If Only Rafe Cameron X Reader

But At What Cost?

I don't even hear the door click shut—it just feels like the oxygen thins. I continue up the stairs, as if I could shake the betrayal if I keep moving.

"You okay?" Sarah's voice is gentle as she follows close behind me.

I don't look at her. "Does it matter?"

She moves a little closer. Her presence is soft, but I feel the pressure of it anyway. Like she's stepping into something she knows she can't fix.

"He didn't mean for it to go like that," she offers.

I spin around at the top of the stairs, causing her to flinch. "Did you know?" I ask. 

"What?" She questions with a breath.

"About the watch. Did you know JJ took it?"

Her face tightens, her breath catches. The silence answers me first.

"I didn't know," she says quietly. "I had a feeling."

My stomach sinks.

"A feeling?" I repeat, sharp. "And you didn't think to say anything? To me? To your brother who, by the way — was nearly strangled by your father this morning because he believes he stole it?"

"I was trying to protect JJ."

"No," I snap. "You were trying to protect your peace." I mock quotations with my hands. "You didn't want to choose. So you stayed quiet and let me look like a fool."

"JJ's like my brother, my family, Y/N," she says, her voice harder now.

"Do you hear yourself? Rafe is your brother for Fuck sake! He's your family!"

Sarah flinches. "I'm sorry."

Before I can say anything else, I hear heavy footsteps in the hallway.

"Sarah, out." Rafe says, his voice hard and sharp.

Sarah doesn't move at first.

"I said out."

There's a beat of silence before she slips past Rafe and closes the door behind her.

I don't turn to face him.

"Don't," I warn, my voice flat. "Don't try to fix this with one of your half-hearted apologies."

"I wasn't going to apologize," Rafe says flatly.

I whirl around to face him. "Of course not. That would take any ounce of humility."

His jaw tightens. "That's rich coming from you."

"Me?" I let out a laugh; sharp, bitter, broken. "I'm not the one who lied. Who played it cool all day like nothing was wrong."

He steps forward, voice low and fast. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd react like this."

I move in, eyes blazing. "Like what exactly?"

His voice hardens. "Like someone who can't do what needs to be done. I found the problem and I fixed it. As soon as dad said the watch was gone, I knew it was that fucking Pogue. He came here with a bag of clothes for you that first night we kissed, I told him to take it inside, but guess what, that bag is nowhere to be found is it. Because that prick lied to get in here and steal what doesn't belong to him. I don't know why I ever trusted you Pogues in the first place."

I stagger back half a step. The words hit hard.

"There it is," I say. "That's the version of you I remember. He's out now, Go ahead Rafe tell me how you feel. Hell tell all of Figure Eight, since I know you love to raise your voice so much." I sneer as I gesture to the open window.