ROT WITH ME

xvii - and

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The Groupchat

Mei:
Can we all agree that blue is mid?

Juliette:
the color blue?

Mei:
Yes.

Oliver:
Mei, you can't be serious.

Mei:
Listen here, dipshit. Red is better.

Oliver:
I'm colourblind...

Mei:
Ok and??

Oliver:
Blue is the only color I can really see

Mei:
bro stop trauma dumping
we're in a groupchat with like ten people

Oliver:
I hate you

Mei:
what the fuck is your problem?
do you have dark humor or something?
cry 😢 emoji

Rafe:
Don't say that, Ollie.

Oliver:
I don't regret it 🤷‍♂️

Now that's a heartless bastard
aka all british people

Rafe:
not this again

admit it, rafe.
break free from the program
and tell me the truth
i know you can do it
the government can't silence you forever

Rafe:
shhh
check dms

Mei:
be careful june

don't worry
i can handle it
(i'm referring to Rafe as an it.)

Mei:
OK WOW
comedic genius

thank you thank you

Rafael quickly messaged her privately.

Rafe

where are you?
i just woke up with a hangover
and you're not here

i had to run an errand
that's all

Something like that if you counted cleaning up an almost murder scene an errand of sorts. She had just showered at her place and slept there as well. Bickering a bit with Henry before he departed back into his own flat. Funnily enough, the moment Henry arrived the woman awoke. Confused of her whereabouts and merely groaning in all sensation consuming pain that shot up her every limb. Her sight completely gone for at least that period of time.

June had panicked and checked the pulse wrong. Henry offered to either take her to the hospital, stating they had stumbled upon her body in the woods by chance or the second option was for him to finish her off right then and there, claiming it was the easier alternative out of the two.

She struggled with the choice. Juggling it in her head like some circus clown. Back and forth. But in the end, she chose not to add another body to her roster. This was karma, maybe not by her own standards but by societies. If there were no consequences, best believe the woman would be dead. June suggested to haul her into the backyard, where someone else would deal with her.

Thankfully, she had worn leather gloves during the beating that were stolen. And had also snagged a black cloak from some unlucky bloke to hide her identity. Only taking them off after. Therefore DNA would be harder to detect, and she doubted they would be able to track her down simply because it was a party. And she knew for a fact the woman had been in the proximity with a hundred others.

Henry seemed slightly disappointed with her decision but obliged. Sighing heavily to exhibit his distaste to a June tarnished with dried scarlet.

She thought that was funny.

What happened to Rafe, wasn't.

June

i had to run an errand
that's all

i don't remember shit

probably for the best

why
did something happen?

nothing worth noting, no

i didn't mean to get so hammered
i'm sorry
that was very mindless of me

why're you apologizing?

apologising*

I swear.

profanity is not encouraged
but i invited you out, i should've stuck with you
also
i just wish we'd spent more time together

we can when i get back, rafe.

i know but
i want to spend every moment you have to offer with you

that makes it sound like i'm going die soon

no god no
can i be honest with you

you're scaring me

it's not that bad
i think

ok fine

but i saw the letter june
the one you wrote for alara

oh

sorry.
i thought it was another one of your love letters for the books you read

you read those as well?

june.

what is privacy?
am i right? haha...

i'm sorry

it's okay i'm teasing...
kind of

i should've asked you

yeah you should've

i won't do it again

i trust you

Rafe couldn't help but smile at the words that lit up his screen. To him, trust was love. Even if he didn't deserve it. He felt an immense amount of guilt at rummaging through her most vulnerable collection of papers. At first, he was merely curious on how her mind worked. Intending to learn more about her through her loopy handwriting and sentimental words.

But in result of his wrongdoing, he'd fallen in love with her words.

Then her.