MECHANIC | Rafe Cameron - JJ Maybank - Outerbanks

15 - burnt pasta

"You two look good together".
Rafe was caught off guard by his little sister Wheezie, who appeared next to him on the porch. His eyes were fixed on the black Nissan, which was leaving the driveway.

"What?". Rafe faced his sister, who was grinning at him,"I don't like her. It's the opposite of what you think. Can't stand her presence. You don't know shit, Wheez".
Defensive Rafe, like usual.

"Ooh enemies to lovers", Wheezie laughed,"That's a great story to tell when people ask you how you two fell in love".

Rafe furrowed his eyebrows and watched Wheezie leave. The girl just chuckled on her way back inside, her brother looked like he didn't understand a word she just said.

-

A thick and depressing silence was in the car. Anastasia gripped the steering wheel tight, trying to hold back her anger about what John B just witnessed. To try and soothe her emotions, Anastasia turned on the radio. Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits was playing.

JJ came to Anastasia's mind and she turned the radio back off. Just like John B thought about his best friend, who had no idea Anastasia spent the night with Rafe Cameron.

"Are you going to tell him?".

Anastasia eyed her friend next to her. John B was looking at her like she just killed somebody. "Tell who what?".

"God Ana", John B frowned,"You're wearing Rafes shirt. I saw you guys be extremely close. You disappeared last night after I entered the hospital".

"I-", Anastasia took a deep breath,"There is nothing to tell, because nothing happened. I also hug you guys, or wear your clothes".

"So Rafe is your friend now?". He snapped back, his voice hurt and icy.

Anastasia hit the breaks and stopped at the side of the road. Her head whipped around. "So Ward fucking Cameron is your legal guardian now?".

John B lowered his gaze and didn't answer. "You're moving in with Sarah Cameron. I bet Kie will love that", Anastasia continued.

"Don't!", John B snapped back,"You weren't there last year. You don't know what happened between Kie and Sarah".

"Just like you don't know what my last year looked like!", Anastasia answered without thinking,"I know Rafe Cameron from when he was in California".

"What?". John B looked at Anastasia utterly confused. Her watched her eyes tear up.

"I didn't know Rafe was living in the Outerbanks until I moved here", she explained, trying to blink away the tears forming in her eyes. Anastasia was never good at fighting with her friends. Most of the time she was scared she'd just snap and say the most hurtful things and then end up loosing her friends.

"You found out at the bonfire", John B concluded and Anastasia nodded,"What happened between you two? Last year I mean".

"I-", Anastasia turned her eyes back on the road and sighed,"I can't tell you, at least not right now".

"The only thing I can tell you is that nothing happened between me and Rafe", Anastasia added,"So don't tell anyone. It's not yours to tell anyways".

"Okay". John B believed the girl in front of him every word she said. By the way her eyes teared up he could only expect that something bad must've happened last year and he surely didn't want to dig it up. "I'm sorry".

"Me too", Anastasia whispered and hugged John B before she was back at driving to the Chateau, where John B would tell their friends about his new living situation.