030
big bad rafe cameron

Bianca didn't feel like herself. She hadn't for a while.

She used to be different once. Now, she was like a watered-down version, pale and thin. She slipped through the cracks unnoticed. She faded into the background. She grew sharp edges and didn't let anyone get close to her.

Bianca didn't know how she came to be like this, how she ended up here. She only remembered the way she used to be; bold and unapologetic.

She was not herself anymore. She didn't know how to fix this. The worst part was... she didn't even know how to try.

Her body moved in slow motion as she pushed open the front door, desperate to breathe anything but her cries reverberating off the walls. The moment the cold breeze pricked her skin, her teeth began chattering and her arms shivered. Yet, she could barely feel it over the numbness which settled into her bones.

Bianca barely took a step outside before spotting a familiar car behind the tall barred gates of her home. Barry leaned against the hood, his arms crossed over his chest. When he saw her appear, he gave a menacing wave.

Bianca's breath hitched. Whatever this was, it couldn't be good. After her most recent run-in with Barry, she knew she couldn't avoid him or risk her friends, and family getting hurt. She was in no position to run, especially considering he'd shown up right outside her residence.

Bianca wiped her bloodshot eyes of any remnants of tear tracks and weakness before walking toward the gate. When she neared, Barry straightened his spine, a sly smirk quirking at the corner of his lips.

"Why do you always show up," Bianca stifled a sniffle, folding her arms to block out the breeze. "At the most inconvenient of times?"

Barry's eyes searched hers through the metal bars, taking in the state of her red-splotched cheeks and puffy eyes, "What can I say? I was just too excited to pay my favorite Kook a visit."

"Can't say I feel the same way," Bianca's eyes narrowed, making no move to open the gate between them.

Barry feigned a pained groan, holding his chest as if he'd been shot, "You wound me, B. You really do."

The amusement he gained from this whole situation pricked Bianca's skin like a needle. She scowled, none of this was funny to her.

But after her gaze finally adjusted to the darkness, she noticed the dark purplish-blue mar around his left eye, "What happened to your face?"

"Aw, you growin' a soft spot for me, B-Dog?" Barry cooed sarcastically but when she didn't react, he rolled his eyes. "Country Club doesn't play when it comes to you, learned that the hard way."

Bianca's expression didn't change. She didn't want to give away what she was thinking but inside, she was a little unnerved.

Rafe did that? For her? This time, when she studied the man, the bruises littering across his cheek and jaw made her stomach twist. Now, she really didn't know what Barry was here for.

"But enough of the chit-chat," Barry quickly grew bored of their conversation and reached into his back pocket to pull out a shotgun before aiming it at her forehead. "I ain't here to mess around anymore. Get in the car," He nodded behind him.

Bianca waited for her body to react to the threat— a step back, a change in her breathing, her heart rate to spike, but none of that happened. Her limbs still felt like they were made of lead and as she stared down the barrel of the gun, she found herself wondering what it would take for him to pull the trigger.

The click of the safety being switched off drew Bianca's eyes back to Barry who snarled, "You hear me? I said get in the car. You better start cooperating or this bullet's going straight through your fucking skull, kid."

Bianca's gaze flickered to the gun in his wavering hands. She didn't move for a beat, testing how far she could push him. In front of her, she dialed in the passcode to unlock the gate but hesitated before clicking enter.

Bianca could very easily take her chance and run, duck for cover, head back inside. It wouldn't stop Barry from breaking in but maybe it would give her enough time to call the cops.

"Come on," Barry ground out through gritted teeth and thrust the gun closer to her. "Get in the car. Don't try and run. I got you backed into a fucking corner, B-Dog."

In one swift motion, Bianca hit the 'enter' button and the gates slowly slid open. She took a step forward, surprising him, and put her forehead against the barrel of the gun, "Not from where I'm standing," Her eyes flickered to where his back pressed against the car. "B-Dog."

Barry's tongue darted out to sweep across his mouth, and it was then Bianca noticed the sweat beading his upper lip. She narrowed her eyes. He was afraid or nervous about something. Could it be Rafe? Or something more?

Bianca took a step back, rounding the car toward the passenger seat, "What are we waiting for?" She reached for the door handle. "Let's go."

Barry watched her through a hooded gaze, clenching his teeth together. Finally, he pocketed the gun before getting into the driver's side while grumbling under his breath. He rolled his shoulders back and started the car engine without sparing her a glance.

Bianca stared out the window on her side, baffled at how nonchalant she was herself, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," The car lurched forward with those words, and the two fell into silence.

