trope: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, pogue x kook, slow burn.
synopsis: she’s a Maybank, born on the Cut and bred to hate everything the Kooks stand for. He’s a Cameron, with a trust fund, a bad reputation, and a temper as volatile as the storm that traps them under the same roof. Belle never planned to talk to Rafe—let alone want him. But some disasters don’t wait for permission.
a/n: i dont think i've touched on the toxic side of the relationship so here it is
reblogs r much appreciated!!
answer this!!
ᵕᵕᵕᵕ୨♡︎୧ᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕ୨♡︎୧ᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕ୨♡︎୧ᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕᵕ୨♡︎୧ᵕᵕᵕᵕ
it started with silence.
not the kind that comes from peace - the other kind. the kind that hangs too heavy. the kind that says everything you don’t.
georgia was at the stove, stirring something she didn’t really care about. the kids were in the next room, the baby monitor buzzing softly on the counter. rafe had just gotten home, late again, the smell of someone else’s perfume still clinging to his collar like a ghost she wasn’t allowed to name.
he dropped his keys. loosened his tie.
she didn’t turn around.
just said, quietly, “you missed the meeting with emerson’s teacher.”
rafe sighed. not sharp. not apologetic. just tired.
“something came up.”
“right.” she forced her hand to stay steady on the spoon. “like always.”
he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her.
“what do you want me to say, georgia? i didn’t choose this either.”
her head snapped up.
he hadn’t said it like it meant to cut, but it still cut.
“don’t,” she warned.
but he was already in it - already pulling on the thread he knew would unravel everything.
“this marriage - the house, the legacy, all of it. we didn’t get a choice. your parents wanted a clean merger. mine wanted a reputation fix. and now here we are. playing house. raising four kids in a picture frame.”
she turned, finally. eyes glassy, voice sharp.
“we’re not playing, rafe.”
he didn’t flinch, but she saw something flicker behind his eyes.
“we’re not pretending. not me.” her voice broke around the words. “i didn’t just marry you to sign contracts and keep old money happy. i meant it. even when i didn’t know how to.”
rafe ran a hand through his hair. “you think i didn’t try?”
“i think you stopped trying the moment it got real.”
he stepped forward. not angry. just wrecked.
“i never asked for love, georgia.”
“i did,” she whispered.
and there it was - the core of it.
not the fights about schedules or missed calls or who last changed maggie’s diaper. not even the bitter inheritance their names were tied to.
it was this: she loved him. had been loving him quietly for months. years, maybe.
and he barely said it, only in occasions like when she had given birth or when he was inside her in the darkness of the night.
“do you even want me?” she asked. “or just the image i give you?”
his silence was answer enough.
she turned back to the stove, heart pounding, hands shaking.
and rafe just stood there, drowning in everything they weren’t saying.
𓍯 loves adding her name to any meaningful piece of clothing. every lacy dress or nightgown, she's already sewn her name into it. even her socks have little hearts stitched beside the cursive of her name.
𓍯 has a prayer list for everyone of her friends. whenever her friends detail what;s going on, she automatically writes down their name and prays for them throughout her day. she keeps the list folded in her phone case, just so it’s always with her.
𓍯 smells like vanilla and flowers. her signature scent is a sweet mix of crushed roses and french vanilla! she makes her own perfumes from the garden she so desperately begged her dad to help her build. her pillows and sweaters always smell like her too.
𓍯 enjoys any piece of literature, especially romance. seeing her friends so in love made her wish for that same kind of love. put any romance novel in front of her, and she will read it in one sitting. she dog-ears the steamiest pages and reads them again at night under her blankets, lip caught between her teeth.
𓍯 known for her sweet nature. pogue, kook, or touron, she loves them all and treats them all the same, despite her own financial status being that of a kook. she says hi to everyone, even to her quiet peers. shares snacks without being asked and remembers little things people say. at the end of the day, she makes everyone feel welcome.
🩷loves: dressing up for no reason, travelling, makeup, pink, going out, fashion, Disney, animals, skincare, summer, wired earphones, her mixed music taste, collecting items, baking, cherry scents and flavour, and sweet nicknames/pet names.
