassie huffs, shoving the phone back into her pocket. Despite the circumstances she found herself in, this was the first time in a while that she felt things starting to slow down. The world around her was beginning to feel normal again. Life was familiar for the first time in what felt like forever.

The weather reminded her of past years spending fall on the island. Cool, salty breeze that she could feel through the holes of her knit sweater. She wanted to sit on the beach by the fire with her friends again. And though things weren't perfect yet, John B was still hiding things from the group, and his father was now involved with Singh, she felt that things would all be well again soon.

But Cassie was known for her naivety, so she didn't even begin to let herself hold out too much hope.

She acted like she was just on a long walk as she made her way through Tannyhill. Just passing through, as the women in cars more expensive than everything she owned combined stared her down. Sometimes, she felt like she had 'Maybank' painted on her forehead in red, like some sort of warning.

At the front gates, Cassie called Rafe instead of clicking the buzzer. She grew anxious, all sorts of outcomes rushing through her. The chances of him not even being here, let alone in this country, growing higher with each ring. And that almost felt like the easier outcome, the less pain-staking one in comparison to him just not wanting to see or talk to her after last night.

After she'd practically begged him to stay the night with her since she was too scared to sleep on her own. And standing here, in front of his mountain of a house, she felt herself growing smaller and smaller.

"Hello?" He answers.

She inhales sharply, almost forgetting the possibility of him actually answering. "Hey, it's Cassie—"

"Oh," he says. "Is that you at the gate?"

She turns and looks up, seeing the door on the second floor balcony open, Rafe stepping out. Her breath hitches, and she nods. "Yeah, I'm— I need my car."

She sees him nod, and pull his phone from his ear.

Did he feel just as nervous as she did? Did he regret last night, telling her all of that? Staying? Or was it nothing to him?

She didn't know which way she wanted him to feel.

She hears the gate click, and it starts to slowly creak open.