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I hold back Wheezie's hair while Sarah rubs her back. The small girl coughs as she retches into the toilet bowl.
"Ugh... oh, god." Sarah cringes."
Wheezie groans as she wipes the sweat on her forehead. Sarah reaches over and flushes the toilet. I pull the hair tie off my wrist, putting up Wheezie's hair.
"So, what have we learned?" Sarah questions.
Wheezie sighs. "Never mix vodka with Crystal Light."
"Very good." Sarah says.
"Yeah, that's not the lesson, here." I say with a giggle. "Don't drink, Wheez."
Wheezie vomits into the toilet again, groaning. She turns to look up at her sister. "Please don't tell Dad."
Sarah looks up at me, a smirk on her face. "We won't. On one condition."
Wheezie sighs, sitting back on her heels. "What?"
"You cover for me sneaking out with Topper tonight." Sarah smiles. Wheezie sighs. "Please."
"What does this have to do with me?" I ask.
"Nothing really. Rafe will be there though."
"I haven't been invited to any party. I also don't know where he went."
"Okay, fine." Wheezie says. "I don't wanna hear about your boy drama.
"Do you promise?" Sarah quizzes.
"I promise." Wheezie sticks her pinky out.
Sarah links pinkies with the girl just as she moves to throw up again.
"Okay, I got this, Mi. You can go find Rafe. Thank you for helping"
"Yeah of course." I stand up and wash my hands. I head down stairs to look for my boyfriend. I freeze by the back door when I overhear a conversation between Ward and Rafe.
I stand around the corner and listen.
"I don't feel like you care." Ward says.
"I said I do!" Rafe exclaims.
"You said!"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I don't want you to say anything! I want you to take care of business!" Sarah comes downstairs, hearing the commotion. She walks over to me.
"What's going on?" She whispers.
"I'm not sure, listen."
"Where are the generators?" Ward demands.
"Okay!"
"I gave you money for the generators. You said you would take care of it. Did you take care of it? Where are they?"
"They're on back order."
"Yeah, of course they were."
"There was a hurricane."
"I tell you what. You know that Pogue I just fired? Way more reliable than you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really!"
"Oh, shit." I whisper.
"You need to get it together, Rafe, or you can go live on the cut."
I hear Rafe laugh.
Sarah glances at me. "He doesn't know you're a Pogue, does he?" She asks referencing her dad. I shake my head, tuning back into the conversation.
"That funny to you?" Ward demands. "You can go live on the damn cut, Rafe... as far as I'm concerned. Now get out of here. I'm sick of lookin' at you."
I peek around as Rafe gets out of the chair, storming around the porch.
"Make yourself useful somewhere, somehow." Ward calls after his son.
"Sarah's not working."
"This isn't about Sarah, Rafe. You're almost 20. You don't just get to sit back and have everything handed to you."
"Yes, sir." Rafe says sarcastically.
"It does not seem like you understand me."
"I'll take care of those generators, okay?"
"I'll believe that when I see it."
Rafe walks inside, walking by Sarah and I.
"Told you." Sarah says catching his attention. "Shouldn't have bought that motorcycle with the generator money."
His eyes shift to me before glaring at Sarah. He walks away, annoyed.
"Why?" I ask Sarah. "You don't have to be a bitch."
I follow Rafe, jogging after him. "Cameron! Hey, Cameron!"
He whips around to look at me as I catch up. "What?" He demands.
"Hey! I'm not the person you're angry at."
His face softens. "Shit, I'm- I'm sorry Mila."
I cup his face in my hands. I run my thumb over his cheek bones. "Why didn't you tell me about the money?"
"I didn't want you to think I'm a fuck up like everyone else." He says honestly.
"Cameron, I could never think that about you."
"I know."
"You have to let me in. I wanna be able to help you."
He kisses me on the cheek. "I have to go somewhere."
"Where?" I ask.
"Doesn't matter."
"Rafe."
"Mila, you can't go."
"Are you getting drugs?" I ask seriously. He stays silent. "Rafe Cameron, I want a fucking answer."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Mila, please just go home." He begs.
"No. You don't need the drugs to cope. Talk to me." He pulls me into a hug. He wraps his arms around me, tightly. I hug him back, pulling him close. "You're not alone anymore, okay?"
