𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐊 - R.C

00, 𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄

I sat on the edge of the pier, staring at the waves forming in the ocean. The light wind only added to the atmosphere, making this place even more magical. The sun was already hiding behind the horizon, causing various colors to appear in the sky, from red to purple. The big fish part of the island was unusually quiet that evening, this was usually the time when the first parties started. They were mainly at Thornton's or the Camerons'. And today this island looked so unreal, as if it had been taken out of a Disney cartoon.

I took a deep breath through my nose, inhaling the sea breeze. Being close to the ocean, I was very grateful to my parents that I was born on the Outer Banks. Life on this island was divided into two social groups, the rich with huge estates and lots of money in which they could drown. The latter, however, was average, they were neither rich nor poor. I belonged to the other half of the island, although I was also partly under the rule of the bogoli. I was such a mix of a big fish and a minnow.

Although my older brother, John B, didn't like it when I hung out with his friends. So I mostly hung out with my boyfriend, Rafe Cameron. A bogoli prince, in love with a flesh-and-blood roach. Moreover, I was the sister of his enemy. It seemed to have a special place for me. It was like he softened every time he was around me. I think it's cute in its own way. But despite everything, he was aggressive towards me, he would raise his hand against me when I went out with someone else without his permission. I love him and I can't leave him because he is violent, he is too important to me.

"Hello, my little princess." Behind me I heard that one distinctive voice, the one that changed when it spoke to me. I immediately rose to my feet and walked over to the man to hug him.

"Rafe! Where were you?" I asked, lifting my head to look at his calm face, it did not express any emotions. "You are late, you were supposed to be there at 7 p.m., and we have.." I stopped here to look at the time that appeared on the display of my phone. "Nineteen fifty. You're almost an hour late." The boy probably didn't like my comment because he already had a different expression on his face. I took a step away from him, but it didn't help, because after a while I felt a burning sensation on my cheek caused by a right hook. I immediately placed my hand on the sore spot, looking at the boy with tears welling up in my eyes.

Blonde looked at me, regretting what he had done and tried to get closer to me, but I protested and moved away from him even further than before. Sometimes I was afraid of him, first he would hit me, and then he would start apologizing and begging for forgiveness. I always forgive him, but he still did the same thing. Every fucking time something doesn't go his way. The boy pursed his lips into a thin line, making them almost invisible.

I removed my hand from where I had been hit and looked at Rafe, holding the tears from falling down my cheeks. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Cameron's sister, Sarah, running up to us. The bogola princess. Her boyfriend was also aggressive, but he never raised a hand to her. Seeing my red cheek, the blonde immediately ran to me and asked what happened. I didn't answer, I just glanced at her brother for the last time that evening.

"Damn it, Rafe, it's the second time this week! The bruises on her wrists have barely healed and you're already hitting her?" Sarah was furious with the boy, if it weren't for the fact that he was older and bigger than her, she would probably have started a fight with him just to protect me. "Shame on you! You have such a wonderful girlfriend, you should take care of her as best as you can." Those were the last two sentences Sarah said before she took me to their house to fix me up.

She has been my friend for as long as I can remember. We always stuck together, it was hard to separate us when we were kids. She took better care of me than my own mother, who left me and John B after I was born. My brother resented me for a while, but he got over it. Now he has come up with a new argument why he doesn't want to see me at the chateau. Because of this, I spend most of my time at the Cameron estate, most often staying at Sarah's. We share one bed because neither of us wanted to sleep on the mattress.

"Jude, you have to quit this piece of garbage. He doesn't deserve your love, and if he continues like this and continues to beat you, your body may not even be able to withstand it." I looked down, knowing full well that the blonde was 100% right. But it wasn't that easy for me and I couldn't break up with him. I have been doing this for a year now and I can already feel the effects of it in the increasing number of bruises, redness and even sometimes broken bones. Once, when I stood up to him, he broke my nose. It is true that he adjusted it later, but the mental trauma was still there.

"I know, Sarah, but I can't. I love him too much." The girl stretched her arms towards me, signaling me to hug her. So that's what I did. I snuggled into the blonde's delicate body and placed my head on her shoulder, completely falling apart. I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Sarah tried to calm me down and led me to her room where we both sat on her bed.

"I think we need to find you a new boyfriend and convince you to break up with my stupid brother." The girl gave me a wide smile, handing me a box of tissues.

"We can try." I slightly raised the corners of my mouth, trying my best. "The Pogues are having a party tomorrow on their part of the beach, maybe we'll find someone there." I looked at Sarah, who wasn't too convinced about it.

"They won't let us in there." she said with audible confidence in her voice. However, she forgot that John B is also my brother and if I beg him well, he will let us in.

"We'll get in there, don't worry." I threw myself onto the bed, exhausted by all the events of this evening. I hoped Rafe hadn't heard our conversations, because it would have ended tragically. Not only for me, but for everyone who will be at tomorrow's event at the pogues. "Let's meet on the hill, on the border."