The Trip - Chapter 16

Lucy could tell from the boy's blushing face that he was in love. Rafe didn't have to say a word. Closing his eyes, Rafe gave up trying to hide anything…particularly from Lucy. Lucy just smiled warmly at her cousin. She was glad he had found someone. Hoping that a girl would do him good and keep him in Port Charles for an extended stay, Lucy didn't seem to mind that it was Alison, a spoken for girl.

"Lucy, I …"

"I know. You don't have to say it. I can read you like a book." Lucy reassured.

"Don't you think I'm horrible? I mean, she had or has a boyfriend. I don't really know what's going on." He laughed uncomfortably.

"All's fair in love and war." Lucy stated positively. "Besides you two would make a very cute couple. Who am I to say what is right or wrong. You just have to follow your heart."

"Yea, my heart. Sure…yea." Rafe sounded nervous.

"Listen, I'm going to leave you two alone. You don't need nosey little me bothering you. I'm just going to go… and remember if you need to talk…I love to talk." Lucy said while planting a small kiss on Rafe's cheek.

"Everyone knows you like to talk." Rafe suggested playfully.

"Where is she blondie?" a voice demanded.

Breaking their embrace, Lucy turned around to see Jamal. "Don't make me ask again. I know you know where she is!" Jamal was upset.

"Well, I need to be going." Lucy said giving her cousin a concerned expression. "I will leave you boys alone." Once Lucy was behind Jamal, out of his sight, she lifted her hand up to her ear and gave Rafe the "call me" gesture. Rafe acknowledged by nodding.

"Where is she Rafe?" Jamal demanded again.

"Man, I don't know what you are talking about." Rafe tried to act innocent but his nervous expression gave him away instantly.

"Don't give me that. I know she's here!" Jamal pushed Rafe and grabbed a hold of the front door knob. "Alison! Alison!"

"Jamal…hey! Don't!" it was too late Jamal was inside and Rafe felt like his stomach was going to come out his throat. Sitting on the couch, awake and dressed, sat Alison.

"Jamal, what are you doing here?" Alison said while standing up. The girl's eyebrows were lowered. The two boys could tell she was angry. It made Rafe nervous for just a second, wondering what he had done. "I told you last night I needed some time."

"So, you come over to see your good friend Rafe, right?" Jamal added sarcastically. Alison took a deep breath, trying to control her anger, trying not to blow up.

"Jamal you are right. There are many things we need to talk about…important things and this is not the place. If you want to talk like an adult, let's go somewhere else."

"That's all I want…is to talk. I know what I said last night was a shock…"

"A SHOCK?" Alison blurted, "No, Jamal a shock would be saying 'Hey Alison, Valerie is moving in with us'. Oh, but wait…I've already received that shock."

"Alison." Jamal tried to interrupt with no success.

"No, Jamal! This was more than a shock. It was an eye opener…a real eye opener!"

"What is that supposed to mean? I thought you were ok with Val moving in…"

"This is completely different! I thought you were talking about a couple of months at the most. You are talking about forever! I can't do that. Things have changed…don't you get it?"

Rafe stood and watched like a helpless bystander who had no business in his own house. He didn't know whether he should leave or whether he should get rid of Jamal. Jamal and Alison were carrying on a private conversation as if he wasn't even in the room, as if he didn't exist. Maybe he should just leave, but he wasn't sure. Silently and slowly the boy crept upstairs and out of sight, waiting for the storm to pass.

"I know things have changed, but it's nothing we can't work out, babygirl."

"Jamal…" Alison looked as if she was going to cry. Tears began falling down her sweet face. "Jamal, things are so different. The way I feel about you is different." Her voice began to drift, become softer. "I don't love you anymore."

"Alison…please." Jamal pleaded.

"Can you honestly tell me that you don't feel the same way? Come on Jamal. You made this major, life altering decision without even talking to me about it. If we really loved each other you would have come to me first." Alison cried.

Jamal was silent, saying so much with so little.

"Just go…please." Alison was starting to cry harder. She couldn't help herself. Though it was for the best, her world was changing and it was scary. "I will be back at the apartment later today to get my things."

"Ali, we still need to talk."

"I know!" she could barely talk anymore. "We will do it later."

Rafe sat across his bed upstairs. It was the bedroom that Lucy set up for him when he first came to town. Rafe nervously paced for the first ten minutes, but it wore him out. He couldn't get it out of his mind, wondering what to do. He would just wait and let Jamal and Alison have their privacy without disruption. That was easy enough, right? No, it was horrible. Rafe wanted to stand by Alison, to let her know he was always going to be there for her, but he could not. So, he waited. Rafe could hear there fluctuating voices downstairs and finally heard the front door open and shut. Jumping up, Rafe wondered if they had left together. Slowly, though, he heard Alison slowly climbing the staircase. Entering the bedroom with tears streaming down her face, she embraced Rafe. It was the best hug he had ever felt, though he hurt for Alison. It was obvious that she was in pain and he wasn't quite sure how to make it go away.

"Look at me." He said softly, gently. Alison slowly lifted her head, matching her eyes to his. They were red and swollen but she was still so beautiful, he thought. Perfect. "I love you." He whispered to her. "I hope you know that." A small smile grew across the crying girl's face. That was all he needed in the world.