•STOCKHOLM SYNDROME• [obx3]

Chapter 17: Daddys boy

Rafe ties a piece of cloth around his eyes. 'There, Nooooow I can't see you'

Kie wags her middle finger right in front of his face. Rafe, who's supposed to be blind to it,  wacks her arm away.

'Really Rafe?', Kie rolls her eyes. She takes off her bandana and ties him a second layer over his eyes.

'Aah, I can't see... anything'

The alcohol must've really gotten to his brain.

'Yeah, that's the whole point'

Rafe groans. Kie shyly sticks her thumbs in her shorts but stops and eyes him, still feeling uncomfortable.

'Can't you look the other way?'

'Goddamnit Kie I'm already blindfolded, what more do you want?'

Kie rests her head in her hands. Rafe must've sensed the tension because he turns and faces the wall.

'There, I'm facing the stupid wall... I think'

Kie hesitates but undresses, leaving her clothes discarded on the floor. She steps into the shower, Rafes cuffed hand forced between the glass panel. The first thing she notices is an empty champagne bottle on the floor. But she ignores it and just focuses on getting herself clean.

'It's about time', Rafe says as Kie turns the water off and steps out of the shower. She quickly drys herself and dresses up, worried at any moment that he would take off his blindfold and turn around. Then she realises that he's actually waiting for her.

'Okay, I'm dressed now'

Rafe takes off his blindfold and turns to face her. 'Not bad Kie', he takes her in and smirks 'I'm glad you don't smell like shit anymore'

Kie scoffs. Get over yourself, she wanted to say. I've been stuck on an island for three days of course I'm going to smell bad. But she decides to just leave it because she can't be bothered dumbing it all down for him. Kie spots a second empty bottle of champagne, she presses her lips together. 'So that's why you're drunk', she says, mostly to herself.

'Yeah no shit Kie peopleee need to drinkk to get drunkkkk youuuu know?'

'That's a lot of drinking you've done there, I'm surprised you haven't passed out yet or ... died'

'What do you careee? Huh Kie?'

Kie shrugs 'I don't', she meant it. Something in Rafes expression changes, just for a moment he looks genuinely hurt.

'You know everything I've done is for my Dad... you know that? You know it right?', Rafe squints at her, weighing if he could trust her to believe him.

Kie shakes her head 'You killed Peterkin... you're a murderer!'

Rafe shuts his eyes and bites his lip before opening his mouth. 'You don't underrrrstand', he taps the sides of his head with his fingertips. 'No one understands. I did it to protect my Dad...', he scratches the edge of his nose. 'If it was your Dad would you let him get killed, would you just watch him die?'

'Peterkin wasn't going to shoot-'

'You don't know that!', Rafe rubs his hand through his hair and blows out a shaky breath. 'She had a gun and she was pointing it at him. In that moment I- I panicked. Okay? I didn't want him to get hurt. Is that so bad? I did it for him. I didn't have a choice Kie'

Kie twists her tongue around her mouth in disagreement. 'But you did. You did Rafe. It was your hand on the gun, you shot her'

Rafe shakes his head, tears spill out of his eyes and he rubs his wrists against his eyes. 'I had no choice Kie, I had to save my Dad. I had to do what's best for my family. Me, Kie, I had to', he pecks his hand at his chest. 'It's always me, I had to do all of this. You know, I put my Dad first. I put him first Kie. Everything I've done is for him'

'You tried to kill me and my friends', Kie says lowly as though the tone may help him understand.

He turns his face at her. 'You were in the way', Rafes stopped crying, instead, his face grows heated. 'You were all in the way' he smiles wastedly 'but I got the gold, I got the cross. I wouldn't have it if I didn't do what I did... I'd do it again, you know'

'You're sick!'

'You know Kie', He steps closer and meets her eye to eye 'I am sick of this shit', he says in a loose fed up breath. 'I know I get out of control sometimes. I know Kie. But look, If I had the choice, I wouldn't of done anything to hurt you', He tilts his head at her meaningfully.

Kie glares at him in disbelief.

'Look I had the chance...', Rafe doesn't say it but Kie can easily fill in the blanks. To kill you. 'Don't you think I did? You were in range Kie, but I didn't shoot. I didn't. I could've killed all of you but I didn't. Look Kie I just need some help, I think I need help', he works himself up, combing his hands through his hair.

Rafe was right. He had the chance to kill all of them, but he hadn't. 'Why didn't you shoot us then?'

Rafe slows and steps back, leaning against the basin. He eyes the floor carefully as if he's trying hard to concentrate. 'You weren't in my way'

'You should be in therapy Rafe... at least', Kiara rolls her eyes

Rafe scoffs 'You've got a strange sense of humour you know'

'I wasn't joking'

'Yeah? Why would I need therapy when I've got the gold and the cross?'

Kie Just ignores him. They stand in silence for a moment, still in the bathroom.

Rafe rubs his forehead. 'Look, I've been meaning to ask... howwww long have you and your boy been together?'

'Which boy?', Kies brows narrow

'Which boy?', Rafe scoffs then he grins like he's impressed. 'JJ. I see the way he looks at you, you know. He's... very protective over you', Rafe mocks 'I wonder why', he smirks at her.

'JJ and I are just friends'

Rafe raises his brows and chuckles, 'Oh no, I don't think so'

'Well, we are now... Hes been through a lot you know'

'So I've heard. The whole town knows about his Dad, it's no secret'

Like a wave, images of JJ flood her mind. Not the good ones. The time she found him in the jacuzzi covered in bruises replays over and over. How he tried to play it off like everything was okay. JJ would do that, pretend things were okay when they weren't. He deserves so much better than his shitty Father. Over and over, the image replays in her mind. Over and over.

'I need a drink', She storms from the bathroom, dragging Rafe with her. She only pauses when she reaches the mini-fridge by the edge of his room.

'Hey those are mine'

Kie ignores him, she pops a bottle and downs it in seconds.