The Sinner

31

Yelling had woken me up abruptly.

I open my eyes a bit, sitting up in a panic as I remember what had happened earlier today. Banging on the door followed, although I couldn't tell if that was downstairs or up here. Was the police here? Did they already take Rafe?

I feel arms tighten around me seconds later, and I see that he was still lying down. He was okay. Thank God. I run a hand through my hair as he scrunches his brows together, slowly sitting up.

"What's wrong angel?" He asks, his voice hoarse from just waking up. Before I could answer, I hear more banging from down the hall, and he looks towards his door.

"Let me out of here!" I hear what sounded like Sarah shout. "You can't just lock me in here Dad!"

"What's going on?" I ask, starting to push the covers off my legs. I glance at the clock to see that it's around ten pm - we really slept for that long?

I guess it makes sense, I was exhausted after the day we had. I needed to take a nap. I swing my legs over the side of his bed before I feel him put his warm hand on my back.

"Let's wait a second okay?" I hear him say, his warm soothing hand coming in contact with my skin. "We're not going to get answers if he's angry."

"Why is he locking Sarah in her room?" I ask, clearly very confused.

"Who knows, she's probably trying to get out," Rafe says, looking sleepy. Trying to get out? "I don't want you to leave yet, come lay back down." He doesn't give me a choice as he pulls me closer to him. He lies back down, pulling me with him in the process.

"I don't think I can sleep anymore," I say as I stare at the ceiling. I hear him shuffle next to me and his head rests on my shoulder a second later. "I'm too freaked out."

"There's nothing to worry about," He reassures me. "Nothings going to happen."

How can he be so sure of that when he was just freaking out earlier? I lick my dry lips as I continue to stare at the ceiling. We need to figure out a plan, Ward was finally home from clean up duty from earlier.

"Try not to worry baby, hm?" He says and cuddled into me more. I take a deep breath as my anxiety slowly starts to die back down, just from him.

"I guess yeah," I say.

"I think I could stay like this forever," He says against my neck. His grip tightens as he pulls me to his body so we're touching. I could too, if there wasn't a chance he could go to jail. "You make me so happy angel."

"You make me happy too," I say, running my fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and hums in satisfaction. "Are you okay after everything that happened today?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asks. I mean, you shot someone.

"I bet it's just a lot to deal with," I say. "You were pretty upset earlier, I've never seen you cry."

He shrugs, "I'm fine." That's Rafe for you. All his emotions either come out at once or not at all.

"Just checking," I say, hoping he doesn't get angry that I asked. "You know you can talk to me about anything right?"

"I know angel." I nod, and continue to stare at the ceiling. I hear the door from the next room over slam shut.

"We should go talk to your dad," I suggest. "And think of a plan."

"Is this really eating you up that badly?"

"How could it not?" I ask, facing him. Why am I suddenly more worried then he is about this? He's the one that shot Peterkin. "Aren't you worried, at all?"