Page 64 of Rafe: Sins of the Father

“Fuck.” He jerks back, then recognition hits, and he flings his helmet off and strides toward me. “Tori. Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

“I’m fine.” I capture his hands.

“You should have waited until I got here before you came down. I don’t want you here alone. It’s not safe, baby.”

I nod. “I know. I just… I needed to…”

He frowns. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I have something to tell you, and I’m afraid it’s going to upset you.”

His chin pulls to the side, but he doesn’t lose my eyes. “Okay. Just tell me, Tori. Whatever it is, we’ll work it out.”

“I have to go somewhere tonight.”

“Where?”

I look at the ground; I can’t meet his eyes when I say it. “I promised I’d go to this event tonight.”

“With who?” he bites out, and I think he already knows the answer.

I look at the rising sun, just beginning to peek over the horizon.

“With who, Tori?” he presses.

“Alex Powers.”

Rafe whirls and strides four steps away from me, raking his hand through his hair. He paces. “Are you kidding me? Powers? Seriously?”

“It’s a charity event, that’s all. He needed a date. It means nothing, I—”

“Don’t tell me it means nothing. It means somethingto him.” He pounds his chest. “It means somethingto me.”

“I’m sorry. I said I’d do it before… before we became what we are.”

“And what are we, Tori?” he snaps. “Am I a game to you? Are you just having fun with me between dates with the man you really want? Fooling around with a bad boy before you settle down with the good guy?”

“I swear it’s not like that. You and me—this is real, Rafe. This isn’t a game to me.”

“Then cancel. Call him and cancel.”

“I can’t. It’s too late to cancel now. The gala is tonight.”

“Blow him off.”

He studies me, and I feel sick inside. “If you’ll only listen—”

“Go home, Tori.”

“But Rafe—”

“If you’re waiting for me to tell you it’s okay, you can forget it.” He tugs his work gloves on, heads across the lot, and begins stacking boards for an order.

I’m afraid to push it, because he’s really upset right now, and he might say something to me we can’t come back from. Perhaps he’ll be more reasonable when he cools off. It’s just a charity gala. It means nothing. He’ll see. I’ll make him see tomorrow. Somehow, I’ll fix this.

At 7pm, Alex pulls up at the house and rings the bell. My father answers the door, and the two men greet each other. I’m standing at the top of the stairs, and when Alex sees me in the gown I bought this afternoon, he smiles.

In my head, I imagine Rafe standing there, his eyes taking me in, his smile.

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