ONE FOR THE MONEY - rafe cameron

chapter fourteen

after that moment with jj, things got awkward.
the others heard but didn't mention anything, until it was just gina and sarah.

sarah had brought gina to her house, it was pretty early in the morning and they avoided the subject.

sarah puts her eggo waffles in the toaster and looks back at gina, who's only pushing hers around with her fork.

"why aren't you eating?" sarah asks.
"i just can't get what happened with jj out of my mind." the girls hear someone walk into the kitchen, they look over and see rafe.

"what happened with jj?" rafe leans over and takes a bite out of one of gina's eggo waffles and kisses her on the forehead.

gina and sarah practically have a conversation with their facial expressions as rafe looks through the fridge.

he shuts the fridge, and pours a glass of milk to have on the side with the waffle.

"gin." he looks at her.
"hm?" she looks at him.
"what happened with jj?"
"uhh, nothing."
"i don't believe you."
"rafe nothing big happened."
"okay, so if it's not a big deal tell me."
gina thinks of what to tell him.
"gina, are you hiding something from me?" he raises his eyebrow and gina shakes her head.
"no, it's just he told me something personal. asked me not to tell anyone."
"wait, you two are talking?"
"well-"
"are you two like friends or something?"
"rafe-"
"why are you friends with your ex?"

sarah watches, not knowing if she should step in or not.
"look, i'm not necessarily friends with him."
"then what are you?"
"on okay terms."
"why is he telling you personal stuff if you guys aren't friends?"
"cause me and him did date at one point, he's comfortable telling me."
"i'm not comfortable with you talking to your ex."
"we aren't even dating, rafe."
"that's cause i'm waiting for you!" he raises his voice.
"there's no need to yell." sarah buds in.
"gina, i've been waiting for you. i hate when you hold that against me. if you're just making me wait for no reason, at least let me know." he walks out the kitchen.

"why couldn't you just say you heard like a rumor or something?" sarah asks.
"i don't like lying."
"well you didn't tell the truth."
"i did beat around the bush, but if i told the whole truth you know how he'd react." sarah sits down next to gina and places her hand on gina's back.

"why are you making rafe wait? are you really not ready to date, or is it something else?"
"i really like rafe, and i want to date him."
"but?"
"but, i'm afraid of having my heart broken again."
"didn't you break up with jj?"
"yeah, after he ruined me. but at the same time i feel guilty for not staying with him. he needed someone to be there for him and i wasn't."
"you were there for him, until he dragged you down with him. there's nothing to feel guilty about."

"you really think i shouldn't feel guilty?" gina tears up.
"no, you shouldn't."
gina hugs sarah as tears start to stream down her face.
"i want to be with rafe, i'm just scared of my past and myself." she cries.
"why are you scared of yourself?"
"what if i can't commit? i don't want to be the reason someone's heart is broken."
"if you can't commit that means you didn't find the one, if you feel comfortable with committing, then that means you truly love them."

"thank you." they seperate and sarah wipes gina's tears.
"anytime." she smiles.

-

gina paced in front of rafe's door.
playing out what she'd say to him, and every outcome of how he might react.

she takes a deep breath and knocks on his door.
rafe opens the door and sees gina.
"what do you want?"
"i want to tell you something." rafe looks into her eyes and sees she's being serious.
"okay, come in." he sighs, and moves over so she can enter.

rafe closed his door behind him, and saw how nervous gina looked.
"are you alright?" he asks.
"i'm nervous because what i'm about to say might change everything." she quickly lets out.
"okayy?" he furrows his eyebrows.

she takes another deep breath.
"you ready?"
"yup."

"okay, so. i'll stop being well not friends but like mutual friends or whatever it's called with jj if it really makes you uncomfortable. i really like you and i want to be with you so bad, i'm just scared of committing, because last time i did i was heartbroken and hurt for almost a year, and i grew as a person but sometimes i do get flashbacks and remember bad things and i just feel a pain in my heart and i know that has nothing to do with you, i'm just scared of you hurting me, or me hurting you. anyways, like i said i really like you and i'm willing to put all that to the side and take the risk and ask you out." rafe hesitates.

"so what are you saying?"
"i know it isn't traditional, but will you be my boyfriend?" gina pants.
"yeah.." a smile grows on rafe's face and he wraps his arms around gina's lower waist and looks at her in the eyes.

"and i want you to know you'll never have to worry about me hurting you."
"promise?" she whispers.
"i promise." the two lock lips, and separate, making eye contact again.

"i'm so happy i met you." rafe tells her as he smirks.
"me too."