Coming Home

Chapter 12: Marco Polo

"Why are you stealing from Heyward?" I ask, making sure there wasn't even a trace of nervousness in my voice.

"No, Tess. What the actual fuck are you doing here?" I couldn't read his expression, he didn't seem mad, more shocked.

"Why wanna accuse me of something else?" His two friends take a few steps back and watch us.

"You shouldn't be here." His tone now sounds more concerned than anything and it throws me off.

"Why? I know what you did, Rafe. I know everything!" The anger I had suppressed for him was rising to the surface every second I stood here. Something changed in his eyes when I finished my sentence and his concerned look quickly changed to rage. He slammed his hand against the truck causing a huge bang to ring out around us. I looked up at the house to see if JJ or Pope was coming soon but saw nothing.

"I didn't do anything! Okay? It was your fucked up friend!" He was in my face now and I backed up as his friends looked lost at what to do. Before I could say anything I heard the front door of the house open as JJ and Pope sprinted out. Rafe looked at me once more and walked swiftly to his bike and just as he kicked off Pope and JJ reached the truck. JJ quickly pulled me into a hug, his chest rising and falling rapidly from the sprint down here.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He said pulling me forward to look at me.

"I'm fine, JJ. Let's just get the hell out of here." I say as I open up the door and slide in. JJ looked at me as he tried to read how I was feeling. I didn't know how I felt. I was scared and angry and in shock from the sudden confrontation.

"What did he want?" Pope asked as he hopped in too.

"His friends wanted beer. They didn't even know I was here till they tried to take the case." I say as I hold up the beer.

"Assholes!" JJ yells as he throws his hat against the dashboard. The gesture makes me flinch as a result of my still shaken nerves and JJ notices.

"I'm sorry, I just hate that he was even near you." He entangles his hand with mine and holds it tight as Pope drives down the road to the last delivery spot.

My mind flipped through different memories of Rafe and I over the years. We had always been friends growing up of course. Our families were friends and Sarah and I were the same age and so were Rafe and Topper. We'd gone on vacations together, spent countless nights hanging out, it just sort of made sense for us to date I guess. No one would believe it but he used to be sweet. He would always pick me up and take me to school, he would open the car door for me, he'd pick up my favorite snacks at the store just because. But then we grew up and his dad got in his head and his Kook friends did too. I distanced myself from the Kooks and Kiara started bringing me around the Pogues in about middle school. It seems impossible how so much can change over just a few years, or even a few months.

As we head over to John B's we pick up Kiara on the way and grab some beer and other drinks. What better way to deal with all of our collective problems than to drink them away right? Right.

"Yo John B!" JJ called out as he jumped up the porch steps and headed inside.

"You okay?" Kiara pulled my attention as we both carried the cases out of the truck.

"Pope tell you what happened?" I said wanting to ignore the whole thing completely.

"No JJ texted me. Do you wanna talk about it?" I bristle a little at the thought of JJ and Kiara texting each other about me but I push it aside since Kiara is just trying to be nice.

"I don't know if there's much to talk about. It was the first time I saw him since the night he locked me in the basement and stuff. I used to think that was the worst thing he could ever do, now he's a murderer." I never actually said that out loud before. Someone I dated, someone I loved and grew up with was a murderer and he didn't seem to have any remorse for it either. A part of me feels for the person Rafe used to be, the person who I at one point considered my best friend.