Hear That Gang. Time To Hang Up The Flags And Stories. Cant Be Romanticising Rafe.

⚠️Hear that gang. Time to hang up the flags and stories. Can’t be romanticising Rafe.

They didn’t even spell Romanticising right😭🙏

YAYAY SO HAPPY FOR ANOTHER PART THIS DEVOURED AND LEFT NO CRUMBS 😻

guilty conscience (+18)

chapter v

pairing: rafe cameron x female!reader

summary: when ward cameron, a renowned business man and millionaire specifically requested your services through an escort agency, you assumed it would be just another job—brief and straightforward. however, your entire world shifted when ward disclosed his true intentions and rafe cameron stumbled into your life. there were rules, and rules were meant to be followed. was money worth breaking someone’s heart?

author's note: shit goes down; there's a lot going on; drama queens 4life; IT'S STARTING BITCHES!!; jj's a little unhinged forgive him;

When you left your hotel, beaming with confidence over your achievements with the Camerons—especially after Ward deposited $1,563 into your bank account as a 'reward'—you never imagined the night would spiral into the personal hell you just crawled out of.

Rafe was the epitome of a gentleman, eagerly stepping out of his Jeep to open the door for you. The conversation flowed effortlessly, just as it had since that first day on the golf course. The party at Tannyhill was lively, with the perfect mix of guests and just enough booze. It promised to be a fucking great night. 

So how come you ended up locking yourself in this stupidly, heavily, decorated bathroom, someone may ask? Well, you’re just too pretty to go to jail for murder. 

It all started innocently enough.

The music was loud, the laughter even louder. You had just finished drinking a tequila shot with Rafe, when Topper called him over, a grin plastered on his face as he greeted Rafe with a slap on the back. 

Rafe brought you into a quick embrace, a hand placed on the back of your head as he pressed a faint kiss to your forehead. “I’ll be right back. You’ll be okay on your own?”

You flashed him a quick smile, despite the tequila still burning your throat, and gave a nod, feeling pleased inside by how caring Rafe was being. Maybe you’d already won him over.

Once he went off with Topper, disappearing into the sea of people, you took a beat to check out the scene around you and just as you contemplated another shot from the table, a light tap on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts.

Turning around, you were met with a face you didn't recognize, softened by a bright expression that contrasted with your own residual tequila-induced one.

"Hi there!" she chirped; her voice filled with what felt like genuine warmth. "I'm Aria, Kelce’s girlfriend. Just wanted to say hi and make sure you're not alone.”

You returned her smile, feeling a wave of relief that she seemed so friendly. "Nice to meet you, Aria.”

She beamed at your words, and you could see a genuine sparkle in her eyes. "Likewise!” her hands moved expressively as she spoke, “Kelce told me he met you last week. It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

You chuckled, "Well, hopefully I live up to the hype."

She eagerly, her gestures punctuating her words, “’ Course you do. I’m so glad you’re here, it’s kind of exhausting to put up with these boys all by myself.”

Aria threw you off with her openness, but honestly, it was kinda refreshing. Like, there was this girl you never met before, and she was just laying it all out there. But even though you were partying, you were still very much working, and your brain easily caught onto her words. Was she not friends with Sofia? You were dying to know. 

You leaned in slightly, the loud music urging you to speak louder than necessary, “By yourself?”

“Huh— Guess there’s Sofia. But it’s kinda awkward now, y’know? After the whole Rafe fiasco.”

Consider yourself locked in. 

You had to keep yourself in check, making sure you didn’t sound too eager as you asked, “Rafe fiasco?”

Aria’s eyes widened slightly, as if she'd let something slip. She hesitated, glancing around the room to ensure no one else was within earshot. Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "Yeah, it was this whole thing last summer. Rafe and Sofia used to be...well, you know, a thing."

Oh my fucking god. Son of a bitch.

He lied to your face.

Was that his plan all along? Use you to make Sofia jealous? What a fucking joke. You were supposed to be playing him, not the other way around. You gripped your cup until your knuckles went white and nodded, encouraging her to continue. 

She sighed, "It got messy. Real messy, okay? Rafe thought they were serious, but Sofia, well….When she broke it off, it was pretty harsh. He took it really hard."

A surge of anger shot through you and told yourself it was strictly professional.

