CHAPTER 9
The answers that we find
Are never what we had in mind
So we make it up as we go along
-Nine Days, "If I Am"
Livvie drove to Lucy's as fast as humanly possible. When she finally reached the front door, she noticed it was ajar; Rafe was expecting her.
On the car ride over, she'd briefly concocted a plan to lure Rafe back to the cabin with her. If that didn't work...
Livvie shook her long mane of brown hair and pulled her black top down even lower, revealing a great deal of cleavage and a hint of the black lace bra underneath it.
'If my plan doesn't work, these will,' she thought shrewdly.
"Rafe?" Livvie called out, stepping over the threshold and inside the house.
He was at the door in a heartbeat, grinning as stupidly as he had since he'd called her.
"Livvie, come in," he gushed, ushering her out of the foyer, down a short set of wooden stairs, and into the spacious family room.
"Welcome to my house," Rafe announced jubilantly. "Isn't it amazing?"
"Rafe-" Livvie began, but he cut her off.
"Wait, let me show you something. This is the best part."
Sighing, Livvie acquiesced and allowed the excited young man to lead her across the room and over to the mantle, where he proceeded to show her his "family photos" and name all of his "relatives."
Rafe's happiness over finding his "family" caused Livvie to feel a twinge of guilt for what she was going to do. She couldn't believe the lows to which she was going for this man.
Still, she had to do what she had to do, no matter the cost. She would not let Alison win.
"Rafe," she began again, taking his hand in her own. "Rafe, I need to talk to you."
"Yeah, Livvie, I need to talk to you, too," he agreed, nodding.
The pair moved to the center of the room, where the made themselves comfortable on the same couch on which he and Alison had sat only an hour earlier.
"Rafe, why don't you go first?" Livvie offered.
Maybe hearing him speak would give her some clue into what this "friend" had told and showed him, she theorized to herself.
"No, no," objected Rafe politely. "Ladies first. I've been doing all the talking since you got here. I really want to hear what you have to say."
Livvie silently cursed him for saying that. Why did he have to be so damn cute? He was ruining everything!
"Rafe," said Livvie, cupping his face with her hand. "I need to tell you something, and you're not going to like it, but I really need you to listen to me, okay? It's important."
"Okay," Rafe managed.
She was squeezing his face so tightly he thought it might cave in. He'd say anything to make her let go. Luckily, she did.
"Now..."
Livvie took Rafe's hands in her own, holding them close to her partially exposed chest.
"Rafe, you need to tell me who you spoke with today."
"Why?" he asked, cocking his head curiously.
Moving his head allowed Rafe to look her straight in the eyes. Eye contact was very important to him. It was how he could tell if people were telling the truth or lying to him. It was also something Livvie constantly tried to avoid.
"Rafe..."
Livvie looked down at their intertwined hands before she allowed her eyes to meet his.
"Rafe, I hate to tell you this, but whatever 'friend' you spoke to today lied to you. You have no family. The Koviches all died back in Transylvania."
The answers that we find
Are never what we had in mind
So we make it up as we go along
-Nine Days, "If I Am"
Livvie drove to Lucy's as fast as humanly possible. When she finally reached the front door, she noticed it was ajar; Rafe was expecting her.
On the car ride over, she'd briefly concocted a plan to lure Rafe back to the cabin with her. If that didn't work...
Livvie shook her long mane of brown hair and pulled her black top down even lower, revealing a great deal of cleavage and a hint of the black lace bra underneath it.
'If my plan doesn't work, these will,' she thought shrewdly.
"Rafe?" Livvie called out, stepping over the threshold and inside the house.
He was at the door in a heartbeat, grinning as stupidly as he had since he'd called her.
"Livvie, come in," he gushed, ushering her out of the foyer, down a short set of wooden stairs, and into the spacious family room.
"Welcome to my house," Rafe announced jubilantly. "Isn't it amazing?"
"Rafe-" Livvie began, but he cut her off.
"Wait, let me show you something. This is the best part."
Sighing, Livvie acquiesced and allowed the excited young man to lead her across the room and over to the mantle, where he proceeded to show her his "family photos" and name all of his "relatives."
Rafe's happiness over finding his "family" caused Livvie to feel a twinge of guilt for what she was going to do. She couldn't believe the lows to which she was going for this man.
Still, she had to do what she had to do, no matter the cost. She would not let Alison win.
"Rafe," she began again, taking his hand in her own. "Rafe, I need to talk to you."
"Yeah, Livvie, I need to talk to you, too," he agreed, nodding.
The pair moved to the center of the room, where the made themselves comfortable on the same couch on which he and Alison had sat only an hour earlier.
"Rafe, why don't you go first?" Livvie offered.
Maybe hearing him speak would give her some clue into what this "friend" had told and showed him, she theorized to herself.
"No, no," objected Rafe politely. "Ladies first. I've been doing all the talking since you got here. I really want to hear what you have to say."
Livvie silently cursed him for saying that. Why did he have to be so damn cute? He was ruining everything!
"Rafe," said Livvie, cupping his face with her hand. "I need to tell you something, and you're not going to like it, but I really need you to listen to me, okay? It's important."
"Okay," Rafe managed.
She was squeezing his face so tightly he thought it might cave in. He'd say anything to make her let go. Luckily, she did.
"Now..."
Livvie took Rafe's hands in her own, holding them close to her partially exposed chest.
"Rafe, you need to tell me who you spoke with today."
"Why?" he asked, cocking his head curiously.
Moving his head allowed Rafe to look her straight in the eyes. Eye contact was very important to him. It was how he could tell if people were telling the truth or lying to him. It was also something Livvie constantly tried to avoid.
"Rafe..."
Livvie looked down at their intertwined hands before she allowed her eyes to meet his.
"Rafe, I hate to tell you this, but whatever 'friend' you spoke to today lied to you. You have no family. The Koviches all died back in Transylvania."