The bare moon and dim streetlights illuminated the road ahead of them. Bianca didn't bother asking questions, knowing they'd be answered soon anyway. And even if Barry was taking her out to the middle of the forest to murder her, it seemed inevitable that he'd either threaten her family or friends no matter what she did.

She was proven right when Barry pulled up in front of the Carrera residence. All the lights were switched off around the house, save for Kiara's where they could see her sifting through a box of memories.

Bianca shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was playing it cool earlier but the thought of dragging Kiara into whatever mess she created made her feel sick, "Why are we here?" She demanded.

Barry could pick up on the slight shake between her words and it only served to please him. That same sly smirk from earlier returned, "Like I said, I can get to you and your little friends anywhere, anytime. And Miss Kiara Carrera over here ain't got no fancy gate protecting her like you do."

Bianca's frown deepened the longer she stared through Kiara's window on the second floor. Her lamp was on, casting her curls in an amber hue. She was smiling at what appeared to be photos on her bed. Bianca's heart leaped when Barry pulled out the gun again and placed it on the dashboard between them.

"All I'm saying is watch your back, kid. I can forgive but I ain't ever forget," He leered, his grip tightening over the steering wheel. "You're lucky you got Country Club protecting you, B-Dog 'cause without him? I wouldn't let you off so easy."

Bianca swallowed thickly, tearing her eyes away from the gun, "What did he say to you?"

Whatever deal Rafe made had to be sweeter than the revenge Barry was clearly concocting. Bianca couldn't imagine the kind of leverage he had to pull something like that off.

"Let's just say, he's come a long way since you showed up on my doorstep offering his bike as collateral," Barry scoffed, sinking into the seat. "He's a little better at making deals now."

Bianca narrowed her eyes, "What deal?" She leaned forward. "What deal did he make with you? Answer me."

"Hey, now, you're in no position to be makin' demands, B-Dog," Barry arched an eyebrow before raising his arms in surrender. "I may not be allowed to lay a finger on you but don't think that won't stop me from getting my hands on-"

"My little friends, yeah I got it," Bianca deadpanned before crossing her arms over her chest and facing the front. "Take me to see Rafe."

Barry's jaw almost unhinged itself, "What am I? Your Uber driver?" He reared his head back. "I don't answer to you."

"No, you're the asshole who crashed my fucking car so as of right now, you do answer to me," Bianca scowled without sparing him a glance. "Drive, Barry."

Barry flexed his fingers over the wheel, trying not to reach over and teach this girl a lesson because it would only get him in deeper shit with Rafe. Instead, he let out a couple of labored breaths in an attempt to calm himself before switching the engine back on, "Fine... But only 'cause I was heading there anyway."

"Yeah," Bianca scoffed, staring out the side window as the car pulled back onto the road. "Whatever you want tell yourself."

Both the ride from Bianca's house to Kiara's didn't take as long, considering Figure Eight was just one big circuit and the two girls didn't live that far away. The ride to the Marina, however, was a little bit longer. When they arrived, Barry parked his car beside the pier leading out to where the Catamaran was lit up on the water.

Bianca could just make out Rafe on the phone, pacing back and forth. He was at the bar of the boat, pouring himself a drink. Unbeknownst to her, Pope was there too, soon to be followed by Cleo.

Barry got out of the car first, "It's always somethin' with you two, huh? Can't ever just leave it alone," He shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "Tell me, why did y'all break up in the first place?"

Bianca scowled across the hood of the car and slammed the door shut, "I'm not talking about this with you."

"Oh, come on, B-Dog!" Barry chuckled with a boyish grin. He didn't even bring his gun with him, "I thought we were closer than that."

"We're not," Bianca deadpanned as they walked down the pier toward the boat. "Drop it."

"My bad," Barry snorted, raising his arms in surrender. "I thought someone came by and pulled that stick out of your ass, but guess I was wrong."

"No, but it checks out you would know," Bianca sneered. "Seeing as you always seem to have Rafe's dick up yours."

Unsurprisingly, Barry threw his head back with a loud chuckle, "God, you know, I love our little chats... don't you?"

Bianca rolled her eyes, "You threatened to kill me ten minutes ago."

"Exactly. Ten minutes ago, but now we're crackin' jokes like old friends," Barry sighed airily. "Never a dull moment with you, B-Dog."

Bianca held herself back from pushing the man off the dock and into the icy water below. Instead, she decided to try and listen in on Rafe's phone conversation as they neared the boat. The pier wasn't lit up like Catamaran, so he was yet to notice their arrival.