So fucking what if he dated her? You were only pissy because that asshole had been lying to you the whole time. Which was very hypocritical of you, but to be fair, but he didn’t know that.

You tried to keep your cool, pretending to be just concerned and not about to blow the whole place up. You forced a sympathetic expression, even though inside you were fuming. "Really? I had no idea."

Aria sighed, clearly relieved to be sharing the gossip. "Yeah, he's a good guy. It's just...complicated."

Before you could answer, Rafe reappeared out of the blue, his muscular arm sliding around your waist like he'd done it a million times before.

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" he asked, flashing that charming smile that now just made you want to punch his perfect teeth. 

"Just girl talk," Aria said with a wink. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." She gave you a quick hug and disappeared into the crowd.

Lovebirds my fucking ass.

You couldn’t believe you fell for his shit. You’d been doing this for years and all it took for you to blindly believe a man, was a pair of nice eyes and a tiny waist?

Rafe turned to you, his boyfriend-like attitude still in place but his eyes searching yours. "Everything okay?"

No.

You wanted to scream at the top of your lungs in his face but contained your rage. Your brain was scrambling for ways to come up with a new game plan.

You swallowed your feelings, focusing all your energy on the money Ward dropped on your account. "Of course. Aria’s really nice."

He nodded, pulling you closer. His hand slid down your back, warm and strong, and despite everything, a shiver of pleasure ran through you. "Yeah, she is.”

You smiled up at him, even though you were still seething inside, “I think I need to hit the bathroom. Where is it?”

"Down the hall to the left," Rafe said, his hand lingering on your back as if he was reluctant to let you go. "Want me to wait for you?"

You forced a laugh, hoping it didn't sound as fake as it felt. "Nah, I'll be quick. Besides, you should catch up with Topper." You muttered, slipping away from his touch and ducking down the hall.

His fingers left a confusing trail of sensations on your skin, stirring up a mess of emotions that you weren't ready to confront just yet.

And that's how you ended up here, hiding in this ridiculously pink bathroom, staring at yourself in the mirror and wondering if you could plead temporary insanity.

You click the lock shut and slump against the sink, feeling the weight of the evening crashing down on you. Pressure simmers in your chest, making it hard to breathe as you try to make sense of the tangled mess Ward Cameron has dragged you into.

But one thing's for sure: you can't let this night end with you in handcuffs.

You straighten up and splash cold water on your face, letting the shock of it clear your mind— it’s a good thing you’re wearing waterproof makeup. You straighten your shoulders, letting the tension leave your body.

So, Rafe wants to play? Oh, you can play. You can do a lot worse. He isn’t going to derail your plans with his smooth talk and empty promises. It's nothing personal. At least you tell yourself that. 

As you step out of the bathroom, your brain races with anticipation. If Rafe thinks he can use you to make Sofia jealous, he's got another thing coming. You need to find out the truth, and fast.

Spotting the first guy in your peripheral vision, you take a deep breath and summon every ounce of charm you possess. With a confident stride, you make your way over to him, ready to flash him a dazzling smile as he turns. 

And just to your luck, you recognize him immediately. 

He's the guy who hit on you when you first arrived at the Outer Banks, the same guy Rafe intervened with to save you from his relentless flirting. JJ Maybank. Funny how things come full circle.

“Well, well, well,” There’s a shit-eating grin on his face as he leans against the nearest walls, eyes shamelessly trailing down your body, “If it isn’t Miss Not Interested.” 

A smirk tugs at the corner of your lips. Men are too easy. "Looks like you've got a good memory," you reply, your tone teasing yet confident. "Sill torn about it?”

“Hardly. Just nice to see a pretty girl like yourself come to her senses.”

You chuckle, batting your mascara-coated eyelashes playfully. "Oh, is that what you think this is? I'm just here to make you feel good about yourself?"

He laughs, the sound barely making it over the loud music as he steps closer to you, his gaze lingering on your lips. "Whatever it is, it's working," he quips.

You have to give him credit. JJ’s a natural flirt, and the surfer boy allure he brings to the table is tempting. Maybe you would’ve given him a ride in another life. 

You tilt your head, "Flattery will get you nowhere," you take a step back to maintain some distance between the two of you.

He tsks you, confidence unwavering. "We'll see about that.”

