CHAPTER 21
Words won't get me through it
Don't make me prove it
-Veruca Salt, "Don't Make Me Prove It"
"So… Let me get this straight," Rafe began, facing his companion. "Caleb killed me - eleven years ago, mind you - but I'm still here, on earth, with you and my family."
Alison nodded emphatically.
She simply couldn't think of anything to say. How was anyone supposed to go about telling a loved one that they were dead?
"No," Rafe said defiantly, standing. "It just doesn't make sense, Alison!"
He began to pace back and forth by her bedside.
"It just doesn't make any sense. There has to be something you're not telling me."
"Like what?" she wanted to know. "You weren't exactly forthcoming with the details, not that I blame you. All I knew was who did and it and when. You wouldn't tell me anything else."
Rafe stopped his pacing and glared at her.
"Okay, Alison, so if I told you all that, then you tell me. When did I die?"
"April 12, 1991," she replied sadly and without any hesitation.
"April…" Rafe murmured.
He couldn't remember anything past March of 1991. It could be possible that Alison was telling the truth…
'No!' his mind screamed at him.
He refused to believe it. He couldn't.
"Alison, why should I believe any of what you just told me?" he asked, staring her straight in the eye.
"Why would I lie to you?" she asked in return, her gaze never wandering from his own.
'Good eye contact,' thought Rafe, impressed.
Alison hadn't lied to him up to this point - that he knew, anyway.
Livvie had said she was duplicitous, though. Maybe he should have paid more attention to her…
Sighing deeply, Alison lifted the covers off herself, climbed out of bed, and approached him.
Rafe watched, his heart suddenly in his throat, as she drew near, her petite figure clad only in a thin, pink, cotton camisole-and-shorts set.
'She seems innocent enough,' he reconsidered, swallowing.
Why were her movements making him so nervous? He couldn't understand…
"Rafe," began Alison, pausing to stand directly in front of him. "What if I told you I could prove my story? Would you believe me then?"
'Come any closer, and I'll believe anything you say,' he thought to himself.
There was barely any space between them, and Rafe had never felt so uncomfortable in his entire life.
There he was, standing alone in a bedroom with a beautiful girl who claimed she was his wife and wanted to spend the rest of her life loving him. What man wouldn't be affected?
This situation, however, was much different. He had to keep reminding himself of that. He had to concentrate at the situation on hand…
"Rafe?" repeated Alison, snapping him out of his reverie.
He swallowed loudly.
"I think- I think it would depend on the proof."
There, he'd said it.
Okay, he could handle this situation. He could…
Alison nodded, processing this information.
She wasn't sure if her plan would work, but anything was worth a try, wasn't it?
"Alright, Rafe," she stated resolutely, crossing her arms over her chest. "Take off your shirt."
Rafe blinked in amazement. What did she just say?
Suddenly, he could feel all of his supposed control just slipping away…
Words won't get me through it
Don't make me prove it
-Veruca Salt, "Don't Make Me Prove It"
"So… Let me get this straight," Rafe began, facing his companion. "Caleb killed me - eleven years ago, mind you - but I'm still here, on earth, with you and my family."
Alison nodded emphatically.
She simply couldn't think of anything to say. How was anyone supposed to go about telling a loved one that they were dead?
"No," Rafe said defiantly, standing. "It just doesn't make sense, Alison!"
He began to pace back and forth by her bedside.
"It just doesn't make any sense. There has to be something you're not telling me."
"Like what?" she wanted to know. "You weren't exactly forthcoming with the details, not that I blame you. All I knew was who did and it and when. You wouldn't tell me anything else."
Rafe stopped his pacing and glared at her.
"Okay, Alison, so if I told you all that, then you tell me. When did I die?"
"April 12, 1991," she replied sadly and without any hesitation.
"April…" Rafe murmured.
He couldn't remember anything past March of 1991. It could be possible that Alison was telling the truth…
'No!' his mind screamed at him.
He refused to believe it. He couldn't.
"Alison, why should I believe any of what you just told me?" he asked, staring her straight in the eye.
"Why would I lie to you?" she asked in return, her gaze never wandering from his own.
'Good eye contact,' thought Rafe, impressed.
Alison hadn't lied to him up to this point - that he knew, anyway.
Livvie had said she was duplicitous, though. Maybe he should have paid more attention to her…
Sighing deeply, Alison lifted the covers off herself, climbed out of bed, and approached him.
Rafe watched, his heart suddenly in his throat, as she drew near, her petite figure clad only in a thin, pink, cotton camisole-and-shorts set.
'She seems innocent enough,' he reconsidered, swallowing.
Why were her movements making him so nervous? He couldn't understand…
"Rafe," began Alison, pausing to stand directly in front of him. "What if I told you I could prove my story? Would you believe me then?"
'Come any closer, and I'll believe anything you say,' he thought to himself.
There was barely any space between them, and Rafe had never felt so uncomfortable in his entire life.
There he was, standing alone in a bedroom with a beautiful girl who claimed she was his wife and wanted to spend the rest of her life loving him. What man wouldn't be affected?
This situation, however, was much different. He had to keep reminding himself of that. He had to concentrate at the situation on hand…
"Rafe?" repeated Alison, snapping him out of his reverie.
He swallowed loudly.
"I think- I think it would depend on the proof."
There, he'd said it.
Okay, he could handle this situation. He could…
Alison nodded, processing this information.
She wasn't sure if her plan would work, but anything was worth a try, wasn't it?
"Alright, Rafe," she stated resolutely, crossing her arms over her chest. "Take off your shirt."
Rafe blinked in amazement. What did she just say?
Suddenly, he could feel all of his supposed control just slipping away…