Meant To Be

~Chapter twenty-three~

I stayed with Sarah while John B, Kiara and Pope went home so I could help Sarah recover a little bit. I can't know how hard it is for her to lose her own father. "Kids! Come over here please!" Rose spoke out loud. "Come on Sarah." I said while helping her get up. "I'm sorry." Sarah speaks and I look at her confused. 

"For what are you sorry?" I ask. Sarah looks at me with her puffed up eyes and then continued to speak. "That you need to help me with this and that you're wasting your time." 

"Shit. Sarah, I don't do this for me you know, I do this for you because I fucking care about you okay? You're my best friend. I'm not letting that go." I say to help her calm down and not to overthink about that sort of stuff. 

"Come on let's go to Rose." I picked her up from the bed so she could walk again and we carefully went down step by step. I see Rafe standing there but I didn't care less. He could fuck off. "It's okay Sarah." I helped her sit down and Rose clicked on the computer making a video play. 

'A great man once said that if you're born poor, that's not your fault, but if you die poor, well, that's on you. I think, in the end, it was my fear of going back, of losing everything I have that made me lose sight of everything I am...'

It was Ward Cameron on the speaker and I listened very carefully. 

'...everything I wanted to be. I killed Big John Routledge. I murdered Sheriff Peterkin. I shot Gavin Barnstead. I know there's nothing I can do to ease the pain I've caused. Many will say I took the easy way out. But I leave this world with the terrible pain of knowing that I leave behind my family, shattered by grief, broken by my sins. I don't expect you to forgive me for leaving you this way.'

Sarah sniffled and I placed my hand on her shoulder to comfort her. 

'I just pray you understand that... I can't go on ruining your lives anymore. This had to end. To all of you, I leave my estate, uh, to be divided equally, and I leave a love deeper than I could ever express. Take care of each other.'

***

After a while, I needed to go back to the Chatêau to get some 'me-time' and to be alone with Jayj for a while. I really needed him right now. I unlocked the bike lock and took my bike out of the bike rack. 

"Azaleà, hey Azaleà please wait!" I hear a familiar voice come up. Rafe again. I ignored him and he started talking again. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, please!" He grabbed my shoulder and I threw my bike on the ground. 

"You touch me one more fucking time!" I yell at the boy who's eyes were filled with water. "We can't keep ignoring each other. My dad wanted us to talk." He explained. "When I tell you you are the last person I want to talk to, I mean it, Rafe." I say turning around getting my bike of the ground. 

"Look, I know you hate me. I know you hate me." His voice breaks. "You raped me Rafe, and tried to kill me multiple times. Then you abused me remember? You lied to me." I clarified getting up my bike and started to drive off. 

"I know, I know... Azaleà please!" He begged me to wait. "Look, my dad's gone alright?" He asked me to make sure I understood him. I just nodded and my eyes started to water because of all the things I've been through the last few months. 

"I know I can't... I can't change the past, but I'm gonna be different now Azaleà." He speaks trying to manipulate me to give him another chance. 

"I'm sorry Rafe. I can't do that." I tried to make him understand me. "I can't give you another chance after what you did to me. And I have the best man I could ever ask for and you? You abused me. And I'm scared that'll happen too. I don't even recognize you anymore. So please just leave me alone. Bye Rafe." I say getting back on for the third time.