The party raged on around you as you searched for your boyfriend Trevor. You breathed a sigh of relief when you finally found him seated in the dining room, engaged in a game of poker. You moved towards him, leaning over his shoulder and looking at his hand.

“Hey, baby you should-“ you lean closer to his ear, eager to point out what move he should make, but he quickly holds up his hand to quiet you.

“No one asked what you thought, Aoife. Now, just sit down and look pretty; that’s what you’re good at”

You visibly flinch at his words, the harsh tone to his voice effects you more than you’d like. Your hands shake slightly as you nod and take the empty seat beside him. Trevor had a penchant for cruelty, you’d seen it turned on others many times and more recently towards you.

and so I became the butt of the joke

“What in the hell gives you the right to talk to her like that?” You snap your head up at the words, your eyes landing on Rafe Cameron. He looks absolutely furious, his blue eyes darkened with anger as he stares down your boyfriend.

“Hey man, it’s not a big deal” Trevor waves his hand, dismissing Rafe, but Rafe isn’t about to let him get away with speaking to you like that. No one deserved to be spoken to in that way, least of all you. Because in Rafe’s mind you were perfect.

“Shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you” Rafe’s voice is cold, like he means business. He stands up, towering over Trevor. When Trevor doesn’t reply, Rafe turns to you, his expression softening. He holds his hand out to you like a lifeline, and you find yourself allowing him to pull you up from your chair.

I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you

You can’t seem to tear your eyes away from him as he gently leads you out of the room. No one had ever stood up to Trevor before. But Rafe had. Rafe was making you feel like he actually saw you for more than just your looks. Like he saw you as something valuable. And you thought you could get used to being seen like that.