Strawberry Kiss | OBX

f o u r

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Lizzy

"That was so uncalled for! Starting an argument with JJ. Also, why didn't you tell me you and Kiara dated? Or that you were doing drugs?!"

"Well it's not like you were there, I couldn't just take three steps and tell you everything that you missed about my life" Rafe looked out the window, "To be fair it's not like you tell me anything anyway."

"Rafe, that isn't fair, you know I can't tell you anything about where I was. You're not allowed to know the truth" I say, trying to stay calm.

"Why the fuck not?!" He yelled at me, "I'm sick of all of these secrets between you and dad"

"I'll get sent back Rafe!! That's the last thing I want! I don't want to go back, I want to be around for both of my siblings, and I can't do that if I just get sent back for telling you the truth!" I yelled back frustrated

"I won't let that happen, I've already told you this! I told you that you don't have to be afraid of being taken away. I'm older and tougher. I can protect you and as your older brother I think I should know about why you were taken away or why I wasn't allowed to talk or see you during the past four years?"

I stayed quiet after he said that because he did have a point. I think I should have been able to tell him as to why his little sister just abandoned him, although it wasn't my choice. The rest of the drive was quiet and I decided that I didn't want to go home just yet, so I drove down to our spot. 

The lake was quiet and there was absolutely no one around. It was just as peaceful as I remembered it. Once I got out of the car I made my way to the end of the dock. I sat there with my legs dangling, my feet were just barely touching the water below. I stared out to the rest of the lake observing how the moonlight reflected itself onto the lake. It was still as if it were a picture. Rafe soon sat next to me taking his shoes off because his feet were definitely going to be in the water if he were to dangle them over the edge just as I had.

"So are y-"

"I was on the boat that day" I started not caring that I had just cut him off, "I wasn't supposed to be there, but I hadn't been on the Druthers in so long that I just invited myself on. I thought it was going to be a harmless ride. I hid in the closet where we kept all of the diving equipment since I wasn't supposed to be there... not with them" I took a long pause before continuing, "I heard them arguing about money. How mom didn't want Ward to continue searching for the gold because it was becoming a waste of time, she went on about how we were starting to go broke because of how much he was spending on the search for the gold... and that's when he hit her." I stopped again and curled into myself remembering all of it. It was a memory I had stuffed in the back of my head because I didn't want to relive it.

"It wasn't the first time he had laid his hands on mom, and I knew it wasn't the first time because I had seen her trying to cover up one of the bruises he had left on her. Mom was tired of always taking every since one of his outbursts that she hit him back. Ward went absolutely ballistic on her. It was the one time she tried to fight back and I couldn't do anything to help her." I began to tear up. The feeling of guilt rushed through me once again.

"I let that bastard take my mother away from us. He just kept hitting her until she was barely moving, and once she stopped struggling he threw her overboard as if she meant nothing. I remember watching it all and going back into the stupid storage closet to cry because I didn't want to get caught. I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. I didn't do shit to help her I just let it fucking happen. I also couldn't say anything because it was always his word against mine. Who's going to believe a thirteen year old? No one." I deadpan at the end,