Promise *Rafe Cameron*

𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

☼ ☼ ☼

Sage stood at the table, admiring the decorations the Carrera's had set up for their anniversary party. The whole island had been invited, and she could only hope to have that many friends as she grew up.

People always say friends come and go, but she never believed them. She believed that friendships were a forever thing... if you tried hard enough to keep them.

"Hey, you look gorgeous!" Sarah complimented, pulling Sage in for a hug.

"Thank you baby, you look amazing too!" Sage smiled, pulling back from the hug. "How are you doing?" Sage asked, and Sarah grabbed herself a drink.

"I feel so fucking guilty, I can't even believe I did that." Sarah sighed, taking a large chug of her drink. "Changing the subject, I heard you went a little off the rails after seeing Rafe with another girl." Sarah said, and Sage looked down at her hands.

"I- I wish I could lie and say that I didn't care, but I really did. It broke my heart to see him with someone else." Sage sighed.

"No, I understand. Remember everything he's done though." Sarah brought up, and Sage nodded.

She kind of hoped that Sarah would've told her to get him back, that love like they had only comes once in a lifetime, but she didn't.

And knowing how she reacted, she could only imagine what her friends would say.

"I'm gonna go get a drink." Sage said, and Sarah nodded. She left the table, walking over to the full service bar.

"Hi, how can I help you?" A bartender asked.

"Could I get a vodka lemonade please?" Sage asked, and the bartender nodded. He mixed up her drink, and handed it to her with a smile. "Thank you." She said, taking her drink, leaning up against the bar.

Her eyes caught the familiar blue ones across the party, and Sage quickly looked away. She saw him walking towards her from her peripheral, and she took a large sip of her drink, mentally cursing.

"Hi." Rafe said, and Sage looked at him, but she didn't speak. What could she say? "I didn't think you'd be here." Rafe said.

"It's Kie's parent's anniversary, yes you did." Sage said, taking another large gulp of her drink. She looked over Rafe's shoulder, and saw the girl she had seen with him at the party lingering across the way.

"Sage." Rafe spoke, gaining her attention. "Tell me to leave her. Tell me you love me, and she's gone." Rafe said, and Sage's eyes widened.

"What?" She asked, wondering if she had heard him right.

"Tell me you still love me, and she's gone." Rafe repeated, and Sage sat down her drink. She placed her head in her hands, sighing.

"Rafe..." Sage trailed off.

"I know you want to, just do it." Rafe said, his hopeful eyes staring down at her. Sage looked over at the girl, and guilt flooded her body.

She was really pretty, and she seemed like a nice person, she didn't deserve that.

"I- um... leave her. I love you." Sage spoke, unable to stop the words from coming out of her mouth. Rafe turned on his heels, and strutted over to the girl.

He pulled her aside, and Sage watched the two talk back and forth. The girl gave him a dumbfounded look, before she stormed off, and Sage couldn't hold back her smile.

Rafe walked over, holding his arms out, and Sage threw herself into them. She hugged him tightly, Rafe rocking their bodies back and forth.

"I missed you, baby." Rafe whispered, planting a kiss on the top of her head. She buried her head into his chest, taking in his scent.

"I missed you more, I regretted jumping off that boat the moment I did it." Sage whispered, and Rafe pulled away.

"We don't need to talk about the past. Let's just live in the moment." Rafe said, and Sage nodded. "Now, I'm gonna need you to ditch this party and come hangout with me." Rafe said, and Sage laughed.

"Okay." Sage laughed. "I should go say goodbye to Kie and Sarah. I'll meet you at your house." Sage said, and Rafe nodded.

"I'll be waiting." Rafe said, smiling as he walked away. Sage waved, before she turned and walked over to Sarah.

John B stood next to her, Sarah with her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. Sage shook her head, and walked over to Kie.

"Hey, I'm gonna head out." Sage said, and Kie nodded.

"Okay, I'll see you later." Kie said, pulling Sage in for a short hug.

"By the way, I think Sarah's breaking the news to John B so..." Sage trailed off, and Kie's eyes widened.

"Oh God..." She said, looking over at the two. John B now had a death glare directed at Topper, and he angrily stormed over to him.

"Shit." Sage cursed, quickly making her way over to the two boys. "John B, you don't have to, let's go." Sage said, pushing him away.

John B pushed Sage out of the way, throwing a hard punch into the side of Topper's jaw. Sage cringed, watching Topper fall to the ground.

"You like that, Topper? You ready for this?" John B asked, standing over Topper.

"John B, don't!" Sarah yelled, but John B ignored her begs. He slammed another fist into the side of Topper's face, and Sarah shrieked.

Sage's hand flew over her mouth, looking down at Topper who looked out of it. Mr. Carrera had finally intervened, pulling John B off of Topper.

"What is wrong with you?" Sarah asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"See? This is what I'm talking about, get out!" Mr. Carrera yelled, shoving John B harshly. JJ had caught him, pulling him away from the party.

"You happy, Sarah?" John B asked, and Sarah let out a whimper.

"Can we get a doctor?" Mrs. Thornton called out, and Sarah just looked at John B as he left. Sage could only wonder what she was thinking.

"Hey, we should go. You can come home with me." Sage said, grabbing Sarah's arm. Sarah sobbed loudly, and Sage wrapped an arm around her as they walked. "I'm sorry, Sarah." Sage apologized, but Sarah could only cry harder.

Sage knew that there was way more behind Sarah cheating, then what she let on. She knew that she had no one left for her, and the thought of losing John B and the Pogues would leave her with absolutely nobody. Topper was her insurance policy.

Sage pulled out her phone, and texted Rafe that she wouldn't be able to make it, and she sighed. Her friend needed her, and if she and Rafe were going to try things again, she wasn't going to put him first this time.

~