You flash him a coy smile, enjoying the game of cat and mouse. "Maybe we will.”

With a matching expression, JJ gestures toward the bar, invitingly. "I promise I'll behave."

You arch an eyebrow, considering his offer for a moment. What's the worst that could happen with one more shot, right? Plus, it could totally help take the edge off your body. You're just about to agree when a voice cuts through the noise of the party, breaking the moment. 

“What the fuck are you doing here, pogue?”

Oh, for the love of—there goes your fun. That worked faster than what you expected.

You turn to see Rafe striding towards you, his expression darkening as he locks eyes with JJ. It's clear from the intensity in his eyes that he's not pleased to see the two of you together.

Rafe's attention flickers between you and JJ, his jaw clenching as he sizes up the situation. There's a steely edge to his voice as he addresses the other blonde again, his words dripping with thinly veiled hostility, “I said, what the fuck are you doing here?”

JJ's grin remains firmly in place, though you can see the hint of amusement in his eyes. “Sup crazy. Nice house by the way, love what Rose did with the décor.”

You resist the urge to roll your eyes at their thinly veiled jabs. Men and their dick measurements. 

Rafe's nostrils flare, his patience wearing thin as he squares his broad shoulders, “Get away from her.”

JJ looks at him like he just escaped from some sort of institution, “Away from who?”

You're surprised Rafe hasn't punched JJ yet as he takes a step closer, his eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare. You can barely spot any blue in them. "Are you trying to get killed?”

JJ's grin widens, a hint of defiance flashing in his eyes as he leans back against the wall, seemingly unfazed by Rafe's threatening demeanor. "She came to me. I gotta say sweetheart, your boyfriend’s a real charmer."

Your tongue gets a mind of it’s own, and before you can really think about it, you’re letting the words slip out, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Rafe's reaction is immediate, his gaze snapping to yours as he studies you, searching for any sign of deception.

"Is that so?" JJ asks as if he's really interested in whatever is going on and totally not trying to stir shit with Rafe.

You don't look away from Rafe, refusing to back down. You want to see if you can hurt him, if he cares a little.

"Yes." You reply, your tone firm but controlled.

Rafe's expression softens slightly, though you can still see the shadow of hurt lingering in his gaze. "Right." he mutters, his voice barely audible over the thumping bass of the music.

Okay, so maybe you didn’t think this through. It feels like you opened Pandora's box and now you’re stuck here.

Before you can say anything else, JJ interjects yet again, his smirk widening as he steps forward, effectively inserting himself into the conversation.

"Well, isn't this just precious," he says, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I’ll let you two cuties work this out.”

JJ saunters off, leaving you alone with Rafe. You didn’t expect your simple declaration to have such an effect on him, and now you're left wondering if you've blown everything out of proportion by assuming shit instead of just talking to him. 

He still hasn't stoped staring, eyes burning with an intensity that sends a nervous flutter through your body, and for the first time in weeks, you don’t know what to do. 

"You—“ he starts, his voice trailing off as he struggles to find the right words. You hold your breath, waiting for him to continue, unsure of what to expect.

But before he can say anything else, a voice breaks through the tense silence, pulling your attention away from Rafe and back to the present moment.

What’s with people interrupting your conversations tonight?Jesus fucking Christ. 

"Hey, there you are!"

You turn to see Topper approaching, a drunk grin on his face, "Sorry to interrupt," he says, "Everything okay?"

Bless him and his lack of social skills to read the room.

Rafe's jaw tightens, but he manages to summon a smile, although it looks more like a grimace, for Topper's benefit. 

"Yeah, everything's fine," he replies, though his tone lacks the usual warmth.

Topper eyes him skeptically for a moment before shrugging it off. "Aight,  just wanted to let you know that we're heading down to the beach for a bonfire. You coming?"

Rafe glances at you and you want to die. Surely, he doesn’t hate you now? You didn’t just ruin everything you’ve worked for?

After a moment's hesitation, he nods, his smile returning though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute."

Topper claps him on the back again, his grin widening.  “See ya there."

The tension between you is still palpable, thick enough to suffocate you if you let it. And then, the cap spills open and he snaps.

“JJ? Really? I invite you to my house, my house!” He all but grits out as he sticks his fingers into his chest with each word, “And you flirt with fucking Maybank of all people?”

