#a working progress

Hello!! This is the concept of my upcoming fanfic Come Back Home. All I'm going to say is that it's HEAVILY influenced/inspired by the Nextflix movie, Purple Hearts.

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“You fell for her, didn’t you?”

She lifts herself from leaning down and looking over the balcony, leaving the view of the beautiful Miami city lights and almost glares at Sergio. He asked with such a serious tone that Valentina knew he wasn’t teasing her this time.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Her voice was bitter and tired.

He was looking right through her like he always would when trying to catch her in a lie.

“You know what I’m talking about.” He scoffs. 

She looks back to the city lights, but all she really sees is Juliana and how much she could just go back in time just to change a couple things- maybe everything. 

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Come Back Home

Chapter 7 (Full)

Pairing: Rafe x Kiara

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The next morning was a bit tense. Well, not exactly tense, but maybe awkward. 

Kiara sat up in the mattress, only in a spare t-shirt he spared, her eyes going over towards the bathroom.

The space between her legs were a bit sore, but not sore enough to make her complain. It was a reminder of what they did last night. 

Her sex life contained of narcissistic ex boyfriends who somehow convinced her that she was genuinely in love with them.

In reality, they took advantage of that love and used her for her body. But not once had they actually put any thought into her pleasure. 

Rafe was already up and dressed. He had on a charcoal grey tank top with a pair of basketball shorts.

His body was drenched in sweat, ear buds haging from his phone, which seemed to be playing rock music. 

That was something she didn't expect.

The last time she saw Rafe listening to music, it was the kind of music at the frat parties she'd never allow on her playlist. 

The kind of music that consist of men objectifying women, and refer them as "bitches".

He didn't spare a glance in her direction, though, it would've caught his eye that she was now sitting up.

It should've. 

Last night haunted him the second he woke up this morning. The way her caramel skin was against his golden layer. 

The way he grew out of character for her.

Begging like some pathetic dog.

Usually hooking up with girls, he enjoyed being the dominant one, on top, gazing down into their eyes. He liked the look of pleasure written on their faces.

But last night, it was too intimate. 

He hid his face in the crook of her neck, and had his body pressed against hers.

As if he wanted to mold into her.

Just that thought alone scared him.

His silence and lack of attention made her let out a scoff.

"Oh, you're one of those guys,"

That caught his attention. He turned on the faucet, running cold water.

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

Kiara pushed off the covers as she made her way towards her bag on the dresser. She dug deep past the lingerie Elena packed and found the outfit Kiara put together. 

"You know, the "it didn't happen" kind of guys," 

He avoided looking at her long exposed legs that were wrapped around his waist last night. Instead, he let out a scoff. 

"It was a moment of weakness. You got into my head,"

That made Kiara pause as her clothes were gathered in her hands. His audacity to point fingers and to make it into faults when that was far from what happened. 

"I got into your head? How? By getting you to admit that you're scared to put your life in danger? Right,"

She quickly slid on a pair of panties and denim shorts on. 

The way he was acting like last night didn't happen already made something sink in her chest. She'd never admit that it hurt. 

Not to Rafe.

Not to Elena.

Not even to herself. 

A tank top was yanked down over her torso after throwing off the shirt he offered. 

"Whatever,"

He shut the bathroom door, leaving Kiara by herself in the room. She sat on the bed and shook her head.

"Still emotionally immature,"

Minutes went by and Rafe came out the bathroom in uniform. Not the formal uniform he wore yesterday, but a camouflage green uniform with the 'U.S. MARINES' stitched on the chest. 

It was still an unfamiliar sight to see Rafe Cameron, prince kook, wear something as serious as this. 

His demeanor was diffrent than a few minutes ago. It was more distant, quiet, reserved. 

"You gotta take me to base,"

He muttered, grabbing his bag from the bathroom counter. His body was tense like yesterday. 

The signet ring was spun around his finger with his thumb. His eyes avoided meeting hers. 

A nervous habit Kiara was starting to pick up on. 

