The Sinner

71

Getting in fights with Rafe are never easy.

Especially when I usually cave way too quickly. He gives me this puppy dog, I love you look, and I can't help it. He can give that look to anyone and they'd give in, trust me. Even though I always say it, I'm going to do my best to stand my ground. He has to understand that he cannot speak to me in the way that he did. If he wants this relationship to last, he can't talk to me disrespectfully. That's not how you show you love someone.

I do wonder if he was let out of jail. Had Ward finally manage to figure out a plan? Did Rafe come up with one on his own? No, definitely not. Rafe most certainly did not think of anything. He has to be still in there, he would've called if he was out. He always calls.

Snap out of it Corrine. He'll call if he wants to.

I sound like a god damn mess. My internal thoughts are all over the place. I guess that's how it's always been with Rafe. We have some very high high's, but also some very low low's. But somehow, we always manage to find each other back in our lives. I love Rafe, and I think I always will but -

My phone buzzes once. I pick it up off the bed, to see it was my dad. My heartbeat picks up as I see the text,

Hey honey. Can you stop by the Cameron's? Thinks aren't looking to well over here.

Oh god. What the hell happened? Was there a problem with Rafe? Maybe that's why he hasn't said anything to me, maybe they found out Rafe's sentencing or something. But at the same time, my dad wo uldn't have cared if Rafe has to spend the rest of his life in prison. It can't be about that. The last sentence in the text makes it abundantly clear that it isn't good, whatever it is. So what the hell could this be about?

I don't even think to answer before grabbing the first sweatshirt I come across. I quickly leave my room and head downstairs. I didn't even notice earlier that no one was home. My father must have been with Maggie. I wonder if he was aware that I was interrogated earlier.

I close the door behind me and sprint to my car. Once I'm inside and hit the start button, I hear the familiar hum of the engine running. By the time I leave the driveway, my heart is nearly pounding out of my chest.

Why wasn't my father capable of calling? That kind of texting causes an unnecessary amount of anxiety. Calling would've been ten times better, it's like I'm stuck on a permanent cliffhanger. Or he could've at least told me the reason in his text. God dammit my hands can't stop shaking.

There are countless possibilities that could have happened. Maybe Ward meant to tell me that Rafe had been found guilty or something and would spend the rest of his life in prison. Or, what if they discovered that my car was at the scene? What if they're here to do a forensic test? The amount of blood that was in my car that day - fucking Christ I'm gonna pass out.

As I enter their long driveway, my hands begin to sweat uncontrollably. Although there were no signs of cop cars so that was good. Shoupe and the other police officers seem to still believe the story that we all gave earlier today, so this can't be about me.

God if they find out I withheld information from them, I'm so dead. I'm in jail for the rest of my god damn life. Fucking Christ, all of this anxiety and nonsense, for the boy I love.

I push the door open and slam it closed behind me. I practically sprint to their front door, and try to open it but it's locked. I start frantically knocking on it, as loud as I could. Why would they keep the door locked if they knew I was coming?

I run a hand through my hair as I try to calm myself down. I need to get a fucking grip. I feel like I'm losing my mind right now.

I hear the door swing open behind me, it's old hinges making the squeaky sound as it does so. I quickly spin on my heel and feel my stomach drop. All anxiety was released as I saw that Rafe was standing in front of me.