Rush | Rafe Cameron

T W O

"Where were you last night Sarah" I laughed. Curiosity had got the best of me and now here we were sat down at the Wreck enjoying a nice lunch that was way overdue.
I wouldn't have asked but I happened to see the blonde sneaking off the HMS Pouge late last evening while leaving the Cameron residence.
"Oh, I was with John B."
Quick and calmly spoken. There was no hesitation in telling me exactly who she was with. Though it didn't surprise me, her and Topper were officially over now, she could do as she pleased.

"So Rafe wasn't lying" I spoke, mostly to myself but loud enough for her to hear.

"What do you mean?" Now the curiosity had taken over the features on her face and it was my turn to do the explaining.

"Rafe said you had been hanging out with him. I didn't know you were into pouges" I responded with a quick wink making the blonde beside me giggle.
"Oh hush Maddie, he's seriously the best. He makes me feel so in love. When are you gonna finally let someone take you out? You know Topper's party is tonight, have anyone in mind?"

The obvious had been thrown into my face again. I would be attending alone while Rafe has Emily slung across his arm.

"I might have my eyes open this evening dont you worry, princess" the blonde threw her head back in laughter after my final comment. This is the Sarah I had missed.

"Whatever you say mads"

Lunch was the same old same with the same girl I had confided in all these years but this time was different. Now with Sarah 'in love' I was questioning my love life too closely and now a once easy secret to keep was eating at the back of my throat.

Sometimes I wondered how I got myself into this mess, but every-time I've ever wanted to even think about stopping I look up into those blue eyes and I'm lost. It's like a drug I can't pull myself away from. No matter how hard I want to. He always knows exactly what to say to make me weak in the knees.

I know it's not healthy for us. I know it'll never work. But then there is the small ounce of hope when Rafe tells me I'm number one. That makes me feel like one day it'll all make sense.
We've tried to stop so many times but we always end up together before the day comes to a close. Just Rafe and Maddie, up all night talking.

'baby'
'Hey, I'm sorry. Text me back'
'Mads. Please'
'Listen you know I love you. Please at least answer so I know we are still friends'

Rafe's texts were coming in all through lunch, but it was the last one that really caught my attention. "Friends". That's all we were to him and that's how it always was gonna be. I needed to wake up and get myself out of this.

Hours had passed and Sarah and I finally were on our way to Top's party. Sarah's long blonde hair was tied tightly in a high ponytail barely touching the top of her tight black dress. While I on the other hand let my brunette curls bounce down to my shoulders.
Sarah had picked a tight white dress for me that barely reached mid thigh but she swore this was my night. My night to be the center of attention.
I couldn't tell her the only attention I wanted was from her brother.
I was mentally preparing myself to see Emily again when Sarah spoke up again, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"You look so hot Mads" the blonde girl chirped.

"Thanks, Cameron! All thanks to you!"
Sarah really was a good friend. I hated that half my love life had to be a secret from her. I just wish I could be honest, but I had promised when we were 10 that her brother was off limits and I wasn't ready for her to know I had broken that promise.

It wasn't long before we made it to the party and it was already slammed. Drunk bodies were thrown all over the main floor of Toppers residence.

It didn't take long for Sarah to be off swooning over her new love.

John B.

I'm shocked Top even allowed the pouges at this party. But if I knew one thing about Topper it was that he would never ruin a good party. Even if it meant watching Sarah with another man, a Pouge at that.

It didn't take long for me to spot Emily and Rafe. I let the thoughts pass me as I grabbed a red cup and drank down the liquid courage.
Finding my way to the dance floor, swaying and moving to the loud music blasting through the speakers, people I had never met swirling around me. Sarah and John B now had a group of people near them. I recognized them from pictures Sarah had showed me at lunch earlier. Before today they were just Pouges from the cut now I recognized them as Pope, Kiara, and JJ.

Before I could even begin to think of what I was doing I was in front of the group begging them to come dance with me. I had always been a flirt, but not enough to ever find myself in trouble. Most people would probably even mistake it for just being overly nice, but sometimes I'd get way too ahead of myself when a little liquor was involved.

It didn't take much convincing before JJ reached out to me, hus hands resting gently on my hips following me back out on the living room turned dance floor.
I stole glances at Rafe as he watched JJ and I move in sync. The other Pouges cheering us on from our previous spot.

"So princess, who are we trying to make mad?" He spoke his words so confidently. So much so that I had almost convinced myself that I had already told him my plan.

"What do you mean?" I know the confusion was evident on my face as I searched his for an answer.

"Well I assume it's Rafe considering when that guy over there asked him about you he said you were off limits"

"Off limits?" I said, questioning the shaggy blonde further

"I believe his exact words were. She's not mine but she's not available" JJ laughed like this was obvious.
Truth is i couldn't begin to tell you what he was even trying to mean.

The more JJ and I hung out the more I realized why Sarah liked this group so much. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.
JJ and I learned so much about one another and we're currently sat out on Top's hammock discussing the shitty families we had been stuck with. While JJ's dad had been an abusive asshole mine were less present than maybe they should be. Always handling business with Ward Cameron in other places.
I had grown to like the Pouge boy through out the night. Enough so that my mind hadn't even wondered to Rafe Cameron, that was until "Maddie"

Rafe.

"Can we go?" He stated sternly. More a statement than a question. His face looked annoyed as his eyes darted between JJ and I.

My legs were still laid out across JJ's lap, his rough hand laid flat across my upper thigh.

"Why?" I knew to question Rafe Cameron would never ended well, though the alcohol in my system was beginning to think otherwise.

"We just need to go"
No eye contact was being made. I began to become overly aware of where Emily was all of a sudden, maybe things went south. But all I know was Rafe was not happy and things never went well when he wasn't happy.
JJ lightened his grip, just enough for me to feel and not for Rafe to see. Almost as if he was letting me know it was my choice to stay or go, he trusted me to take care of myself. I'd have to thank him for this later.