ROCK BOTTOM ~ Rafe Cameron // OC // JJ Maybank

four.

tw: violence

Bexley had thought negatively about her mother in the past, but she would never allow herself to be ashamed of her. Her mother was all she had. She loved her.

But her mother was a woman who constantly made terrible decisions over, and over, and over again. She was a coke addict. She was too scared to leave the house. And...she used to be a street worker.

There was no way Bexley could shame her for that. Her mother did things for men, and with men, for money. But she only started doing it after Bexley was born. She needed money to help raise her daughter, so she put herself through hell.

Bexley always felt the responsibility for that hardship in her mother's life. After all, her mom did it all for her.

But looking at her mother's life now, Bexley felt a deep feeling of fear. She didn't want that life. Not in the future. Definitely not now.

Bexley refused to become her mother.

But what choice did she have now?

An hour had passed, and Bexley finished the dishes, as well as vacuuming the entire first floor. Her hands gripped onto the duster, and she stared at the staircase like it was some kind of monster.

Other people were home. There was no way Rafe was expecting...that. She didn't believe he would ever do something like that. Rafe was rich, and attractive, and he could get sexual favors from anyone he wanted. He wouldn't ask that of her.

Besides, Bexley was a pogue. Pogues disgusted him.

It took her a few minutes to get ahold of herself, but she found her way to Rafe's room. She had only entered it once since she started working at the house, and that was only to take out his laundry basket.

The door was closed when she got up there this time. She lifted her hand, knocking on it three times.

Music was playing. It stopped when she knocked. Then, a moment later, the door opened.

Rafe stepped aside, nodding in the room. "Come in."

She casted her eyes to the ground, stepping in. He shut the door behind her.

The door locked. The sound echoed in ears. She felt like she was just locked in a prison cell.

Rafe turned the music back on, even louder than before, and then he went to his bed. He kneeled down, grabbing a duffel bag from beneath it, pulling it out and setting it on his mattress.

"This shit stays between us, got it?"

She took another step back to him, her eyes stuck on the bag. Her fear didn't let her rest. She was shaking so bad, she swore her teeth were making noise.

He paused in movement, looking at her and repeating, "Got it?"

She nodded, twice.

He turned back to the duffel bag, rummaging through it. He pulled out a smaller black bag. Rafe turned to Bexley, holding it out for her.

"You're gonna make an extra stop for me on the way home," he told her.

Her gaze fell to the bag, then to him, then to the bag. It was small, no longer than a ziplock bag.

She let out a deep breath. She felt safe, for now. She dared to question, "What is that?"

Rafe stepped forward. He grabbed Bexley's wrist, bringing it up, and forcing the small bag into her hand. Keeping hold of her, he leaned towards her more, whispering, "It's that favor you owe me."