This is Me Trying ⭑ Rafe Cameron

five

CHAPTER FIVE
[5]
song: a pill to crush by evalyn

"I looked everywhere I swear to God." Rafe says, watching his dad cautiously as the two stood on the docks in their backyard.

"I know, I'm not mad at you I just—" Ward ran his hands through his hair, stressed, thinking. "Did anyone see you?"

Rafe clenched his jaw, trying to gage his dad's mood, trying to see whether it would be worth it to tell the truth. "See what?" He questions, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"See you at... see you searching the sewers, or—" Ward doesn't finish his sentence, but it was implied throughout the conversation that Rafe had gone to extremes to ensure the gun wasn't found by anyone but him.

"I—" Rafe starts, then reevaluates his next words. "Cassie did. Cassie Maybank but she—"

Ward lifts up and off the wall he was leaned against, burying his face in his palms with a loud sigh.

Rafe shakes his head quickly, not wanting to let his dad stress out over something he had under control. "Listen, listen— I got it figured out." He spoke quickly, watching Ward rub his eyes. "She— come on, she's a Maybank. All it takes is some cash—"

"That's her brother out there. Her friends. You really think some cash is gonna keep her quiet?" Ward questions.

Rafe searches for words. "I— I told her I'd get her sent back to Kitty Hawk."

Ward looked like he could've passed out, "Jesus Christ." He mumbles, scratching his forehead.

"What? Dad?" Rafe flails his arms out. "It worked, I mean— didn't it? There's no one here. No cops— no—"

"Yeah, yes. You're right." Ward leans up, glancing around slowly like he was coming to new realizations. He turns to his son. "You're right."

Rafe was still, like he was waiting for his dad to burst into a. fit of anger. But he never did, he just stood there, breathing heavily, and thinking. Rafe spoke, "We don't have to worry about her, alright? Just trust me on this."

—

The feeling of the cash in her back pocket was weighing her down more than it should've. How easily she could go to the sheriff's office, tell them to check the street cameras, tell them Rafe Cameron was trying to kill her friends because they knew where the murder weapon was.

But his venom-laced threats kept replaying in her head. At any second she could be hauled back off to Kitty Hawk. And all Rafe had to do was call. They didn't have to believe him. They didn't have to have any proof or evidence that she was using again.

A call from a Cameron against a Maybank is enough.

She was horrified of going back, and her friends could never understand how much she was willing to do to ensure she never did.

That night, Cassie, JJ, Pope and Kiara went to the sheriff's station to turn in the gun. They were in there for a total of three minutes, Kiara covered in mud, reeking of sewage, the murder weapon in their hands and still no one would believe it was Rafe Cameron.