▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

Imani stood behind the counter at her parent's restaurant, wiping down menus while her dad bustled around in the kitchen, preparing for the evening rush. It was a quiet time, with just a few customers scattered at tables, but that wouldn't last. In an hour or so, the place would be packed, as usual.

Kiara was restocking silverware near the back, her movements quick and frustrated, still brooding from the argument with their parents earlier that week about school. Imani glanced over at her sister, wishing she could ease some of the tension, but she knew Kiara wasn't ready to talk yet.

As she set the menus aside and straightened her apron, the door chimed, signaling new customers. Imani glanced up out of habit, and her stomach flipped when she saw who it was.

Rafe, walking in with a group of his friends.

He moved with that casual arrogance he always had, wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans with his buzzed hair.

Behind him, his friends; Topper and a couple of others, laughed and shoved each other as they walked toward a table near the window. But Imani barely registered them. Her gaze was locked with Rafe's for a split second as he scanned the room and found her.

His eyes met hers across the restaurant, and for a moment, the rest of the room seemed to blur. Imani felt a weird flutter in her chest, remembering the last time what he had messaged her. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, and now, seeing him here, those thoughts came rushing back.

Rafe's expression softened slightly, like he was just as caught off guard by seeing her. Then, as quickly as it happened, he looked away, leading his friends to a table.

"Imani," her dad's voice broke through her thoughts as he called from the kitchen, "Can you take that table's order?"

Imani blinked, her heart skipping a beat. "Uh, yeah, sure," she muttered, grabbing her notepad and pen, her pulse quickening as she approached the group.

As she reached their table, all of Rafe's friends turned to look at her, their eyes roaming a little too obviously for her liking.

"Hi, Imani," Topper, spoke first

"Hey, what can I get for you guys?"

Bobby, his friend, leaned back in his chair, flashing a smug smile. "Well, well, if it isn't Imani Carrera. You gonna take real good care of us, right?"

The others snickered, elbowing each other like they were in on some joke. Imani's eyes narrowed slightly, but she kept her composure, waiting for their orders without responding to the comment.

Another one of Rafe's friends, Kelce, chimed in, "Yeah, Imani, maybe you can give us a little extra service, huh?" He winked, and the group burst into laughter.

Imani's face tightened in irritation. She wasn't in the mood for their rich-kid banter, and it was clear they weren't taking her seriously. She shifted her weight, trying to keep her patience.

Before she could respond, Rafe cut in, his voice sharp. "Shut up." The table went quiet. Rafe glared at his friends, his jaw tense.

When he spoke again, his tone was calmer but firm. "Just give her your orders and stop being idiots."

Topper looked taken aback for a second but then shrugged, lifting the menu. "Alright, alright. Didn't know you were feeling so protective."

Imani could feel Rafe watching her, but she kept her eyes on the notepad, pretending to jot down the orders without reacting. She didn't want to give any of them the satisfaction of knowing how much their comments—and Rafe's reaction—had gotten under her skin. When they finally gave her their orders, she turned on her heel and walked back to the kitchen, feeling their eyes on her the whole way.

"You okay?" Kiara asked, when Imani made her way to the counter. "What happened?"

"Nothing, i'm fine," Imani reassured her, although the flush in her cheeks was refusing to fade away, the anger in her still there after what they said to her.

"Then why is Rafe Cameron staring at you like you've spat on his face," Kiara leaned one hip against the counter.

Imani began typing on the monitor, refusing to look at her sister. "He always looks pissed off."

"Do you want me to go deal with him?" Kiara offered.

Imani smiled at her sister's feistiness and her instinct to protect her older sister. "Let's take a day off in making men cry, yeah?"

"Whatever," Kiara rolled her eyes, but still laughed.

━━━━━━━━━━

Imani stepped out of the restaurant, the cool air hitting her skin as she glanced around for a moment of quiet. It had been a long day, and as she rounded the corner, she heard raised voices.

Rafe was in both Bobby and Kelce's face, his posture tense, muscles flexing under his shirt. The two boys were now backing up, fear etched across their face. Topper was behind Rafe, tugging at his arm, trying to calm him down, but Rafe wasn't having it.

"Get the fuck off me, Topper," Rafe seethed.

"You gotta chill, bro," Topper said.

Imani crept closer, her breath catching as she heard Rafe's low, dangerous voice toward his friends. "Don't ever speak to her like that again. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah, man, we got it," Kelce, eyes wide, nodded quickly, his expression one of fear and regret.

The others stood in silence, glancing nervously between each other and Rafe, clearly realising they'd pushed him too far.

"Leave," Rafe commanded, his voice hard, leaving no room for argument.

Without another word, Rafe's friends hurried off, not daring to look back. Topper lingered for a moment, his eyes darting nervously between Rafe and Imani before he, too, walked away.

And then it was just the two of them.