She nodded before grabbing her bag, closing it up. Her eyes trailed around the room, mainly over the messy bed.

"Let me finish up and we're off,"

She went towards the bathroom, walking past him. She avoided making any physical contact before closing the door behind her. 

As soon as she got in there, she looked through the pocket of her bag and took out what she needed to freshen up.

Though she was physically moving around, her mind was still on last night. In a loop. It had to be her brain torturing her. 

"When I'm overseas, we gotta email, facetime, mail letters. Pick your poison. We gotta keep this realistic... We gotta keep this act even if we're not physically together,"

Rafe said through the door, leaning against the doorframe. 

Great.

They still had to talk.

Both chapters are out!

Chapter 5

The lighting was bright and had colder tones while the temperature said otherwise. There was a long line behind Kiara as she pulled her empty  insulin bottles out of her purse. 

"I really need this. I ran out of my long and short acting. My reserved vile is basically gone. It's very dangerous if I don't have this, I hope you know that," 

The pharmacist began typing away in her computer. The line behind Kiara groaned from the long wait. She avoided looking back and tapped on the small glass.

"I understand that, but I'm sorry, your prescription can't be filled until Friday," 

Kiara hated the look on the pharmacists face. The pity. The look made her feel as if she were beneath everyone else. "I can't go four days without—"

"Your insurance doesn't cover your prescription. So if you can't last four days, I recommend paying up front," The pharmacist was beginning to run our of patience.

"And how much is that?" She unzipped her purse and started searching for cash.

"Three hundred for the longest acting and two hundred twenty dollars,"  The pharmacist double checked on her computer before nodding. 

Kiara counted the money she had on her, which wasn't enough.

Eighty dollars.

She slowly lowered the money back into her purse while the pharmacist pointed out the obvious. "Oh, that's not enough,"

Kiara glanced back to the long line of impatient customers behind her, sighing, groaning, and a crying baby in the back. She pursed her lips and zipped her purse closed. "I guess I'll wait for Friday," 

She walked out of the pharmacy and wanted to slam the door shut, but the doors were automatic. Elena stood at the end of the building with her phone in hand, concentrating on whatever she was doing. once her friends footsteps grew closer, her eyes lifted from the screen. 

"Well?" Her phone was put into her purse before crossing her arms over her chest.

Kiara shook her head and rolled her eyes. "They said I had to wait 'til Friday. Basically I have to fend for myself until they refill my prescription,"

Elena let out a scoff and began walking down the sidewalk next to Kiara. "That's ridiculous. Fuck health insurance, honestly. They're risking your life because what, they're picky about what diabetic medications they want? If I were you, I'd either get a sugar daddy or marry one of those marine guys from the party,"

A grimace grew to her face. Both were both perverted, one was an option she'd never consider, and the other only sound convincing in the moment.

"Ew, no. I'm not babying some gross old man nor am I marrying some misogynistic asshole who would be proud to serve our prejudiced country,"

Elena gave her a side glance before clearing her throat. "Is there something you want to discuss with the class?"

"Nope, theres nothing to talk about," Kiara shook her head while hitting the unlock button on her key fob. "Though, I'll just stick with feeling anxious if I'm getting the internship," 

"How long ago did you apply?" The subject was changed, and she was thankful her friend wasn't objective.

"Well... about a month ago," She climbed into her driver's side, inserting her key into the ignition and started the older Nissan model.

The windows were instantly rolled down to cool the suv down. The breeze of the late spring air filled the car and blew through the soft set of curls on her head. 

"Maybe you're one of the few that they're considering and you happen to be one of the best," She tucked her darker hair behind her ear to avoid it getting in her face. 

"I hope so," She sighed while tucking her hair behind both ears. She decided to circle back around the first topic in the conversation.

"I babysat my landlords kid, I serve doordash, I've had countless part time jobs on and off... But I have to fend for myself because my insurance doesn't take the insulin that I need. Thats bullshit!"

Elena nodded and grabbed Kiara's hand. "You need to ask your parents. You need to at least try for a solution,"