"No, look. Listen, the situation is, we got- I got it. I got it right here. It's bars, in bullion," Rafe was pointing at something, a black briefcase with his other hand holding the phone to his ear. "Alright. I got the gems, alright? They're mint, okay? Yeah, I know- yeah. We talked about this shit earlier. I know."

The talk of gold and precious gemstones made Bianca's blood run cold. She prayed she was hearing wrong and stopped short before reaching the boat. Barry didn't seem to notice her disappearance, however, as he stepped up onto the deck and dapped Rafe up.

"Hey, brother. Wasn't expecting to see you here tonight," The corner of Rafe's lips tilted upward as he pocketed his phone. "I was just on a call with a buyer-"

"Yeah, that's all well and good, Rafe but you might want to shut your trap right about now," Barry cut him off.

He reared his head back, "Why- why would I do that?"

Rafe's frown deepened when Barry didn't say anything except for a glance over his shoulder. He followed the man's gaze, finally noticing Bianca standing in the shadows with her arms crossed over her chest. His heart leaped but his eyebrows drew together, more confused now than ever.

"What the fuck?" Rafe deadpanned, his accusing stare snapping back over to Barry. "You brought her here?

"Don't look at me," Barry shrugged, pushing past him to reach for the navy duffle bag lying on one of the seats. "I'm just here to collect my cut-"

Just as the bag was within the palm of his hand, Rafe shoved him back by the chest, "Hey- hey! What the hell is this?"

Barry ripped Rafe's forearm away from his shirt and grabbed the duffle bag again. His eyes flickered back to Bianca for a moment before they returned to the boy, "Look, man, she asked me to bring her to you. I'm just doin' what you said- I didn't touch her, alright?"

"She..." The tense muscles in Rafe's shoulders seemed to unravel, his eyes softening. "What?"

His whisper made Barry groan and stifle a gag, "You got it down bad, Country Club. It's pathetic," He patted Rafe's cheek before backing away. "I'll see you later, alright? Text me the address."

"Y-yeah," Rafe shook his head, barely registering the words as he replayed what Barry said. He didn't even notice when the man got in his car and drove off.

Finally, it was just Rafe and Bianca, who hadn't spoken a word to him since she arrived. Her eyes were blank, unreadable and the boy knew her well enough to know that this was exactly what he needed to be afraid of.

"Rafe," Bianca stepped onto the boat, inhaling a sharp breath. "Please don't tell me that's what I think it is..."

She took careful steps toward the black briefcase. If Bianca wasn't so obviously enraged, Rafe may have even found the way her hips moved, how her eyes stayed trained on him, incredibly alluring. Instead, he slammed the lid of the briefcase closed despite her having already seen the gemstones and gold bars glinting under the moonlight.

"Wait, now hold on-" Rafe took a step forward to ease her. "Just relax, Bianca-"

"Don't tell me to relax, Rafe!" She snapped, shoving him backward by the chest. "That was a priceless religious relic! It belonged to Pope's family, and you melted it down!?"

"Look, we are not going to agree on this, alright!? So just drop it!" The muscle in his jaw ticked like a bomb. "It's done, now! It's over!"

"How could you do this!?" Bianca cried hoarsely. Her heart wrenched with hurt but not for herself, but for the Heyward boy, "You don't understand- this cross- it meant so much to Pope-"

Rafe's eyes narrowed, "Yeah, and why would I give a fuck about that dirty Pogue?"

"Rafe, you've done some shitty things but this?" Her breath shuddered. "This is-"

"What? This takes the cake?" Rafe sneered, tilting his head mockingly. "It's unforgivable? For fucks sake, I melted down some gold statue- one that was worthless until I made it worth something!"

"It wasn't worthless- it was one of a kind, it belonged to—"

"Who cares who it belonged to, Bianca!?" Rafe threw his arms up in exasperation, his cheeks flushed with frustration. "It's not like it matters now! I know I'm the bad guy- I'm the asshole- everyone hates big, bad Rafe Cameron but I'm the only one not pussy enough to do something about! Don't you see that!?"

Bianca's heart jumped to her throat, taking a step back from the boy when he took one forward. She tried to hold his gaze but the more he raised his voice, the harder it became to not shrink away.

