"You'll be carful?" Lila asked as she climbed off the boat, Sarah tying it off behind the house.

"Promise." Sarah nodded as she squeezed Lilas hand, "Meet me back here?"

"Promise." Lila nodded her head before they parted ways for different Cameron men.

Barry's trailer was the last place Lila wanted to be at. Though, she wasn't sure she wanted to see Rafe at his own house either. Her feet planted on the sand as she stared at it, the junk throw around. Lila stood there a while, not bringing herself to walk forward and knock on the door.

Lila crept around, in hopes of not having to go up and open the door or knock. The last thing she wanted was to see Barry of all people, hoping she'd find Rafe around back perhaps. The trailer was junky and looked as though it would fall apart any day now. The bitter smell of drugs filled her nose as she got closer.

Lila was attempting to look through the small window on the door when it suddenly flew open and knocked her in the face. Lila groaned as she held her face as she hit the ground.

"Who the h-" Rafe began before the figure removed their hands and looked up at him. He blinked suddenly, face dropping, Oh my god, Lila."

"Hello to you too." she said in disbelief while holding her face, he reached down pulled her up on her feet.

"I'm sorry." he said, grabbing her face to look, "It's not bleeding, you all right?"

"All good." Lila said as she twitched her nose before making eye contact with him for the first time. Her palms began to sweat, heart thumbing, stomach flipping.

Rafe began to smile, "You came home?"

"I'm sorry I didn't come see you sooner." Lila said as she stared his way, blinking as her body found its self leaning into him.

"It's all right." Rafe said back as he pulled her into a hug, tucking his head into her neck. Lila rubbed his back as a small smile came across her lips, comfort over taking her. Rafe nuzzled into her neck more, rubbing her back in the process.

When he pulled back, he stared at her face. He read her so perfectly, he knew exactly what she was thinking, "Are you not happy to see me?"

"Of course i'm happy to see you." she corrected him with a shake of her head, running a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry it's on such a bad note though. We have to talk."

Rafe nodded his neck with a faint look of disappointment in his eyes.

"Now, what the he-" Barry began as he stared, stopping when he realized who it was, "Ah, shit! Look what the cat drug in! Mrs Country Club, huh?"

Rafe turned back in Lilas arms as she rubbed his back, holding him again a moment, "Can you come with me?"

"Where?" he asked her, staying put.

"Do you have your truck?" Lila asked as Rafe nodded, pulling her with him. He opened the door for her, letting her get in before circling around, "Can we go somewhere kinda private?"

Rafe nodded as he started it up, pulling out of Barry's lot, he drove with one hand incase she wanted to hold the other, "Your moms are letting you see me?"

"They don't know i'm here." Lila said back, watching his every little move, "I ran away."

Rafe laughed, "Really?"

Lila nodded, laughing at his expression.

"I know you're mad at me." Rafe said as they sat on the docks that weren't far from Barry's, "For not coming with you. But I-"

"I'm not mad, I just don't understand why." Lila explained, her legs crossed as she stared over at him. The sun was rising and the sky was pink, his eyes lit up brighter then they usually did, "Everything was perfect. You could have came with me and we'd figure everything out together."

"My dad needs me." Rafe explained as he placed his hands on her knees, "I couldn't leave him here. I had to step up, you know? Be good. And I am, i'm with him. I wanted to go with you, but I couldn't."

Lila saw the glisten of proud and happiness in Rafes eyes over the thought of his dad. She couldn't crush that joy for him, she just couldn't, "Theres a reason I wanted you to go back to the village with me. I wanted us to stay together, yeah, but there's more that I didn't tell you."

Rafe stared over at her, rubbing the skin on her legs as he nodded.

Lila grabbed a tamplet from her back pocket and showed it to him, "Look. It's a little place that can help people that have a lot going on in their brain. A cousin of mine went, it's for real."

Rafe stared at it before he snapped his head back up at her, "You want me to get put away?"

