𝙇𝙊𝙊𝙆𝙎 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇! • 𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣

seven

CHAPTER SEVEN
[7]
song: half life by sneaker pimps

"You're alright, then?"

Summer's father was on the other line. He'd called her after the news of Shoupe's murder spread. Only a few long hours had passed since then. They stayed at the crime scene for a while, giving the officers any information they could, watching as Shoupe's body was pulled from the car.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just shaken up." Summer says, arms crossed over her knees, as she sat on the roof outside one of the many window's of Sarah's house.

The sound of the waves filled her ears, something that usually calmed her down, but it'd proved unsuccessful after these past few days. Those waves were now a constant reminder of Noah, of where they found his body. Of the confines of this island, a place she called home, and how it was no longer safe for her. And it would never feel like it had before all of this ever again.

"And you're home safe? With Pamela?" He asks on the other line.

Summer scratches the back of her neck, glancing around at the stretch of land that the Cameron's house sat on. It was dark now, but the moon illuminated everything just enough for her to see how perfectly taken care of the gardens were, how there wasn't a weed out of place. "I'm actually staying with Sarah. For a while, I think." She lets out a small huff. "I don't know. When will you be home?"

Her dad sighs. "Probably not for a few more days. We're actually just about to tackle a new case, so I'm not sure."

"Yeah, that's okay." Summer nods, then clenches her jaw.

"I'm gonna go to bed then, it's been a long night for me. Lots of paperwork." He chuckles.

Summer forces a laughter to match his. Sounds like a long night. "Okay, good night."

Summer sat out there for a while, in the silence. There was a lot of aching in her brain. A lot of information, a lot of pain she didn't know how to deal with. She knew pushing it away was bad, she knew letting it all out was worse. She tried both. None of it made it go away.

Her and Camila were posted up in one of the many guest rooms of Tannyhill. She'd been asleep for hours, Summer didn't have as much luck.

She was too scared, and she didn't want to feel this way for the rest of her life. Wondering if the next one would be the last, if the next one would be her. Would be him. It made her sick. She just wanted to know why. Why was this happening?

Summer crawled back inside, off the roof and through the window. She shut it quietly behind her, glancing over at Camila who was sound asleep. She rubbed her eyes, swallowed by the big t-shirt Sarah lent her to wear to bed.

She wanted to be around him. If not for the safety of it, but for the comfort of talking to him. He didn't pressure her to mourn, or to talk through it, or to make her feel a certain way about it all. He just made her feel better.

But despite everything that's happened, he was still Rafe. He was still the same guy that up and left her one day, only to not speak to her for months. After- even for a short time- he was her only sanctuary.

He'd done it yesterday. He woke up and left, without any word as to where he was going or why. Even if he meant nothing by it— it scared her.