The night air is cool, carrying the scent of the ocean with it, and you and Rafe are alone on the rooftop, away from the chaos of the world below. The stars above you are bright, almost surreal, their light reflecting off the water in the distance. The only sounds are the distant hum of the town and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.

Rafe sits beside you, his body close enough that his warmth seeps into you, but there’s still a tension in the way he holds himself, like he’s unsure about something. His legs are hanging over the edge, the toe of his shoe just barely grazing the side of the roof. His fingers twitch, brushing lightly against yours.

You turn to look at him, but his eyes are focused on something far off, scanning the horizon as if there’s a problem he’s trying to solve. His jaw is tight, lips pressed into a thin line.

“Rafe?”

He turns to face you, his eyes still guarded but softer now, as if something’s been weighing on him for longer than he’d like to admit.

“Yeah?” he responds, his voice a little rougher than usual, almost like he’s hesitating.

You wait, sensing the shift. Something is different tonight, something he’s not saying.

He runs a hand through his hair, his chest rising with a deep breath, his eyes flicking between you and the night sky. Finally, he exhales slowly.

“I don’t talk about things like this,” he says, his voice quieter than normal, almost raw. “But with you… I want to.”

You can feel the vulnerability in his words, something he doesn’t often show. It makes your heart beat a little faster, waiting for him to continue.

He looks at you now, really looks at you, as if trying to see if you’re ready to hear this. “I love you.”

The words fall between you, as heavy as they are freeing. Your chest tightens. You know he means it, not in some casual way, but with a depth that makes your stomach flip.