"I mean, I was held hostage at Singh's- locked up, not knowing if I was going to live or die and I thought 'if I get out, I'm not going to sit around and wait for a hand-out'. I was gonna take what's mine, okay? Rightfully mine. Dad- he- he wanted to donate the cross to a museum," Rafe's shoulders heaved, the veins in his neck protruding. "And who even knows what Pope would've done with it?! This thing is identifiable, don't you think the Spanish government would come looking for it? What was Pope gonna do, give them some bogus story about how his ancestors brought the cross to shore off some sunken shipwreck?! I'm putting this shit to good use! You can't trace spare parts- I'm making money off of it!"

Bianca knew she was being unreasonable, arguing with Rafe would get her nowhere. But she was awry, sleep-deprived, and still a little tipsy from drinking earlier that night.

Everything that happened with her mother, and now the cross being melted down felt like tidal waves, crashing down atop her, each being harder than the next. Every time she thought she had a moment of reprieve, a second to breathe, another battered down on her.

Bianca was sure she was made out of more salt water than blood, burning her wounds from the inside-out. She was clawing at anything, clawing at Rafe to keep her from sinking but she neglected to remember that he was an anchor, not a buoy.

From the beginning, Rafe had sunk his teeth into her skin and dragged her down, down, down. At one point, she was so far from the surface, she could no longer see the sunlight. But then she met the Pogues, met JJ, and the ocean didn't seem so blue anymore.

Bianca stared at Rafe in front of her now and knew she was asking too much of him because he too was barely staying afloat. But the current was too strong. Bianca couldn't take it anymore. Her arms were too tired to keep going. She needed to rest. She was giving up.

"Rafe, you did this for your own selfish reasons," Bianca tried to keep the waver out of her tone. "You can't justify this- this is greed-"

"No, no- Ward- my dad was greedy," Rafe corrected, lifting a hand to silence her. "Michael was greedy. No, I'm- I'm being proactive, I'm doing something important here. People are going to thank me- my dad is going to thank me-"

"Rafe..." Bianca trailed off. She could read between the lines.

Rafe inhaled sharply, "That's all I wanted, you know? For him to see me- he's finally going to see me for what I am-"

"Rafe," Bianca whispered. "I see you."

"No, no- you don't," Rafe ground out through gritted teeth. He tugged on the strands of hair at the nape of his neck, "You coming over here and calling me selfish and- and greedy just proves that! You don't see me, you never did. All you see is what I did not why I did it- and I'm so fucking sick of it so go ahead! Be mad. Call me all the names you want and whatever else but it's done now, it's over, okay?! You can't change the past, Bianca."

He was right, as much as Bianca wished he wasn't. Rafe had done some serious damage but so had she. Who was she to stand here and judge him for his wrongdoings when she was just as bad?

"Be honest with me, Bianca," Rafe's voice drew her out of her thoughts. "How much... How much do you really care about this cross?"

"What?" Bianca's eyes flickered back to his.

"I said," Rafe repeated, more firmly this time. He took a step forward so there were mere inches between their chests, "If it weren't for your friends, how much did this cross really mean to you?"

Bianca stared at the buttons of his linen shirt, "Rafe-"

"Answer me," He demanded. "I want to hear you say it. No bullshit, alright? How much did this cross mean to you, B?"

"Nothing," Her answer came in a rushed exhale, as if it were bottled up for years. "It meant nothing to me."

The words tasted sour on her tongue but some of the weight on her chest lifted. She didn't like admitting it but somewhere along the way, searching for the gold, and the cross became meaningless to her.

Sometimes, she wondered whether she even cared about any of it in the first place or whether she was just lonely, and being with her friends gave her some semblance of happiness. Bianca leaned toward the latter every day.

Rafe nodded and took a step back with a scoff, "That's what I thought."

Heat surged through the girl, "The cross might mean nothing to me but Pope- he-"

"I know. Trust me, I know. Everything..." Rafe cut her off, rubbing the back of his neck. "Everything you do is for them. You think I can't see that?"

Bianca fell silent again and glanced past the boy. The ocean behind them was pitch-black, and if she stared long enough it might've scared her. Even when she was younger, walking down the shore at night was like a guessing game of what kind of treacherous monsters or ghosts from sunken, haunted shipwrecks plagued the water.

Before, the ocean was this curious, enticing wonder that never ceased to bear new surprises. But now, as Bianca gazed out into the water, all she could wonder was how many steps it would take for her to disappear forever. How many steps till she didn't have to feel anything at all?

More recently, Bianca realized that kind of darkness didn't terrify her as much as it should have. It was comforting almost.

"So, why are you here, B?" Rafe's arms fell to his sides in resignation, leaning on the side table. "You know, other than to remind me that I'm a horrible person."

