His Choice - Rafe Cameron

36. JJ and Rafe

Rafe and I walk around the back of my house. It's completely dark out and there are no lights on, not even the back porch light which JJ often leaves on when either of us are out of an evening. 

"How do you even know where you are going? I can't see shit." Rafe says to me, his body bumping into mine as we both walk in the same direction. 

"Shh" I silence him because I don't want to wake JJ. I grab onto his hand and lead the way. As we reach the bottom of the steps, the porch light turns on. "That's odd, I don't remember this being a sensor light-" I am forced silent when I look up to see a displeased JJ sitting on our grandma's chair. He removes his hand from the light switch and crosses his arms over his chest. 

"Well if it isn't my least favourite Maybank." Rafe sends a smart remark JJ's way and I squint my eyes shut, wishing he hadn't just said that. When I open my eyes, I wished that I had just imagined all of this and my cousin wasn't in fact waiting outside for me to come home after being walked home by his enemy. 

JJ flicks his head to the side. "Go on, get out of here. You're not welcome on this side of the town."

"Like I would come here by choice. I was just making sure your cousin made it home safely."

"Do you want me to thank you? You brought her home safely? So that she didn't get bump into any murderers along the way? Rafe, you are the most dangerous person in this town."

"JJ, that's enough. I'll speak to you inside."

I move away from Rafe and usher JJ inside the house before these two get into even more of an argument. 

"Funny you say that because I think Scarlett feels pretty safe-"

"Rafe, just drop it. Please." I turn around and plead to him. Thankfully he listens to me and he holds his hands up in surrender. 

"Whatever, I don't want to be at this shithole of a place anyway. See you around, Scar." Rafe walks down the stairs and kicks one of the empty beer cans on his way back to the road. Meanwhile JJ did the opposite of what I asked and he has refused to go inside. 

"Scar? Scar." He repeats it with more of an angry tone the second time. "You're on a nickname basis now?" JJ lets out a defeated sigh. "I'm disappointed in you." 

I take a seat on Grandma's chair and bring my knees to my chest, hugging them for comfort. "You don't have to tell me that, I can see it written all over your face."

"I thought better of you Scarlett. I really did. I thought I was delusional when I saw you having conversations here and there with Rafe. How many more times have you caught up with him? How long have you been fucking him?"

My eyes widen at his words and my heart beats faster in my chest. "What the fuck JJ?"

"Don't lie to me. Be honest for once. How long?"

"When have I ever lied? Sure I may have avoided the truth, but I never lied to you."

"How long?" He asks sternly, his hands placed firmly on his hips. When I don't answer, he tugs on the bottom of my pants. "Your pants are inside out and I know that you left the house with them on the right way because you asked me if your outfit looked okay. I should have never let you go to that party."

Seeing him looking at me with so much disgust hurts. The look on his face resembles the same one as when he pulled a mouldy, rotten tomato out from the back of the fridge this morning. And he is making me feel like that rotten tomato ... like trash. 

"Listen to yourself right now. One thing you and I have in common is our hatred towards our fathers. We hate how much they have controlled us our entire lives. You are starting to sound like them. I mean look at you, standing over me, looking down at me with your hands on your hips, full of judgement. What's next? You're going to take a swing at me?"