I open the front door to Rafe Cameron's home. Nobody had answered the door but by now I had been over enough to open the front door. Rafe and I had hung out several times since we'd met a couple weeks ago.
"Rafe?" I call out. "Hey! Cameron!" I make my way up the stairs to his bedroom. I knock on the door lightly. "Cameron?"
"Come in." His voice comes out muffled and quiet.
When I walk in I find Rafe sitting against his bed on the floor. His knees pulled to his chest, forearms resting on top, his head hanging low.
I move to squat in front of him. "Hey, Rafe, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm fine."
"You didn't answer the door, you knew I was coming."
"Sorry."
"Cameron, please talk to me."
"It's fine, it doesn't even matter." He stands, pulling away from me. He runs a hand through his hair, visibly uncomfortable.
I sigh. "Let me help you." I say softly.
"No."
"Why are you shutting me out?" I ask confused.
"I shut everyone out. Don't take it personally. It's just easier." Rafe retorts.
"You don't have to hide from me. I want to continue to learn who you are. I like the real Rafe Cameron. Please talk to me about it."
"The real Rafe Cameron?"
"You're a good guy. You're fun and caring. You make me feel like I can be myself."
"My dad." He says simply.
"What?"
"He's really hard on me. He treats me like shit. I'm not good enough for him and I'm always screwing up. My sisters are always his priorities and I'm just thrown to the side."
"I'm so sorry, Rafe."
"I just feel like I'm not enough for anyone. Nobody puts me first. I'm especially not enough for you. You're amazing. Fun and kind and you always put other people before you. I'm a selfish Kook with a cocaine addiction."
My mind goes back to when I had heard him talking about me to Topper. My heart hurt for the boy in front of me. His words from the party replay in my mind. 'I can't act on it. I'd hurt her. I would never be good enough for her.'
"You're my best friend. You'll always be enough for me." I walk over to the boy and wrap him in a hug. His arms cling tightly around my waist. I feel him shake slightly against me. He was crying. I pull away too look at him. I reach up to wipe the tears that trailed down his cheekbones.
"Thank you." He whispers quietly.
"You're not alone, okay?"
He nods.
"Look, you can always talk to me. I'm not going to judge you or look down on you because of how you feel. I'm here to help you and be there for you."
"I appreciate that. I need you to be patient with me though. You're the only person I've ever let see me like this."
"Vulnerable?"
"Weak."
"No. Vulnerable. You're not weak for being upset. You telling me how you feel makes you strong because you're not afraid to express yourself."
"God, why are so smart, Mi?" He lets out a light laugh.
"I did get straight A's in school this last year."
"Of course you did." Rafe teases.
"Hey, I take time to study!" I laugh.
"Nerd alert!" Rafe calls out.
"I'm sorry, which one of us could surf? Oh yeah, that was me."
"Oh, you didn't just go there." Rafe picks me up over his shoulder. I laugh uncontrollably as runs around the house with me over his shoulder. He runs down the stairs, but slow enough to be careful of not falling down with me. He opens the back door and runs over to the pool.
I gasp as he dangles me over the water. "Rafe Cameron, I swear to god. If you throw me in there I'm never coming back."
"Hmm, I just might be willing to take that risk." Rafe says.
"Absolutely not, do not drop me in there. My hair!"
He sets me back on the ground next to the pool. Before he can react I shove him into the pool. A loud splash erupts around him as he hits the water.
"Mila!" He yells surfacing. "Ughh, you're gonna get it!" He climbs out of the pool and wraps me in a giant, wet hug.
I let out a squeal as the water on his clothes seep through to mine and contact my warm skin. He cups my cheeks, wiping his own wet face against mine. I let out a giggle. He pulls away to look at me, his hands still resting on my face. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Tension rises between us as he continues to stare at me. I suddenly realize how close we actually were, our faces just inches apart.
He steps back. "We should probably get some dry clothes." He walks toward the house. I follow him up to his bedroom. He hands me a sweatshirt off his bed. "You can put this on. I'll go change on the bathroom."
I slide off my wet shorts and my tank top and pull on his giant sweatshirt. I look at myself in his mirror. I looked slightly silly, drowning in his jacket.
Rafe comes back moments later. He was now in another sweatshirt and a pair of sweat shorts. His hair was still very wet from pushing him into the pool.
"Hey, do you wanna just stay here?" He asks.
"What?"
"Like for the night. It's really late." He shrugs nonchalantly.
"Oh, uh, sure." I say. "Let me text my dad."