You feel a violent urge to verbally put him to shame. A bitter laugh escapes your lips as you shake your head in disbelief "Why do you care?" you shoot back, your voice rising in tandem with your feelings. "We're not together."

Rafe’s eyes blaze with anger, and for a moment, you think he might lose control, but then he takes a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. "I care because I—" He stops, struggling to find the words. "Because I thought we had something."

You laugh again, the sound harsh in your own ears. "Oh, so now we have something?” You mock, bringing a hand to your lips, “Funny. How convenient that you lied to my face about Sofia, hm?”

Rafe’s face pales slightly. "That’s different."

"How?" you challenge, stepping closer. "You lied to me. You used me."

Hypocrite.

He opens his mouth to answer but then closes it. The silence between you stretches, and you want to shake him stupid. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest.

"I didn’t mean to lie to you," he finally says, his voice softer, almost pleading. "I just didn’t know how to tell you."

You tilt your head, unable to believe his excuses. "That’s bullshit, and you know it."

He turned away from you, pacing a few steps before whirling back around, his face a mask of conflicted emotions.

"I never wanted to use you. I—" He stopped again, slamming a fist into his open palm as if trying to physically force the words out. “You’re different.” Your face must tell him exactly how you feel, because before you can tell him to fuck off, he’s rushing to speak again, his hands gesticulating wildly as he tried to make you understand. “I know that sounds fucking insane, okay? You think I don’t know that?"

You swallow hard as he inches closer with every word, crossing your arms in an attempt to shield yourself from the raw intensity of his words. This is everything but professional of you. You know better than this. “You expect me to believe that?”

His hands drop to his sides, fingers twitching as if he wanted to reach out to you but didn’t dare. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “When I met you, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. You’re not a part of some great scheme, okay? You’re—”

“Different?” you interrupted, your voice dripping with skepticism. “That’s the best you can come up with?” Your brows pinch together at the sight of him, the rise and fall of chest. 

“I don’t know how to explain it, but you make me feel things I didn’t think I could feel anymore.”

Oh god, no.

This isn’t right. It's like his confession snaps you back into your realm.

You’re getting more than what you barged for. You’re gonna break his heart. You take a step back, itching to run away from this stupid town, his words hit you like a punch to the gut, leaving you reeling.

“Rafe, I can’t—”

He closes the distance between you in two quick strides, his hands still cold from being outside gripping your shoulders.

 “Please, just listen,” he begs, his eyes searching yours for any sign of understanding. “It feels right, okay? You feel right. And it’s fucking crazy because we just met and— I don’t know how to do this again. She ripped my heart out, I don’t talk about it because then it never happened. Do you think I want to feel this away about you? No fucking way.”

You can feel his grip tightening on your shoulders, the desperation in his eyes cutting through you like a knife. He’s opening up, laying his soul bare, and you are standing here, lying to his face.

Pretending to flirt with someone else to get a rise out of him. Getting closer to him because his father is paying you to do so.

The guilt gnaws at you, a relentless force that makes it hard to breathe.

“Rafe, I—” Your voice trembles again. You want to tell him the truth, to come clean about everything, but the words caught in your throat, it’s almost like they’re eternally stuck there. You let out a breath as a blush crept up your cheeks.

“I really care about you, pretty. ‘M sorry I didn’t tell you.”

You watch him, a little mesmerized by his honestly, each apology killing you inside. You are here for money, not for him. So why are you feeling like this?

You nod, feeling a lump form in your throat. "I care about you too, but I’m only here for the summer.”

Your eyes flutter shut trying to reason with yourself. It's not a lie. But it's not the whole truth either. 

"I know," he says softly. 

You take a deep breath, trying to keep it together. "Rafe, this is getting complicated."

He steps closer, looking so serious it only makes the blood in your veins pump harder, "I don’t care how complicated it is. I want to be with you, even if it's just for the summer."

His words hit you right where it hurts. You can hear how genuine he is, see it in his eyes, like he's about to fall in love right then and there.

And for a moment, just a fleeting moment, you're tempted to let yourself get swept away by the sincerity in his voice and the earnestness in his eyes.

But then reality crashes back in, reminding you of the mess you're already in. You can't let yourself fall any deeper, no matter how tempting it is.

