JJ's biggest flaw was his recklessness, and his bad ideas. Honestly, that didn't seem that bad to Bexley.
Rafe's biggest flaw? Jealousy. Pure, uncontrolled jealousy.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
tw: mentions of drug usage
"Bexley, you about ready to help me make dinner?" Susan called.
Bexley slowly shuffled out of her room. Susan was smiling. She'd just spend the last hour on the phone making arrangements for the courthouse proceeding in six days. Everything was falling in line perfectly.
"I'm ready Susan."
"I'm gonna show you a few recipes my momma showed me," Susan said, excited. "I always wanted to pass them down to somebody."
Bexley smiled widely. "I'm happy to learn."
"Alright, wash your hands and tie your hair back," Susan instructed.
Bexley began washing her hands at the sink. She was slow, her mind buzzing with thoughts.
"Hey, Susan...I heard you talking to Deputy Shoupe about holding a party here, after we get back from the courthouse."
"If that's alright with you," she said, happily.
"Yeah, that sounds really nice." She still hesitated. "And you invited him to actually come to the courthouse?"
"Yeah. I was thinking you could invite Wheezie too," Susan told her. "Maybe JJ and your other friends."
Bexley ignored the second name and said, "Inviting some people would be nice. Especially for the party."She tied her hair up.
Susan paused in cutting vegetables. She looked at Bexley. "Something on your mind?"
Bexley gulped. "Yeah, um...I was wondering...if I...could invite...Rafe."
Susan let out an exhausted breath. "Really, Bexy?"
"If you want, I can ban him from the party. Maybe he can just come to the courthouse. It'd, uh, mean a lot."
"You want to be fighting with him that day?"
"No. We won't fight."
"You sure?"
Bexley bit her lip. She turned towards the cooking. "Never mind. Sorry."
Susan sighed. "I just don't want anything going wrong. I don't want him making you upset that day."
"I know," Bexley breathed. "I was being stupid."
"There's gonna be a lot of people at the party," Susan said. "I just don't want him embarrassing you by starting something."
Again, Bexley just nodded. She was already embarrassed for bringing it up.
"I just thought that if he came with Wheezie he'd be okay," Bexley said.
And Rafe was trying to quit cocaine just for Bexley, wasn't he? That's what he claimed to be doing. She wanted him there. She wanted nice Rafe there. And if he really was quitting, it would be nice Rafe.
