Old Money - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 41

A/N: when you see *** that's means Rafe POV.

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"Audrey, can I come in?" Audrey's mother called through her bedroom door.

Audrey was curled up in bed, scrolling on her phone.

"You know, that's not good for a concussion." She said and sat on Audrey's bed beside her.

"I don't care anymore." Audrey huffed and let her phone fall out of her hand.

"What's going on?" Her mom asked. "Is this Rafe stuff?"

"No, it's JJ stuff."

"Oh?" Her mother said upsetly.

"Well, kind of. It's Kiara stuff." Audrey sighed. "She practically blamed everything on me. Said it was my fault that I dated JJ."

Mrs. Bennett rolled her eyes. "You know what I think? I think they need to get over themselves." She pulled her daughter into a hug. "You two broke up two months ago. And you're with Rafe."

"Well, yeah but it's not even about that." Audrey sighed. "The pogues all want to be back in my life but it's like they don't want me with Rafe."

Mrs. Bennett understood. "I get it. But if they're really your friends, they'll accept who you want to be with."

"I guess." Audrey sighed.

"You're not the villain." Her mother said after a while. "JJ cheated on you. And the girl he cheated with was your best friend." Her mother explained. "And you still give them the opportunity to be in your life."

Audrey swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I mean... the boy you loved and trusted most did something... unimaginable to you. And you persevered and can still be around him." She sighed. "I don't know how you do that."

Audrey slumped further on her bed, curling herself in her blanket.

"It's not your fault. Don't listen to a word of what Kiara said."

"She's not completely wrong, you know?" Audrey huffed. "And then I went and got with Rafe, who they all hate. And he hates them, it's like... I can't win." She whined. "And Rafe and Nathan are still in a fight and I don't even know what's up with Sarah and Topper right now."

Her mother nodded in understanding.

"It's like... everything was simpler when I was with JJ." She realized. "Everyone was happy."

"Audrey—"

"But Rafe makes me so much happier and we understand each other better..." she continued. "So why does everyone make it so complicated for me to be with him?"

"Love is a complicated thing." Her mother explained and shrugged. "Your dad and I were just like you and Rafe. I was friends with the pogues in my day. Luke, Big John, Anna, Heyward. We were all friends. They hated your dad. He was friends with Ward and the other kooks. And the few kooks I spent my time with altered my friendship with the pogues. It's just how life works."

Audrey huffed, assuming that her mom was right.

"And it sucks... it's like a food chain on this island." Her mom said. "The kooks are the predators and pogues are prey. It's stupid and childish." She shook her head. "But do you care for Rafe?" Audrey nodded. "Do you want to be with him?" She nodded again. "More than JJ?"

"Fuck, yes." Audrey groaned. "I don't want JJ at all."

"Then there's your answer. The pogues can get upset with you but they pushed you away doing what they did."