So, before you can overthink it, before you can stop yourself, you close the distance between you and him. Your entire body tingles as you lift your hand to cup his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath your fingertips, the subtle tingle of his stubble against your thumb. 

And then you press your lips to his, his mouth slotting over yours naturally— needy and eager.

Rafe presses you against the wall JJ was leaning against just ten minutes ago, hands roaming eagerly over your body. One hand finds its way to your waist, pulling you closer to him with an iron possessive grip, and you match his intensity as you lean into him, drawing him impossibly closer by clutching his polo and pulling him closer with a firm grasp at the nape of his neck. 

And it’s right then and there you decide: You're gonna tell Ward Cameron to go fuck himself.

…it’s as I feared nearly a month ago…..It’s time to say goodbye to drew everyone 💀

i’m getting kicked out the theatre forreallll…

You can’t. He’s always there. Not to mention if you have a mans or a thing w a lad and you take him home to see this 💀

Fuck yes.

I need to get one.

I love arguments with a passion. Then it ends is smooches. Ate this up

I thought about Rafe and reader having a fight or heated argument and their child is scared that they will get a divorce

Divorce

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: Arguing

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 0.6K

Masterlist

Loud screams coming from downstairs cause Colin to wake up from his dream where he is a firefighter. In fear a monster is in the house, he goes running to his parents’ room. The bed is empty and terror grows. What if the monster ate Mommy and Daddy? He rushes down the stairs in hopes they will be there. While on the steps, he recognizes the sources of the yells. He freezes where he stands. “I don’t understand what is so hard for you to understand. There is nothing going on between Heather and me. She is just my assistant,” Rafe argues. Through the bars, Colin can see his mommy’s eyes roll. She chuckles, “It’s not that I think you are doing something with her. I don’t like the way she looks at you. I know she wants a bite of you and I’m not sharing.” Colin has never heard his Mommy use such an angry tone. He remembers something his friend said about her parents screaming a lot before they got a divorce. Now, she can’t see her mommy or daddy every day. He has to stop this; he can’t let his parents get a divorce. 

Tiny feet slapping against the hardwood floor causes both parents to turn their heads in the direction of the stairs. Small blue eyes stare up at them with tears at the edge of his long eyelashes. “Colin, Sweetie, what are you doing up?” Y/N questions, bending over as he runs into her arms. His short arms wrap around her neck and she picks him up while she stands straight. Even if they are arguing, Rafe doesn’t hesitate to step forward and rest his left hand on Y/N’s hip and the right hand on Colin’s back. 

Colin’s head buries into his mother’s neck, “You and Daddy no get a divowce.” Warm tears begin to stain her neck. Rafe’s head tilts to the side. “Why do you think that’s going to happen, Buddy?” Her fingers flatten the hair on the back of the little boy’s head. “You and Mommy fight,” he muffles against his mom. The mother coos at her son, “Aww, Sweetie. Just because Mommy and Daddy have a little disagreement, it doesn’t mean that we are going to get a divorce.” “Weally?” he confirms, looking up at her through teary eyes. Rafe jumps in, “Yeah, Buddy. I know it sounds like Mommy and I are very angry at each other, but we really love each other and I, for one, know that we can overcome anything.” Y/N presses her lips to her son’s cheek. “Daddy and I can. I may not like how Ms. Heather looks at Daddy; however, I trust your Daddy and I know he loves me very much. Sometimes, Mommy needs to vent to Daddy a little bit,” she adds. 

This little pep talk seems to appease the worried boy and his breathing steadies. “You pwomise no divorce?” he confirms. Rafe nods with a smile, “I promise, Buddy. Now, how about we go night night. You can sleep in our bed tonight.” The little boy lights up with a grin. “Yayy!” Y/N sets down her son and gives his bum a little tap toward the stairs. “Why don’t you go get your T-rex and head to our bed? We will meet you upstairs,” she suggests, laughing as he runs to the second floor. She turns to her husband, “You know I trust you, right? She just makes me feel uncomfortable.” He presses his lips to her forehead and pulls her in for a hug. “I know. I understand how you feel and I’ll see if I can transfer her to another department. Not because I want her to stay, but because I can’t fire her for no reason,” he says. She nuzzles into his neck, “Thank you. How about we get upstairs so we can snuggle our baby boy to sleep?” 

