ISSUES II outer banks

truth

"Promises are the sweetest lies."

❥

"Hey, John B. Where'd you been?", I ask our friend as he stormes into the chateau clearly looking for something and ignoring us. "Bro, what's up?", JJ tries it as well as Pope and Kie. "Are you alright?" „What are you looking for?" "Bro-", JJ continues stepping closer to John B, "Bro why do you need the gun?"

John B suddenly holds the gun in his hands looking like he has found what he needed and pushes JJ onto the couch when he tries to step in. "John B-"

Pope is also interrupted by John B and pushed against the dining table but the boys quickly stand up again and we follow him outside calling for him worriedly. Why the hell would John B storm into his house, look for the gun, push his friends and hop onto JJ's bike?

"Ward has killed my dad. He knows about the money!", John B shouts back but before we can ask more questions and talk to him, he starts the engine and drives off.

The four of us have been thinking about what John B might do or how we could help him. We've even drove to the Cameron's to try and stop John B from doing something he might regret later on but Ward is still alive so it must mean that John B hasn't made a mistake yet. And due to Pope having his interview tomorrow, we drove home.

❥

"Hey, Wheezie", I greet her with a hug when I see her in the garden of the Cameron's house, "How are you?" "Honestly? Not that great but it doesn't matter." "Are you sure?" "Yes. How about you? You haven't been here in a long time."

I nod slowly. She's right. I even thought that I would never come back again after all that has happeend between Rafe and I. I'm still not ready to talk to him regularly but knowing that his dad killed John B, I needed to check up on him. 

I was shocked already. Ward and my dad have been friends since they went to school together, they became kooks together. I've spent so many sumemrs in their house thinking Ward is a good man and it is safe to be around him. If I am so shocked already, how must his kids feel? Rafe wouldn't believe me if I told him but the least I can do is to make sure that he's safe.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Sarah's been hanging out with us and Rafe and I aren't together anymore so I don't see him as often. But now is the time that I wanted to see him. Do you know where I can find him?" "I wanted to meet him anyways, come with me."

"Rafe", Wheezie greets her brother while I just look around. "Sorry", he coughs as he inhales the weed. "No need to worry, I'm not telling anyone." "Do you want something?", he offers us and I furl my eyebrows looking at Wheezie. She's 13. "Did you just offer me drugs? I'm 13", she states. "I'm in", I mutter quickly. It would just be good to not worry for one moment.

"Are you sure?", Rafe asks me and looks at me worriedly. For the first time in months, he looks like he would really want to take care of me but I shrug my shoulders. "What a nice house. How did you make the Geastons let you live here?" "I haven't told them, okay? They're on vacation all summer so please don't tell anyone." "Okay, if I'm allowed to hang out here whenever I want to", Wheezie grins.

"Sure, does dad want to throw you out as well?" "He threw you out?", I ask Rafe and he nods but also tells me that he wants to talk about it when Wheezie is gone. "Worse. I'm officially the unloved daughter", she complains and I kind of understand her. Wheezie hasn't always been participating in this "Who-is-Ward's-favorite-kid"-war between Sarah and Rafe but she's not Ward's favorite. Sarah is his golden child. "Mhm."

"Sarah and dad are flying to the bahamas. Was I invited? No", Wheezie goes on. Well, I understand her. It would be frustrated as well if I had a sister and my dad only wanted to go on vacation with her. At least I don't even have a sister. Instead, my dad sends me to Figure Eight to live with my aunt and uncle so he doesn't have to take care of me. But wait.. The bahamas?

"They want to go to the house in the bahamas now? In summer?", Rafe digs deeper asking what we all wonder about. What if Ward wants to escape now that John B has found out about his secret? What if he wants to make Sarah leave with him so she can't be with John B anymore and doesn't find about his secret?

"Yeah, I mean Rose says it's about business. There's a new construction project and because it's a super secret business deal, they're flying to the bahamas." "You know, I am so much more into this business than her", Rafe mutters angrily and he probably feels replaced again. 

"We're the black sheeps, Rafe. Get used to it", Wheezie mutters giving him money, "Here, my savings." "I'm giving it back to you. I know that it looks really bad right now but I'll deal with it, you'll see", Rafe promises her but we all know that he won't do that, at least it would take him a long time. "I'm taking care of him, Wheezie", I tell her so she can leave without worrying about her brother. She's 13, she shouldn't see her brother looking like that.

"You could have come to me anytime", I whisper looking at Rafe worriedly as soon as Wheezie left. During the past weeks or even months, I haven't seen him smiling for once. "You told me to stay away from you, Bella", he reminds me, "And I even understand it." I shake my head. "I didn't mean to let this happen, Anna and Christian made me talk to Ward about it. I also never wanted to leave you alone, Rafe, I just also had to take care of others and especially myself."

"I didn't want to hurt, Bells. Quite the contrary, I wanted to make you the happiest person by my side", he whispers sadly and I'm surprised about him admitting this to me. I already knew that he didn't plan any of this, of course. But even when I broke up with him, he never apologized or explained himself. Now he does. "I'm sorry for everything that I've done to you."

"It's fine, Rafe, it's fine", I reply calmly and pull him into a hug. "Are we talking to each other again?", he asks, his voice is shaking. "If you're trying to become the person you've been again and are less angry we will", I nod seriously. I never left him because of himself, only because of his anger issues. Hopefully he's still going to better even when he finds out about his dad committing crimes.

"Promise?" "Promise."