The rain lashed down, drenching you both as you faced each other, hearts racing and breaths heavy. Rafe’s eyes were fierce, reflecting the storm raging around you.

“Why do you keep shutting me out?” he shouted, frustration cutting through the rhythm of the rain.

“Shutting you out?” you shouted back, tears mingling with the raindrops on your cheeks. “You’re the one who keeps pushing me away! One moment you’re here, the next, you’re a ghost!”

He stepped closer, water cascading off his hair as he pinned you with a heated gaze. “I care about you! I hate this fighting! It feels like I’m losing you!”

“Then stop playing these games!” you cried, the anguish spilling over. “It’s exhausting, Rafe!”

Silence fell, the tension throbbing in the air. He looked at you with raw emotion, vulnerability breaking through the anger. “I love you!” he confessed, his voice was so loud, it roared over the rain. “I’m scared of what that means.”

In that moment, the raindrops didn’t feel so oppressive. The anger that had defined your conversation began to fade, replaced with a fragile understanding. You stepped forward, feeling the connection pulse between you like electricity.