He guides her in their movements to their room. “Let’s. I love you.” Her head falls on his shoulder, “I love you too.”

Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @thepatriarchykeychain @drewsmusee @starkowswife @maybankslover @forstarkey @loving-and-dreaming @magicalyoura @rubixgsworld

THANKYOU MY QUEEN THIS WAS SO GOOD. WHEN RAFE SAID WHAT HE SAID BEFORE SHE WAS GUNNA LEAVE FOR LUNCH- LORD MY JAW DROPPED. my lord this was good. Gang yall have to give this a go🙏🙏🙏🤍🤍🤍

Give us some drama baby cakes. Reader cheats on Rafe w JJ and Rafe finding out would be the shit sis🤞🤞

no big deal,right?…right?- r.c and jj 🎀

where r has a drunken mistake with an old friend and rafe finds out

cw: drinking, swearing, drugs, cheating, allusions to sex

rafe was away for business again and instead of moping around you decided to have a little fun. it had been while since you had gone out without rafe constantly looming over you shoulder and scaring off any guy who would even look in the general direction of you. don’t get me wrong you loved rafe, how couldnt you? he provided for you, financially but also emotionally. rafe wasn’t the big bad guy everyone saw him as, at home when it was just the two of you, he was sweet, doting and constantly reassuring you that you were the only one for him. some saw his protectiveness over you as suffocating but you knew what it was. true love. still that doesn’t mean you don’t want to go out without your boyfriend having a dominating arm around your shoulders the whole night. now he was away, you saw this as the perfect opportunity to do just that. you was wearing a short, white, ruffled mini skirt with a gorgeous baby pink halter neck that showed off your boobs perfectly, finished off with some white sandals and some of the finest jewellery you owned. you heard through the grapevine that there was going to be a party down at the boneyard. and where there were free drinks, there you would be.

you stood around awkward with a plastic cup full of beer in your hands, normally rafe would parade you around showing you off to all his friends and you would be able to make small talk easily with them. but with no rafe to introduce you to people, you were starting to feel kind of lonely. you made your way over to sit on a log near the fire, hoping that people would see you were alone and make conversation with you. as you circled the rim of your cup with your freshly done nails, someone sat next to and said, “what’s a pretty girl like you doing alone?” usually you would be disgusted with some boy saying something like this to you but as you turn to say some remark back, you’re face to face with a familiar blonde. “jj!” you exclaimed, bringing him into a hug, happy to have found a friend. well not really a friend anymore.

you used to be a pogue before your dads business finally took off and the kook prince claimed you as his. you used to get up to mischief with jj, pope, john b and kie. but especially with jj. you hadn’t put labels on anything and the others didn’t know but whenever either of you got needy or had a dry spell, you and jj would hook up. it was purely, no strings attached and it worked for the both of you until rafe made you promise to stay away from, in his words, “those dirty pogues” and being the good dutiful girlfriend you are, you obeyed. you cut off all contact with your friends, not messaging them, well occasionally messaging kie when she dm’ed you every now and then to ask how you’re doing. they didn’t resent you for it, but it made their hatred for rafe only increase. but you knew they always had open arms for whenever you wanted to come back.

“how have you been?” you asked, desperate to catch up with your best friend. throughout the night, you and jj caught up and he brought you over to the others, them all bringing you into a massive bear hug and making you tell them all you have been up to recently. as the night progressed and you got even more drunk, pope and kie had gone off in their own conversation and jj had gone off to talk to some girl from the island, proper jj style. you felt so happy to finally be back with your friends, the people you truly felt comfortable around. rafe made you hang out with topper and kelce, you thought they were nice and they welcomed you into their friend group quickly but it was never the same as hanging out with pogues. your found family. feeling reminiscent, you stared off into distance watching waves lap onto the shore gently. john b being the caring person he is noticed and wrapped his arm around your shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze, “what’s on your mind pup?” he asked. you didn’t want to tell him about how you feel with rafe and his friends and that you don’t feel yourself around them because you knew how the pogues felt about the kooks, and if you told john b now you would never hear the end of it. how rafe is too controlling. how you shouldn’t have to cut off all your friends just because some stupid boy told you. how rafe made your life a living hell for the majority of it and now he’s suddenly in love with you. so instead you decided to say, “yeah could really do with a joint right now” which wasn’t the biggest lie ever, rafe had made you quit all that saying it would fuck up your body, yet every night he would get through a little white baggy. john b reminded you that you knew where they kept a stash in the twinkie and that you’re always welcome to help yourself to some.

