Obsession

Just Trying To Help

Marilyn woke up to the sun shining through the curtains. She grabbed her phone and groaned, she was up later than she wanted, even Rafe was up before her. They had a late night partying and Rafe had bought a new motorcycle that he took her out and around town on.

She slowly got up and started getting dressed, grabbing one of Rafe's shirts and throwing it on and putting her hair up in a bun when she heard yelling below on the lower balcony.

She slowly approached the window and very slowly opened it.

"I don't feel like you care," Ward's voice erupted.

"I said I do!" Rafe responded.

"You said."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't want you to say anything! Take care of business. Where are the generators? Okay! I gave you money for the generators. You said you would take care of it. Did you take care of it? Where are they?"

"They're on back order."

Marilyn didn't know if he was lying or telling the truth, she didn't remember him saying anything about being in charge of the generators.

"Yeah, of course they are."

"There was a hurricane."

"I'll tell you what. You know that Pogue I just fired? Way more reliable than you."

"Really?"

Maryling knew that struck a nerve in Rafe, Ward was always comparing him to somebody, if it wasn't his sister.

"Yeah, really! You need to get it together, Rafe, or you can go live on the cut."

Rafe chuckled.

"That's funny to you? Wow. You can go live on the dang cut, Rafe... as far as I'm concerned. Now get out of here. I'm sick of looking at you. Make yourself useful somewhere, somehow."

"Sarah's not working."

"This isn't about Sarah, Rafe. You're almost 20. You don't just get to sit back and have everything handed to you."

"Yes, sir."

"It doesn't seem you understand me."

"I'll take care of those generators, okay?"

"I'll believe that when I see it."

Marilyn quickly ran down the stairs, ready to turn the corner when she stopped at the sound of voices.

"Told you," Sarah said. "Shouldn't have bought that motorcycle with the generator money."

"Hm."

"Hm," Sarah mocked.

Marilyn then backtracked and acted like she was just coming down the stairs when Rafe was coming up, furious.

"Hey," she smiled, gently rubbing his arm but he didn't respond to her.

She hated when he got like this, closed off and distance because of something his father said about him. It never was true, Rafe was reliable if you actually showed him a little gratitude.

She followed him back into his bedroom and watched as he slowly sat on his bed and ran his hands through his hair frustratedly.

"Hey," She cooed and slowly approached him, brushing his hair out of his face. "I heard what your dad said down there.

He sighed and got up quickly, smacking her arm away.

"It's not true you know, okay, don't listen to him."

"I don't need your pity."

She sighed and crossed her arm. "You haven't bought any generators yet have you and you have no money now either?"

He slowly turned. "Shut your mouth right now or I'm going to-"

"To what? I can go right now and tell your dad where that money went, you can't hide things from me Rafe," she growled, standing her ground.

Rafe glared at her, like he was trying to read if she would really rat him out or not. She never would, but he didn't need to know that right now.

"Whether you like it or not, you're in a predicament Rafe, one you need help with and I can help you, or you can pretend that everything is fine and you have everything in control."

"And what are you suggesting?"

Marilyn walked up to him, looking up at him with a slow smirk on her face. "My parents are gone tonight, you can find some zip, sell it, buy the generators, pay back, everything works out."

"I don't need you to be solving all my problems."

"Your problems are my problems, okay? I want to help, if you want it."

She slowly kissed him and grabbed her stuff. "I'll go get the house ready and start inviting people. Ten o'clock. Don't be late."