no strings attached - rafe cameron

chapter fifteen.

Once Rafe and his family left for Midsummers, I was left alone in the white mansion. I didn't know when Rafe would be back, and as I sat there on his bed for all of fifteen minutes so far, I was already bored. I didn't know what to do with myself for the hours that Rafe would be gone, so I decided to leave. It seemed as though all of the kooks would be at Midsummers, so Figure Eight would be fairly empty.

I changed into my shorts and sports bra from the day before. Rafe was kind enough to wash them for me, and he tried to wash my t-shirt that was wrapped around my leg, but the blood from the gash completely ruined it. I put on one of his t-shirts before I grabbed my belongings and exited his room.

I went down the stairs and went out the front door. As soon as the door closed behind me and I realized it was locked, I instantly regretted my decision. I'd have no way back into the house and Rafe would have no idea where I was, but it was too late now. I was hoping I'd get lucky like I did yesterday and he would answer the door to me again.

As I walked down the driveway and out to the street, I decided on heading towards The Cut to see if the pogues were around. It had been a few days since I've seen them, and I figured I could hang out with them until Rafe got home.

The sun was now setting and I walked through the streets of the Outer Banks for about ten minutes. I found myself crossing a small bridge that connected the land, a small river underneath it. As I was walking over the bridge, I heard my name being called. It wasn't until I looked out into the river below where I realized it was coming from.

I looked down to see the two boys, who welcomed me into their friend group with open arms, on a small motorboat, about to pass under the bridge.

I ran to the other side of the bridge where they came out of, the boys looking up at me.

"Scar?" JJ questioned.

"JJ? John B?" I looked at them in confusion. Why were they by themselves? Where were Pope and Kiara? Why weren't they on the HMS Pogue?

"What are you doing?" JJ asked me as John B cut the engine to the small boat, leaving them floating in the middle of the river.

"I was just coming to see you guys." I told them. "Finally escaped from the prison I was locked in." I cracked a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

JJ looked over to the right and pointed at a small beach just after the bridge ended. "Meet us over there." He told me and I nodded, now heading towards the other side of the bridge.

John B started up the boat again and slowly drove over to the small spot of land, beaching the boat as I caught up to them. JJ helped me onto the boat before John B kicked it in reverse and backed away from the beach.

"Where have you been?" JJ asked me as John B now drove us through the marsh.

"It's uh, kinda a long story." I hesitated telling them. I didn't like the fact that I opened up to Rafe the way that I did, so I didn't want to make the same mistake with them.

"You been hangin' around Rafe?" JJ asked me and I saw John B look over at me, his eyebrows raised.

"What?" I asked before I immediately shook my head. "No," I lied. "Why? What makes you think that?"

JJ pointed to his neck as he looked at my neck, and my body immediately heated up, knowing what he was signaling.

"Shit," I muttered to myself as I looked away from the boys. I didn't realize Rafe left his mark on me from this morning, so I didn't know what to say. "It was um, my dad." I told them.

"Your dad gave you a hickey?" John B laughed and my eyes widened at how that sounded.

"Jesus fuck, no," I laughed in disbelief. "That's repulsive." I looked down at my body as I bit my lip, debating on whether I wanted to do this or not. I gently slid Rafe's t-shirt up my body, now exposing my ribcage where there were bruises from my dad. "He did this." I whispered as I looked up at them to see both of them looking at me in disbelief. I was hoping the hickey on my neck resembled the bruises on my body and it could just blend in with one of those.