making your way to the twinkie, you couldn’t tell if it was the seventh vodka cranberry you had or just from trying to walk on the uneven sand in your sandals but you were stumbling over your own feet and your head was spinning. you were sitting in the twinkie rolling a joint when the door slid open and the blonde from earlier slipped into the free space next to you, “care to share, m’ lady?” he asked as you lit it up taking the first drag passing it to him as you exhaled, “of corse, fine sir” god had you missed the way the banter would flow so easily between you and jj and your friends, it seemed that around rafes friends you were always carefully deciding what to say not wanting to offend any of them or create a scene or embarrass rafe. however you couldn’t deny how tense the atmosphere got as he sat closer to you. what could go wrong having ex friends with benefits in a close, remote space? its no big deal, right?… right?taking the last drag of the blunt, you asked with heavy eyes, “so what happened to the lucky lady you were with earlier?he just dismissed it by shrugging his shoulders. but you persisted, “no seriously, what happened jj? are girls finally seeing you for the playboy you are? not falling for your tricks anymore” you teased letting out a little giggle. “acting as if you didn’t fall for them” he attempted to joke but it came out more serious and spiteful. you stopped laughing and looked to the floor of the van, “come on jj, that was a long time ago, i’m with rafe now.” sensing the tense atmosphere you tried to change the conversation but jj interrupted you. he leaned closer to you, foreheads nearly touching, exchanging oxygen, “don’t you miss this pooch, me and you? the fun we had?” you looked away from him but he grabbed your jaw and forced you back into the original position you were in, face to face, “answer me.” as quite as a mouse you repeated, “i’m with rafe now” you didn’t want to admit you had miss the little rendezvous you had with jj, you know it’s different the situationship with jj and the relationship with rafe. but during the middle of the night, you couldn’t help but miss how well jj knew your body and afterwards could go back to being best friends. with rafe you couldn’t even crack a joke without it turning into a full blown argument nine out of ten times. jj just rolled his eyes at your response, pushing away from you, “fuck rafe. come on baby, you and me one more night” and before you knew it, you craved, you like to think it was the alcohol or weed in your system, or maybe you really did just miss jjs touch, but you lunged forward locking your lips with jjs plush pink ones. you straddled his lap as you groaned at the euphoric feeling of him kissing down your neck. “take these off for me baby girl” he plucked at the straps of your top and you seductively dropped it to the floor. jj groaned “fuck, you don’t know what you to do me cupcake” and went back to his assault on your neck moving down to your boobs. the windows of the twinkie started to steam up as you and jj went further with you little adventure.

coming down down from your high, jj never failed to get you to, you got hit with regret. you shot up and started chucking your clothes back on and running your hairs through your hair trying to get rid of any indication of what just happened. “jj this was a bad bad idea. promise me you will never speak to anyone about this, please? this should’ve never happened, i love rafe” but jj just scoffed “sure, you ‘love’ him” you didn’t find jj funny and you snapped back “jj please! you don’t know shit. just promise me you won’t tell anyone about this” “okay, yeah, sure whatever. i promise” he held out his pinky finger mockingly but you didn’t accept and you just rushed out of the twinkie.

youd probably only been walking for a total of ten seconds when topper approached you, “yo girl, surprised to see you here!” he exclaimed clearly drunk, “thought rafe was away?” he asked slightly glancing back to the twinkie with windows still fogged up. fuck. your head ran with a million thoughts. does he know what just happened? did he see you go in with jj? who else saw? will he tell rafe? has he already told rafe? not wanting to raise further suspicion you tried your best to keep it cool, “yeah he is, thought i’d still go out have some fun though, it’s a bit boring here. i don’t know anyone” hopefully he would be convinced and forget about what he saw. “well you have me now, know rafe would kill me if he knew i let his girl be alone while drunk” for the rest of the night you spent it with topper and his other mates, feeling a lot better because you were now sure topper doesn’t know what went down and maybe the two other drinks helped as well. top called you two an uber and let you sleep at his while he slept on the couch, having piece of mind you were safe and knowing how your parents could be when you get too drunk. the next morning you made you and him breakfast but classic topper he was still sound asleep, so you wrote out a little note “thank you top, see you at the country club with rafe today” you ate your meal and made your way back to tannyhill, it was only a ten minute walk so it didn’t take long at all.