Bianca ignored his guilt-tripping. Instead, she swallowed thickly, and admitted under her breath, "I told my mom."

Rafe's eyebrows furrowed, "What?"

"She deserved to know," Bianca rolled her shoulders back, prepared to defend herself. Maybe her mom would hate her forever but she could live with that, as long as she knew the truth.

Rafe's jaw clenched. Bianca had gone against what he specifically asked her not to do and that was to tell other people. But this was her mother, and the boy guessed he didn't have the grounds to refute that, "And how did she take it?"

The moment he saw Bianca's face crumple, Rafe knew he asked the wrong question. Tears pricked her eyes but she quickly blinked them away, and then all trace of emotion left her face. The girl shook her head and that was all Rafe needed to know.

He took a step forward, wanting to wrap his arms around her, tell her it was going to be alright but that wasn't his place anymore. So, he settled for a quiet, "I'm sorry. She'll come around."

"It's fine- I'm fine," Bianca's stomach twisted. Whether her mother did or didn't come around, her mind was still made up, "I came here because I just wanted to let you know..." She inhaled sharply, unsure how the boy was going to take it. "I'm turning myself in."

Rafe paled, "You're what?"

Bianca wrung her trembling hands together, "I said- I'm-"

"Y- you can't do that," Rafe lifted a hand to silence her, he only needed a moment to truly process the words. And now that he had, his temper flared, "I'm the one who hid the body, I- I covered this shit up- just for you to turn yourself in? No way, not happening," He began pacing. "I'm not letting you go down for this-"

Bianca was unfazed. She expected this, "No, Rafe that's what I wanted to say," She tried to explain through the tightness in her throat. "You don't have to worry, I'm not going to implicate you in any of this. I'll tell them I was the one who covered it all up."

Rafe didn't say a word but he stopped pacing. Instead, he stared at her with wild eyes and it made Bianca even more nervous about what he was thinking.

"Besides, this- this was me," She rambled at his silence. "I know now you were just trying to protect me. You thought you were doing the right thing, and that's okay."

"After... after everything," Rafe's chest rose and fell in labored breaths. "That's what you think I'm worried about? Myself?"

For a moment, a split second, Rafe felt like hunching over the side of the boat and spilling his guts out. When he checked Michael for a pulse that day on the boat and found that his heart was still beating but threw him overboard anyway, Rafe wasn't thinking about the repercussions.

But now, staring at the guilt-stricken look on Bianca's face with dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, he couldn't believe he allowed her to think this was her fault for so long. He thought he was doing the right thing but now he knew he was wrong.

And yet, as he watched her confess to her crime, Rafe couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. That she wasn't responsible for her father's death. He was.

Bianca ran a hand through her windswept strands, "Rafe..."

"B- I- no," He shook his head fervently, taking a step back. "No, you can't do that. I won't let you."

Bianca's eyebrows drew together, "This isn't your decision to make, Rafe. It's mine."

She wasn't as afraid as she thought she would be. She came to terms with her choice a long time ago. Now, she only prayed JJ and the others would forgive her.

"Okay- fine, whatever- what are you going to do?" Rafe's knuckles clenched at his sides, steadily raising his voice. "Storm into Shoupe's office and demand to be arrested?!"

Bianca's eyes flickered down to his curled fists before holding his stare. She didn't say a word. That was exactly what she was going to do.

"Oh my god- you are!" Rafe scoffed humourlessly, feeling as though all the breath was knocked out of him. "Do you understand how fucking stupid that sounds, Bianca?! How stupid you sound!?"

"Don't!" Bianca snapped, her lips curled into a scowl. "Don't fucking say that. I'm not stupid. For once in my life, I know exactly what I'm doing and what I want and I won't let you or anyone else tell me otherwise!" When she finished, her breaths were shallow and the urge to cower away was stronger than ever but she stood on both feet, unwavering. "I'm doing this, Rafe... I have to."

"You would never even survive a day in prison, B! Do you even know the shit they do to people in there?" Rafe let out a grunt of frustration from the back of his throat. "Just- just go home, you're stressed because of what happened with your mom, okay? It's late- you're not thinking straight. You- you just need to sleep-"

"I can't!" Bianca snapped, her eyes narrowing to slits. "I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't breathe- I can't take it anymore, Rafe. I'm so fucking tired," She stifled a choked sob with the back of her hand. "I'm tired of feeling this way," Rafe watched her face contort with grief, hurt, pain and then felt his heart wrench at her admission. "Everything is exhausting, no matter how much I sleep or how much coffee I drink- I just- I'm tired, Rafe. I don't want to feel like this anymore. I give up."

