LOVEBOMB, Rafe Cameron

20. everyone seems to have something to hide.

❝Yeah, you can start over you can run free
You can find other fish in the sea
You can pretend it's meant to be
But you can't stay away from me❞
-ᴬⁿⁱᵐᵃˡˢ ⁻ ᴹᵃʳᵒᵒⁿ ⁵

20. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞.

They say you cannot help someone who does not want to be helped— no matter how hard you try. But what was Blair supposed to do?

John B was seventeen.

    She couldn't help but think that seventeen was too young to give up on someone, that seventeen years old was just the beginning, that it was too soon to tell if someone would never amount to anything but failure in this world. The Routledge girl couldn't help but wonder what her life would've been like if someone had taken a chance on her.

Her brother's words had hurt her, obviously. It hurt her that John B felt like she wasn't looking after him. It hurt her that he felt like she was trying to control everything and everyone. But most of all, Blair was pissed he brought up their father in the conversation for no reason.

    When Rafe's car stopped in front of the Island Club's entry, Blair unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look at the young man. "Thank you, Rafe."

    He shook his head. "What are you thanking me for?"

    "For coming with me even though you didn't want to." She said. "And also for dropping me back here."

    "Don't." He slightly waved it off. "It's okay."

    She grabbed the door handle. "I'll see you around."

    "Yeah." He gave her a small smile.

    "Take care of yourself, alright?" She spoke before getting out of the car. She didn't really gave him a chance to respond anything to that, nor did she even watched his reaction to her words.

Blair stepped away from the car but Rafe didn't immediately drive off, she could feel he was watching her. So when she reached the entry of the Island Club, the young woman turned around for a short moment and waved at him. He did it back and then eventually left.

After walking across the woody deck, she made her way through the terrace of the bar. The sun was making her brown hair look lighter and more shiny.

When she entered Kelly's eyesight, the redhead put down the empty glass she was holding and got on the other side of the countertop with a small smile.

"Hi." Blair spoke softly. She knew the young woman was going to ask her about Jenna and she was uncomfortable with the thought of lying to her face.

When they arrived in front of each other, Kelly hugged her. "Oh god. Hi. I tried to call you two days ago but you didn't pick up. I was worried." She said as they let go of each other. "Everything alright? How's John B?"

    "I'm so sorry about that. I should've called you back." The brunette said, genuinely. She had completely forgotten about that. "John B's fine, I guess— But so many complicated things happened all at once and I got a bit overwhelmed."

    "I know. I know. Don't apologise, it's okay." She touched her arm— and then after a moment, cleared her throat. "Hey, hum— did you heard about Jenna since Midsummers?"

    "Did you?" Blair shrugged as she bit her lower lip.

    "No." Kelly shook her head. "She hasn't showed up for her shifts ever since. And she doesn't pick up her phone."