when you got back home you showered off your hangover and started to doll yourself up. rafe would be home in a few hours and you wanted to be the perfect girlfriend for when he arrived. in your mind, what happened with jj was still replaying and you felt heavy with guilt. but rafe would never have to know and it would all be fine. while telling yourself this over and over again, you blow dried and curled your hair, lotioned your whole body, applied the perfect amount of makeup and put back on the necklace with the ‘r’ pendent on. you knew rafe wouldn’t be able to resist you when he got back in.

as he stepped through the door and dropped his bags, you leapt into his arms squealing, “rafey!” you expected him to litter kisses all over your face and tell you how you’re looking like an angel, but all he done was place a half-hearted kiss on the side of your head, placed you to the side and muttered, “ ‘m tired, gotta do more work” and made his way to his office. you followed him while whining, “but you’ve been away for so long” dragging out the “so”. usually rafe would fall into your siren trap but today he snapped, he turned around, towering over you, “stop bein’ a fucking brat. told you i’ve got work to do” you froze. why was he acting like this? tears threatened to spill from your eyes, your lip quivered and you slipped into your bedroom. rafe had never not payed you attention like he’s doing right now, what’s got into him? you passed it off as him just being stressed out from work and the long flight, but he didn’t even end up inviting you to the country club with him. you felt left out and neglected that he didn’t bring you with him, even if you did complain the whole time about being bored. you felt as if he didn’t want you around at all. that night, you two laid in bed and he let you cling to his arm as you watched a tv show, but before even warning you he abruptly turned onto his side and turned off the light, you were left there speechless, you couldn’t believe his behaviour today.

what really pushed you over the edge was when you went downstairs about to head out for lunch with your girls and rafes deep voice muttered, “who you dressing up like a slut for now?” before turning around you rolled your eyes knowing that if rafe saw that he would lose his shit. you thought you were lost for words before you turned around but as you spun on your heel, you were met with buzz cut rafe. “what?” you were in disbelief from his comment and his new hair, “rafe your hair?” he just scoffed, as if you were the one in the wrong here! “don’t act stupid now princess? who are you meeting?” your eyes were wide with shock, you couldn’t focus on his questions with this new look on him, “rafe why didn’t you tell me you were gonna cut your hair?” he menacingly stepped closer to you until your back was pressed against the kitchen island, “i’m not gonna ask again, where are you going?” your heart dropped with realisation. oh. my. god. did he know about jj? is this what this is about. is this why he’s been acting off with you since he got home? but perhaps he didn’t know. maybe he just has a bad deal at work when he was away and he’s still tense. so you acted innocent, “baby i don’t know what you’re on about, jus’ wanna know why you cut your hair?” your feigned innocent weeped out of you, giving him those deer eyes he couldn’t resist. but just like you he didn’t back down either, “you know exactly what i’m on about” he leaned into you. “baby i really do-” you tried to get another word in but he took a step back and roared, “you know exactly what i’m talking about!” you were scared and tears rolled down your blushed cheeks, you were scared of rafes behaviour and the fear of him catching you out on your little secret. “topper told me everything. how he saw you and your little pogue boyfriend sneak into a dirty van and how you came out later all flushed” you wanted to be sick, rafe was never meant to find out, you were sure topper didn’t see. how could you be so careless. much calmer now after seeing your glossy eyes rafe asked, “i thought i told you to stay away from them?” you let out a heavy sob and clung yourself to him, wrapping your arms around his waist, “i’m so sorry rafey… i was bored without you and i wanted to- to go out and i went to a party… and i had too many drinks and - and jj found me and were started talking and he convinced me it was a good idea- i saw topper after and i didn’t think he saw anything… i swear, swear i was gonna tell you- i’m so sorry” you let it all out. rafe wrapped his arms around you embracing you in a hug. he lightly smirked knowing those pogues haven’t got anything on him and knowing you’ll never leave him and find anyone better than him. he whispered into your hair, while devising a plan on how to get back on jj, “it’s okay baby, gonna make it up to me yeah?” you gently nodded your head against his chest letting out a final sniffle.