𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

twenty seven.

─☼☼☼─

The first part of their plan to get John B the hell out of Kildare County was enlisting Sarah's help. She was the only person who could clear John B's name. 

Unlike Ward had told Charlotte, Sarah had never been with the Pogues after Peterkin's murder...she had been at Tannyhill the entire time, likely locked away in her room. Of course he had lied to her, what else should she have expected?

Sitting in the backseat with JJ, Charlotte kept her eyes focused on the road that was flying by as Kiara sped toward Tannyhill. The youngest Carrera was in the middle of cussing Pope out for his reckless driving, but despite her yelling, Charlotte was doing her best to tune her out. 

Her mind was focused on one thing and one thing only─Rafe. 

No matter how hard she tried, she could not fight the lump that had formed in her throat at the thought of him..at what he had done. 

She wished more than anything that she could believe there was no way he could have done such a thing, but she simply could not lie to herself like that. 

The hard truth was that Rafe had always had an anger beyond control sometimes. Factor in drugs and insecurities and there was no telling where that could lead him. 

It wasn't that Charlotte had ever expected he would kill someone, but looking back now, she could see it. And it made her absolutely sick. 

She had seen one too many times the way he snapped, it was as if he'd blackout. He managed to control it when it came to Charlotte, but he had lost it one too many times on Sarah, or Rose, or kids at school. 

He was sick in the head, and she had sat by idly as he got worse and worse.

But the weaker side in her felt sorry for Rafe Cameron. All that he had become was at the hand of his father. Ward had ruined his son, had pushed him to the horrible place he was in. In the eyes of Charlotte Carrera, Ward Cameron was the real villain here. 

And she didn't want to admit that out loud. She didn't want her friends to know that despite it all, her heart still bled for the Cameron boy. 

For the tenth time since she had left Tannyhill, he phone vibrated in her hands. She knew who it was without looking. He had been calling and texting her since she left his house unannounced. 

Charlotte couldn't bring herself to look down at her phone as his name and contact photo lit up the screen. She couldn't bring herself to even move as her phone continued vibrating. 

"Charls?" JJ wondered softly, leaning closer to the girl. "You know you can just decline the call, right?"

Without looking at him, Charlotte handed her phone to JJ, unable to handle it any longer. "Just get rid of him." She pleaded,

Kiara glanced back at her sister through the rearview mirror as JJ took the phone. "I─are you sure?"

A simple nod of the head came from Charlotte as she leaned against the window, listening as JJ finally accepted the call. 

"Stop calling her." he ordered, short and quick. "She doesn't want to talk to you." It was evident that he wanted to say more, but he managed to restrain it.