Imani's gaze snapped back to Rafe, watching the way his chest heaved slightly, his fists clenching and unclenching as if he were struggling to regain control. She didn't know what to say, the intensity of the moment catching her off guard.

Rafe's eyes finally found hers. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his body remained, like he was still frustrated, ready to spring. He stared at her for a long moment, the weight of his gaze making her feel exposed, vulnerable. Imani's heart thudded in her chest, her nerves firing up as she watched him take one step toward her.

For a second, she thought he was coming closer, and a knot of tension tightened in her stomach. She wasn't sure what she wanted, whether she was ready for whatever would come next if he did.

But then, just as quickly as he'd stepped toward her, Rafe stopped. His jaw clenched, and with one last lingering look, he turned and walked away without a word.

Imani stood frozen, staring after him, a strange sadness settling in her chest. She'd been bracing herself for him to come closer, for something to happen. And she wasn't sure why that made her feel a little disappointed.

━━━━━━━━━━

The evening was peaceful, the soft glow of the TV casting a warm light around the room as Imani and Kiara lounged on the couch. Kiara's head rested comfortably on Imani's lap. They weren't really paying attention to the show on TV; Kiara was talking, as usual, about the boys.

"JJ stole this old dude's mobility scooter," Kiara laughed. "Like, he actually thought it would go fast. I don't even know if he's serious half the time, but Pope and John B ran away when Shoupe caught JJ."

Imani smiled, absentmindedly running her fingers through Kiara's hair as she listened. She loved how animated Kiara got when she talked about the boys, how they brought out a part of her that seemed lighter, freer. The Pogues were her real friends, nothing like the Kooks at Kildare.

Kiara continued, her voice lively as she moved on to some story about JJ getting into trouble. Imani's phone buzzed on the cushion beside her, lighting up with a notification. She glanced at it, not expecting anything important, maybe it was her friends asking her again to join them at the party that was happening tonight.

But her breath caught for a second when she saw the name on the screen.

rafe: i want to call you

Imani rolled her eyes, he didn't even want to talk to her back at the restaurant, so why was he asking to call her now? She wasn't sure why all of a sudden that annoyed her.

imani: request declined

She quickly typed out a response and hit send before switching her phone off and setting it aside.

"Who was that?" Kiara asked, her eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion.

Imani shook her head, trying to keep her face neutral. "No one," she said casually, brushing it off like it was nothing.

"Uh-huh, no one? Then why are you smiling like that?"

Imani blinked, caught off guard by her sister's observation. She hadn't even realised she was smiling, and now she could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks. "I'm not smiling," she said quickly, her voice betraying her as she tried to redirect the conversation. "And you were just telling me about JJ, right? What else did he do?"

Kiara raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced, but she let it go for the moment, returning to her story. "Oh yeah, so JJ thought it would be fun to sneak a frog into the classroom..."

Imani nodded along, doing her best to focus on Kiara's words, but her mind kept drifting back to Rafe. The way he'd been acting lately, messaging her, showing up at the restaurant, the almost kiss they'd shared. It was strange, and she wasn't sure what to make of it yet. But one thing was for sure—she wasn't going to let it show. Not to Kiara, and definitely not to herself.

━━━━━━━━━━

An hour had passed, and the TV still illuminated the living room. Imani had settled into watching the show, her mind drifting lazily as she listened to Kiara's occasional snore, whose head was still lying on her lap.

Just as Imani was about to lose herself in her own thoughts, her phone buzzed again on the table, startling her out of her thoughts. She glanced down, her brow furrowing when she saw an unfamiliar number flashing on the screen.

Who's calling me now?

Curiosity piqued, she carefully lifted Kiara's head, adjusting her sister's position to make her comfortable before quietly slipping away. Tiptoeing upstairs, Imani answered the call, bringing the phone to her ear as she settled in her room. "Hello?" She said softly.

"I don't like being told no," came Rafe's voice, smooth, but there was an edge of frustration underlying his words.

Imani rolled her eyes. "And I don't like getting unknown calls from random numbers. Maybe try texting next time?"

He chuckled, clearly unfazed by her sarcasm. "But where's the fun in that? I thought I'd be more direct."

"Direct is just a fancy word for annoying," she shot back, as she lay on her bed. "And I said no for a reason, Rafe."

"I'm just trying to talk to you," he replied, the casual tone slipping slightly, revealing a hint of something deeper.

"How did you get my number?" Imani asked.

"You friend Vanessa, she gave it to me," Rafe replied.

"Vanessa?" She wondered. "Oh, you mean Violet?"

"I don't care what her name is," he replied back and she rolled her eyes at his nonchalance.

"Violet would never give my number to anyone."

"She was drunk, so it was easier to get it."

"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?" Imani bit her lower lip, as she played with the string on her shorts.

"You captured my attention," Rafe's voice came through the phone, low and smooth. "That's not something I easily forget."

"So you're telling me I'm just a passing interest for you? Something to keep you entertained?"

"Not at all."

