Page 69 of Running Winter

I shook my head, swallowing as I did.

"No, but all the same, I'm moving to California," I repeated, saying to glance at Mom.

"Are you now?"

Immediately my bravado was squashed, but Mom leaned forward, her eyes sparkling.

"Why? You've been back barely an hour."

"I want to study there. They’ve got a great art program."

"Art? Rafe, I'm not sure you understand that you will be the owner of Deacon Enterprises one day," Dad reminded me, his voice icy.

"Co-owner, actually. Why don't you let Rafe go, and I'll take over?" Raven suggested from the doorway.

Dad's eyes softened when my sister walked into the room. She glanced at me before waving her hand airily.

"I'll run it better anyway."

Part of me wanted to argue, but another part of me was grateful.

"Darling, you'd let the place burn to the ground." Mom laughed as Raven pouted.

"Only if someone pissed me off," Raven countered, earning a chuckle of approval from my father. "Then again, I could always go traveling around Europe."

"No!" My parents cried simultaneously, causing Raven and me to exchange curious looks.

"Rafe, I don't want to discuss this with you right now. Go and busy yourself, " Dad barked before turning to my sister. "Why do you mention Europe, carina?"

Raven shrugged, staring at her phone idly. I knew this would end in an argument, so I took my get out of jail free offering and left. Halfway up the stairs, I heard the doorbell ring, and I paused. The CCTV monitor showed Chase pacing up and down impatiently, so I backtrack to let him in.

"What's up, man?" I greeted him. "Missing me already?"

Chase looked strange, and he walked past me towards my room silently. I locked the door before following him up, a knot forming in my stomach.

"Fallon?"

Chase was now pacing the floor in my room, running his hand through his hair irritably.

"I can't find her."

I frowned then before shrugging my shoulders.

“So what? She told you she was going away for a few days."

"Yeah. Rayna told her mom she was going to stay with Elise, which isn't true because Elise just cracked."

Elise was some girl from school, but I didn't realize Rayna and her were tight.

"You went to see Elise?" I frowned, sensing my cousin's frustration as it rolled off him.

"Yup. Elise is a shit liar, and she told me she didn't know where Rayna is."

"Have you tried calling Rayna?" I frowned, sinking into my desk chair.

Chase fixed me with a look that told me not to ask that again, and I nodded.

"She's with a guy. You know that, don't you?" I exhaled, picking up my phone.

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