'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter LXXV

The car ride to The Chateau was as bright and cheerful as the weather outside. The twinkie was filled with laughter and music as the five of you sang along to John B's fathers old mixtape from the 80's. If you had the chance, you would listen to the tape for hours but the drive from town to John B's house was fairly short so you only had time for two songs. Jackson Brownes hit single, 'Somebodies Baby' and another great hit, Lindsey Buckinghams 'Trouble'.
Two songs from the best era of music that could always lift your spirits on any bad day.

The music comes to a dreadful low after John B fiddles with the stereo, turning it down as he pulls into his grassy drive way.
"Aww man. I was enjoying that." Kie sulks as she unbuckles her seatbelt.
"Too bad, too sad, Kie. Our burgers are going cold." John B replies as he locks the Kombi van behind you after the rest of you step out.
"Guys, I think the music broke my ears," Pope says, "I can still hear it."
"No...me too." Kie says as she glances suspiciously towards John B.
"Now that you mention it..." He adds as he returns the look of concern, his body gradually being pulled towards the backyard by an invisible force of uneasiness. As he neared the back of his estate, the music was drawing louder. His heart rate picks up with both adrenaline and fear as he picks up a rusty crowbar that had been leaning against the house, gathering dirt.

John B was just about ready to protect his friends until he rounded the corner, the sight causes him to drop his weapon instantly with a heavy heart and sorrowful eyes.
"Jj..." He sighs as his eyes land on his once missing friend, now sitting in a hot tub in the middle of his very yard and a bottle of champagne in his hand. There was no telling weather the bottle was full or empty but by Jj's slurring words and his wobbly and obnoxious movements, it was likely that it was empty.
"What the hell is this, Jj?" Kie asks, sternly.
"I got a jet going straight in my butt right now." Jj says sloppily, "Ya'll should get in, immediately."
"How much did this cost?"
"Well, with the generator, the petrol, oh!- and express delivery, heh. Pretty much all of it."
"All of what?"
"My dads dealer money."
"Jj?! How could you be so reckless?!" You finally pipe up as you push past Pope and Kie.
"Y/N, what?" Jj asks in a tone less friendlier than his initial one, "Can't a man have a little bit of luxury in life? Like, guys, you only live once."
"Jj..." You mumble with a slight brokenness to your voice. You can't help but think that this is all your fault somehow, even if it wasn't you who initiated the kiss, it was clear that it was what lead up to this.

Jj only stretches his arms out beside him, attempting to turn his drunken state into a welcoming one. "Enough of this emotional shit, now get in the cats ass, come on."
"The what?"
"The cats ass. That's what I named him." Jj says, "Ayo! I almost forgot-"
Jj grabs a small black remote from the side of the tub and with a quick click of a button, a disco ball emits rainbow strobe lights from above him.
"Eh? Yeah I know, disco mode! That's right, baby!" He says, proud of his investment of his fathers drug money but the groups reaction was far too anticlimactic for his liking, causing him to pinch between his eyes stressfully.
"Dude, your dad is going to kill you! You know how he is! If you knew it was going to be used for drugs then you could've at least donated it to literally any charity!" Kie exclaims from beside you.
"Yeah, okay, well you know what? I didn't do that!" Jj shouts back impatiently as he stands up from the water to reveal a slim yet bruised abdomen.

Your hands fly to your mouth as it stays slightly agape from shock before feeling it begin to quicker underneath your fingers. Your eyes sparkle with tears under the dimming sunlight as you trace his body with a grievous gaze from one bruise to another,
like a constellation.
It was known that Luke would, more often than not, beat Jj, for no good reason at all; but not like today. You got used to seeing small cuts in places like his cheek and eyebrow but seeing what the full force of Luke's brutishness looked like in the full picture,
was frightening. And it was partially your fault.

Your damning thoughts took over your body as it began to move on its own and towards Jj as he stands alone and hopelessly in the tub by himself. Tears begin to form in his eyes as you get closer, wanting so badly to just embrace you.
"I got a hot tub-" He says, trying to distract himself from you in front of him. "-for my friends. Actually, you know what? Screw friends. I got a hot tub for my family."
"Seriously, what the hell?" Kie says, lowly.
"Look what I did for you! Look at this!" He shouts with distress growing evident in his voice.
"Jj..." you mumble again.
"Stop being emotional, Y/N. Its fine! Okay?..." He says before a long pause as you watch the tears finally fall from his eyes.
You step closer towards him, desperate now to pull him into your arms after seeing him break in front of you, his eyes form with new tears as you reach him at last.
"Just- just get in here." He sobs, grabbing hold of your arm as yours grabs hold of his, pulling each other into an embrace.

Jj's head rests on your shoulder as you take him in your arms, holding his love starved body against yours. He grasps at your waist tightly as he cries painfully in your ear with wrenching sobs, nothing like you had ever heard escape his mouth in all the years you had known him and it made you feel sick at heart.

As you stay holding Jj in your arms, a boat goes by just outside John B's pier. A white yacht with fishing gear on the back and a covered JetSki on the front.
"I don't think we're allowed to fish here."
"And why's that?"
"There's houses along here, these grounds could be privately owned."
"Rafe, the best thing about being a Cameron is having the money to bend the law a little bit."
"Yeah but...I think I know this place..."