She rolled her eyes, fighting a smile. "Flattery will get you nowhere. You know that, right?"

"It's not flattery if it's true," he shot back, sounding almost playful.

She paused, biting back a reaction. "I'm going to change the subject now."

"Good. I'll do it for you," he replied as she heard him shuffling. "What are you wearing right now?"

Imani gasped at his unexpected question, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Whoa! Tone it down!" she exclaimed, both flustered and amused. "This isn't some phone sex we're having."

"Just making conversation," he said, a playful lilt in his voice. "What? Is it too personal?"

"Yes, definitely," she shot back, trying to sound more annoyed than she actually was. "You can't just jump from zero to sixty like that. It's—"

"Exciting?" He interrupted, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips. "I'm not about to discuss my wardrobe choices with you. That's not happening."

"Aw, come on," he teased, his voice light and flirtatious. "I'm just curious. I'd like to know what kind of outfits I'm dealing with."

Imani's breath hitched at Rafe's words, her fingers tightening around the phone. There was something in the way he said it, not just playful but laced with a tone of intensity. She felt a strange warmth settle in her chest, her heart beating just a little faster.

She cleared her throat, trying to shake the feeling, but it lingered, surprising her. "You're impossible. I'm in shorts and a t-shirt, okay? Nothing special."

"I can guarantee I'd make it more fun."

"I... I already told you, it's just shorts and a t-shirt. Nothing worth getting worked up over."

"Maybe for you," Rafe replied, his voice dipping lower. "But I like being imaginative."

Imani's pulse quickened again, and despite herself, she couldn't ignore the flutter of excitement stirring inside her. She wasn't used to someone like Rafe, someone who could make her feel so... seen, even through a phone call. It was unsettling but also strangely thrilling.

"Rafe, it's not happening," she said, though her voice came out softer than she intended, betraying the effect his words were having on her.

"Maybe," he said, but there was a playful edge to his tone. "But I'm guessing you don't mind all that much."

Imani swallowed, her thoughts spinning, realising she might be more curious about where this could go than she wanted to admit. She didn't like the idea of falling for his charm, but something about the way he spoke to her made it hard to resist.

"I need to go."

"Did I turn you on?"

"No," Imani spluttered out. "I'm tired."

"Tired, huh?"

"You really need to stop speaking to me like this," she whispered.

"Like what?"

"You know what I mean," she bit on her lower lip.

"I like hearing your voice," Rafe said instead.

"Don't get too excited, weirdo," Imani remarked as she rolled her eyes.

"My dick says no promises," he teased.

"Oh my God," she muttered. "Good night."

"Oh, it's definitely going to be a good night."

Imani quickly ended the call, throwing her phone on her bed as she let out a groan and covered her face with her hands.

She heard a buzz from her phone, and unlocked her phone to see what it was now.

rafe: save my number

rafe: and dream of me

imani: highly unlikely

"Asshole," she muttered with a laugh.

Rafe Cameron knew how to push her buttons.

━━━━━━━━━━

The morning sunlight filtered through the windows of the Cameron mansion as Rafe sat at the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. His thumb hovered over the screen, his lips curving into a small smile as he stared at the picture Imani had sent him.

She was standing in front of a floor length mirror in her room, the soft glow of her bedroom window illuminating her skin. She wore a short, white sundress, that clung just enough to hint at her curves without giving too much away. The fabric was soft, flowing, and lightweight, with thin straps over her shoulders and a subtle neckline that accentuated her collarbones. The dress hugged her waist before flaring slightly, the hem stopping mid-thigh, revealing her toned legs. And with a smile, the kind that made her look effortlessly beautiful.

imani: you think you can you deal with this outfit?

Rafe couldn't help but smile wider, his mind wandering back to the conversation they'd had over the phone. Her sarcasm, and the way she tried to push him away while still drawing him in—it was intoxicating. There was something about Imani that made him feel challenged, and he liked that more than he'd care to admit.

As he stared at the picture, he didn't hear the door creak open behind him. A small voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Who's that?" Wheezie's voice chirped from behind his shoulder, startling him.

Rafe quickly locked his phone and turned, shooting his younger sister a glare. "None of your business, Wheezie."

She frowned, standing on her tiptoes to try and get another peek at the screen. "Come on, I just want to know—"

"Go away," he cut her off, his tone firm but not harsh. He ruffled her hair, trying to brush off the situation before she could ask more questions. "Seriously. You're too nosy."

Wheezie pouted, crossing her arms. "Fine, whatever. You're no fun."

Rafe waited until she finally left, glancing back down at his phone once more. His expression softened as he unlocked the screen, looking at Imani's picture again.

He saved the photo. Keeping it in his photo gallery. The first of many.

"Yeah," he muttered to himself. "I can deal with it."

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

author's note:

- what do we think of this story so far?

- don't forget to vote on every chapter and comment on the chapters too. it will motivate me to write more and update quicker!