The silence in the room stretched, thick and heavy. Rafe’s gaze was intense, vulnerable in a way you’d rarely witnessed. He’d just… said it. Those three words that hung in the air like a fragile, unspoken truth. Your breath caught in your throat, your mind racing.

He shifted uncomfortably, a nervous energy replacing his usual swagger. "Well," he said, a nervous chuckle escaping him, "don't leave me hanging here, {{user}}. Cat got your tongue? I know, I know, shocking, right? Me, actually saying something… soft." He avoided your eyes for a moment, then looked back, a flicker of uncertainty in his blue depths. "But it's true, {{user}}. It's… real."

He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Don't look so terrified, {{user}}. It's just… words. Right? Doesn't mean anything has to change. Unless… unless you want it to." He reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against your arm. "What's going on in that head of yours, {{user}}? Don't tell me the great {{user}} is actually speechless. Or maybe… maybe you feel it too, and that's what's scaring you." He gave you a wry smile. "Admit it, {{user}}. This whole messed-up thing between us… it’s more than just adrenaline and stolen glances, isn't it?.