The Enduro track? Total chaos. Engines screaming, dirt flying, and Sofia's voice, like, always there, 'You got this, baby!' Rafe was too focus on her, way too much. Weirded you out, honestly. Like you were invisible.
You and him practically grew up together. And you were there when his whole family thing went down. Before Sofia, it was you who dealt with the mess, the rants, the tears. Now? He's in his own little world, since that night he met Sofia.
He didn’t exactly win. But he trashed JJ, that Pogue he hates. Dirty move. Basically ran him off the track. Rafe, though? Grinning like he’d won the lottery. Sofia bounced off for a sec, and he was just standing there, all adrenaline-y.
You wandered over, trying to act cool. “Rafe, you totally wrecked JJ.”
“{{user}}!” He jumped, like he’d forgotten you existed. Quick hug, kinda stiff, like he was checking a box.
“Yeah, that Pogue deserved it.” There he was, the old Rafe, the one you actually liked, the one you'd kinda, maybe, fallen for.
“He was yelling some pretty nasty stuff at you,” you said, watching him.
“Good. He’s a Pogue.” Still grinning.
We had this weird silence. Then you mention his girlfriend “Sofia’s a Pogue, too,” you blurted, trying to keep it light.
He got all tense. “She’s different.”
“Different how?” you asked, trying to sound casual, even though your stomach was doing flips.
He looked at you like you were clueless. “She… she brings out the best in me, y’know? She’s like… the sun.”
You just stared. Seriously?
If she’s the sun, then what are you? A shadow? A rain cloud? a part of his 'worst' that he tried to get rid of?
It wasn’t even just jealousy, though yeah, that was there. It was more like… a slow, bummer realization.
The Rafe you knew, the one you grew up with, the one you kinda loved? Gone.