THE PICTURE OF YOU -rafe cameron-

078; rafe and sarah talking

The next day,
Dawn had settled as Sarah walked back into her home, the Tannyhill mansion. It had been a long day. She had slept over at the chateau after the island party, needing a pause from her family. Rose was out in the garden, hosing down a bunch of colourful plants and tall bushes with a glass of wine in her left hand. Sarah's dad, Ward, was sitting down in a lounge chair not far from his wife, watching her calmly while sipping on a beer out of a green tinted glass bottle. Sarah stopped by the kitchen island to watch them for a moment, them evidently not noticing her. The large house was peaceful, oddly enough. The calm energy from the sunny day that had passed clinging to the walls, allowing Sarah to catch her breath. The air was still warm and a little humid. The scent of peonies lingered in the kitchen and a few plates were left in the sink from dinner. Three, Sarah observed. Rose, Ward and Louisa. Sarah hadn't been home herself, but she was almost certain her older brother was off somewhere as usual, doing something he shouldn't be doing.

The peace was soon interrupted by him, her older brother Rafe. He stepped into the kitchen in a rush, the soles of his shoes clicking harshly against the marbled floor. He stopped in his track as he caught Sarah standing before him, her eyes dancing cautiously over his tall figure. He was surprised to see her, she usually wasn't seen around their home much these days. Besides their interaction last night at the party, Rafe hadn't seen her for at least a few days. Sarah had in fact not been home other than to change clothes. Their dad wasn't too bothered by it, as per usual he let his oldest daughter do whatever she pleased without a single question or even a raise of an eyebrow. "Sarah" Rafe huffed, blinking his eyes. "Hey" Sarah muttered, leaning the palms of her hands down onto the kitchen island as she turned her body to face her older brother. "Hey" he muttered back, tearing his gaze off of her before he dragged his feet over towards the fridge. Sarah watched silently as Rafe got a water bottle out and opened it, gulping a third of it down within a few seconds. "Thirsty?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "What can I say? It's been a hot day" Rafe snarled, setting the water bottle down on the kitchen counter next to him, "where have you been today?". "I could ask you the same thing" Sarah said, blinking her eyes as she fixated her gaze onto her brother. Rafe scoffed before looking away, leaning his back against the kitchen counter. "Well?" Sarah continued to push, already having a hunch of what his answer was going to be. Or rather, his truth. She wasn't certain he would tell her, these days they weren't as close as they used to be. "Where have I been? That's none of your business Sarah" he snarled, "I thought I told you last night that my business is mine? So keep your entitled nose out of it"

Sarah was taken aback, a laugh out of pure disbelief leaving her pink glossy lips. "You're calling me entitled?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at him. "Yeah, you are entitled, don't even bother trying to deny it" Rafe spat out like it was nothing, gulping down another few mouthfuls of water from the plastic bottle now in his hands. "Like you aren't?" Sarah questioned, clenching her jaw, "please Rafe, that's ridiculous". Rafe chuckled, a condescending smirk pulling lightly at the right corner of his mouth. "I was out, I don't have to tell you where I was" Rafe then said, his gaze finally landing on his sister. "Well I was at John B's, since you were wondering" Sarah confessed, easing up a little in a attempt to make him do the same thing. "I figured" Rafe shrugged, still looking at her. "JJ was there, JJ Maybank you know?" Sarah went on. "Mhm" Rafe mumbled, taking another sip of water with a what's it to me look upon his face. He knew where this was going. "He's been looking for his sister, Myra, she hasn't been home today either..." Sarah continued, leaning forward a little as to draw closer to Rafe, "you wouldn't happen to have seen her?". Rafe looked away as a uncomfortable kind of silence settled in between the two siblings in the now dimly lit kitchen. He swallowed as he sat his almost empty water bottle down next to him, then went on to cross his arms over his chest tightly. "That pouge? Why the hell would I know anything about where she's gone?" Rafe questioned, refusing to make eye contact with Sarah. "Oh I don't know" Sarah shrugged, standing up a little taller, "it's just that... hold on, let me think for a moment... oh that's right, me and John B caught you kissing her last night". Another moment of silence erupted in the room, making Rafe's heart beat harshly within his chest. A annoyed chuckle slipped out of his mouth as he glanced back at Sarah. "Like that means anything? Come on Sarah, she's just some girl" Rafe argued defensively, letting his hands fall to his sides. It was a lie, yet he needed to sell it to Sarah to get her off of his back. She sighed as she let her hands lift from the kitchen island to rest on her hips. "Just some girl?" Sarah asked, sounding a little defeated, "that's such bullshit, you were with her today right? That means she's not just some girl if your spending all of your time with her"