CASTAWAY ⚓ R.C, J.M

T W E N T Y F O U R

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L O S T & N O T

F O U N D

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The sun shone brightly today. Rays trickled through a canopy of leaves and created a division across the dewy grass between the two teens. They stood five metres apart. Harley didn't want to get too close.

Blue eyes stared back at Harley, boring into her soul. He looked different. He wasn't so much angry anymore. He looked slightly tired and dare Harley say remorseful. He had a hand to his head then ran through his hair as if just standing was a hardship for him.

It took everything in Harley to try not to feel awful about what she had done. He deserved it or at least that's what people around her have said. John, however, he wasn't too impressed. He thought Harley was better than that and he was disappointed that she hadn't come to him about Rafe beforehand. He loved having her around and he didn't want her to jeopardise her time with their family. By the end of their talk, Harley had been in tears in his arms apologising profusely.

Harley rubbed at her neck nervously, then her wrist. Anxiety wobbled off her in stifling waves. Rafe wasn't saying anything, so she didn't want to be around him too long. She hadn't told anybody where she was going, as he'd requested and now she was starting to think that was a bad idea.

"What did you want ,Rafe?" she asked timidly. Just his presence seemed to drain all confidence from her.

"I wanted to see you..." He trailed off, eyes never leaving her.

"Okay then, you have. So... goodbye."

Harley started to back up, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Wait!" He lurched forward, his sudden motion looked clumsy, but stopped hers. "I... wanted to talk to you."

Harley's patience was phenomenal as she waited for him to collect whatever thoughts were running wild in his head. She remembered how he'd take drugs sometimes to stop it all. To freeze everything around him and relax. She knew that's what he had wanted because when she had taken those same drugs that's how she had felt. He always reiterated how they were the same. How they both had thoughts fighting in their head. How all they needed was the world to stop spinning and they'd be okay.

"I didn't tell the Sheriff it was you," he started to say.

Harley shook her head and rose her eyebrows. "What?"

"I didn't tell the Sheriff, that you drove my car into the marsh. I haven't told anybody. Nobody knows it was you except those of us that were there," Rafe explained. He had taken a step closer.

Why? Why would he do that? Was she supposed to thank him? Did she owe him now? Maybe, that's what he wanted; he wanted her to owe him.

"You don't have to thank me or anything," he commented sarcastically and rolled his eyes. And there it was. That's what Harley had been waiting for. These were the comments that made her wonder if Rafe had even liked her.

"Thanks." Harley muttered and went to leave again.

"Wait! Sorry. I'm...sorry. Just wait. Give me a second."