"No, you don't get to give up," Rafe's eyes were bloodshot now too. "We're in this together, Bianca. You don't get to decide when it's over-"

"Rafe-"

"No," Rafe cut her off, taking a menacing step forward. "You think going to jail is going to solve all your problems? That this whole thing is just going to blow over? That it's going to make the guilt magically disappear?" He scoffed harshly, backing her against the side of the boat, and towered over her. "Well, that's where you're wrong, Bianca— it won't! That shit stays with you forever. It's not going away and neither am I, okay? Whether you like it or not I am always going to be here for you. Even if you don't want me to be. I am always going to look out for you."

Bianca held her breath, ducking her head to avoid Rafe's glare. Her hands gripped the cold metal bar behind her back, trying to ground herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to listen, not wanting to believe that what he was saying was true.

She exhaled a shaky breath, "It's the right thing to do, Rafe," It was the only thing left to do. She couldn't keep living a lie. She was hurting everyone around her.

Rafe's jaw set, "When will you realize that this silly little idea of black and white you have in your head is false!" He cornered her. "Everyone else might think I'm the bad guy but to my dad? I'm a hero. I saved him. To my family? I'm stepping up. I'm taking care of business. I'm doing the right thing- don't you see, Bianca? There are no good guys or bad guys. You're not a bad person, B. It was an accident and I know that's hard to hear and I know you won't believe me right now but trust me. I know because you're not me. You don't deserve to rot in prison- and you didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Bianca's eyes finally fluttered open, her lashes wet as she gazed up at the boy, "Move, Rafe."

Rafe's arms came on either side of her to grip the metal railing, blocking her in, "No," He shook his head. "I won't."

"You're not going to change my mind on this," She whispered. "It's made up. I'm just here to say goodbye."

Rafe could sense this was a losing battle. Everything he said, no matter how hard he tried to convince her, Bianca refused to believe anything else other than this was all her fault. The boy hung his head low in defeat.

But then, Bianca's soft touch cupping the side of his jaw drew him out of his thoughts. His breath hitched as she leaned up on her tip-toes and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, "But thank you..." She whispered. "For trying."

Rafe's arms fell limp at his sides, no longer holding her back from walking away freely. He realized then he could no longer restrain her for his own control. He wasn't that person anymore. And Bianca could sense it too.

"I'm sorry," She pulled back to meet his eyes. "For dragging you into this."

Before she could draw her hand away from his jaw, Rafe reached for her wrist, "I'm sorry too."

"Yeah," She mumbled, the tear tracks on her cheeks glinting in the moonlight.

The ache in his heart was unbearable, "Please don't do this, B."

Bianca's hand slipped from his, "Don't make this harder than it has to be, Rafe."

"I'm serious," He shook his head but took a step back nevertheless, knowing he couldn't stand in her way. "I'm not going to let you do this to yourself."

Bianca gave him a fond smile, the words sounding so devastatingly familiar to her. It was just like the summer again before everything crashed and burned. When she thought she could save him.

Only this time, it was her who was falling apart, "Goodbye, Rafe."

And with that, her skin detached from him completely, leaving the boy achy and cold. He didn't turn around after she left, keeping his back facing her as he cursed lowly.

Rafe's chest heaved for breath, and with each exhale, all the pent-up rage within him unfurled. Finally, he let out a loud cry and punched the wall beside him but he could hardly feel the throbbing between his knuckles because his mind was elsewhere.

To Bianca, Rafe's words were just empty promises. She grew used to them throughout their relationship. He never really meant them, but she appreciated the white lies nonetheless.

This was one promise, however, Rafe vowed to keep. He swore to protect Bianca. Swore that she wasn't going to go down for something that he did.

Rafe strode toward the helm of the Catamaran with newfound determination. He wasn't going to let her make the biggest mistake of her life and he'd do anything to prove it. Even if it meant enlisting the help of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Pogue who loved her the way he never could.

author's note. lol what did u guys think of this chapter? what do u think is gonna happen in the next one? happy new year btw !!! i think sometimes we take life for granted so i just wanted to say i'm so proud of u guys for making it to 2024 and all the goals and resolutions you've achieved so far and everything ur working towards <3333 remember to be grateful and it's not enough to just manifest, always be working toward ur dreams because ur capable of anything and everything !!!!
p.s a little sidenote every time barry is in a scene, i foreshadow something that happens later in the book idk if anyone noticed but thats all the hints ur getting from me hehe <3