Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

xxxiv. you're somebody else

By now, Ashtyn Hughes had zoned in and out of consciousness for hours, if not days. She hadn't the slightest clue how long she'd been locked in that bedroom, and with her lack of water and nutrients, the young mainlander knew it was only a matter of time before her body completely shut down.

Each time the sixteen year old closed her eyes, she met her mother's icy glare, sparking a series of violent nightmares. The studious brunette felt every punch and kick, heard every vulgar slur and insult, and it took everything in her to not cry when she noticed her brother and friends watching in the distance.

Her mind was fucked in more ways than one, so when Ashtyn's eyes locked with a familiar pair of cerulean blue ones, she thought she was just seeing shit again.

Rafe Cameron sat across from her crouched in a tight ball, something Ashtyn would've found humorous if it weren't for the way his body shook. The nineteen year old's eyes were bloodshot, and there wasn't a single doubt in the teens mind that her childhood best friend was experiencing withdrawal for the first time. His long arms wrapped around his legs, hugging them close to his chest as his chin rested on top of his kneecaps.

"What are you doing here?" Ashtyn bit the inside of her cheek when the words left her mouth.

The 6'2" male struggled to catch his breath, closing his eyes in hopes that the darkness would help his lungs before glaring at Ashtyn. "I could ask you the same thing, Pogue."

"Or..." She did her best not to cringe at how dark his voice sounded, wanting to believe the old Rafe was still in there somewhere. "Instead of asking questions, you could get me out of here." Ashtyn lightly tugged on the handcuffs, cringing at the feeling of her raw skin brushing against the cool metal. She'd have scars haunting her for the rest of her life.

Rafe chuckled, shaking his head. "What fun would that be Ash? At least now you can't run."

"You look like shit, Rafe." Ashtyn muttered this under her breath before leaning into the metal bedpost, hoping the new position would be more comfortable than her previous one.

Rafe clenched and unclenched his jaw twice before releasing his legs, inching closer to the helpless girl with an annoyed expression on his face. The sudden contrast of his metal ring against her skin caused Ashtyn to flinch, but she did her best to hide how much his touch actually affected her. "And you look like sunshine and rainbows?"

"What'd you do to piss off daddy dearest this time?" Even after all those years apart, the sixteen year old still knew how to push Rafe Cameron's buttons. She wasn't scared of him, never had been and never would be, but she did worry that his anger would consume him.

This time, Topper and Sarah weren't here to hold him back...

Rafe's hand slid further up her thigh as Ashtyn watched his jaw clench again, waiting for his beautiful blue eyes to look into hers. She had always been his weakness, and if she could get him to look at her, he'd crumble. "That's none of your business."