"No. Of course not." Lila said, grabbing hold of his hands, "I want things to be easier for you. Whatever is going on, I wanna help you not have to deal with it anymore. Do you understand?"

Rafe stared at her again, "It's gonna be me or John B. You want it to be me that goes down, don't you?"

"Rafe, that's not what i'm saying." Lila spoke quickly to avoid him getting mad, "But John B is innocent and we both know that. I know you were trying to protect your dad and I know you have a lot of thoughts about things. That's why if we can figure this out, get you help, then maybe it won't be jail time for you."

Rafes eyes watered, "I don't wanna go."

Lila placed his hand on her face, "Just think about it, that's all i'm saying. You can't hurt people, Rafe, it's going on too long and i'm worried about you."

Rafe leaned into her as Lila cradled his head, trying to not get emotional but it was hard when he was crying into her neck, "I have to man up."

"What?" Lila asked as she pulled back.

"This is- it's not what you think, okay? I need to man up." Rafe stared as he pointed at his head, "I've got this in control, i've got it."

"It's not about maning up, what are you talking about?" Lila asked with confusion in her tone, though she was trying to stay calm for his sake and her own, "If something is wrong-"

"Nothings wrong." Rafe stated, he stopped crying, "You know where John B is."

Lila shook her head, "No."

"Yes you do." he corrected her, standing up as she came with him, "Just tell me and it'll be okay. Lila, you don't get it. We've gonna be so good again. Me and you. I'm gonna take care of us, we're gonna be so good this time around."

He cupped her face with a smile. Lila stared with a sad look, "Rafe, John B is gonna get arrested for this."

Rafe removed his hands, "Why do you always pick them over me?"

"I'm picking the right thing to do. I'm not picking anyone over anything." Lila argued with a shake of her head, "I wanna help you. More then anything but I can't do that on my own."

"You pick my sister, John B." Rafe listed on as he paced slightly, "You never choose me over them though, do you? It's never me, you never take my side. I choose you over everything and you never do it for me."

"When have you ever chose me over anything?" Lila asked in disbelief, becoming annoyed now, "You picked your shitty father over coming home with me. Barry nearly killed me and you chose him. I begged you the night you shot the sheriff and you chose going after my friends first. You never put me above what you want, ever, so stop acting like I never do anything. I put you first with everything, Rafe. I spent my whole summer trying to help you and it only back fired on me and I'm the one that ended up needing help."

Rafe ran a hand through his hair and paced around with wide eyes. Rafe turned to her suddenly, his eyes were softer as he fell to his knees infront of her, wrapping his arms around her waist and laying his head on her stomach, "Things are happening in my brain and I don't know how to stop them."

"I know." Lila spoke as she ran a hand through his hair, "I wanna help."

"I'm scared." Rafe admitted as Lila bent down to her knees with him to hold his face, "I need help. But I can't go to jail, that's where they're gonna send me. I expected you to get that out of everyone."

"I do, I promise I do. You have to trust me, Rafe. It's gonna be okay." Lila pushed her forehead onto his as the rays of sunrise shined between them, "You have to do the right thing."

"My dad needs me. You need me." he said back, opening his eyes to stare at her, "Do you need me, Lila?"

Lila frowned, "I need you."

Rafe pulled her in, "Don't send me away."

Before Lila could say anything, the loud dirt bike pulled up. Barry jumped off and threw the bike down, not bothering to turn it off as he began yelling, "Yo, Rafe! Rafe! They arrested him! They aren't John B, man!"

Lilas heart stopped as she pulled away from Rafe, "Shit."

"Lila!" Rafe called as Lila began running down the docks again, "Lila, come back!"

But she didn't, because she had to be with her friends.

•

kylie speaks

she wanted to stay away
from him bc she knew he'd
comfort her and she'd act
like how she did over the summer.

genuinely can not wait for
them to have a normal
convo that doesn't have to
immediately jump into
murder.