JJ's biggest flaw was his recklessness, and his bad ideas. Honestly, that didn't seem that bad to Bexley.
Rafe's biggest flaw? Jealousy. Pure, uncontrolled jealousy.
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"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."
The final words of Ward Cameron bellowed through the speaker of the police laptop.
The final video he left behind, taken only an hour before his suicide, played out loud for the remaining Cameron family.
"I think in the end it was my fear of going back, of losing everything I had that made me lose sight of everything I am, everything I wanted to be."
Sarah, Wheezie, and Rose Cameron all sat at the table, staring at the laptop. Wheezie's head rested on her arms, her eyes tearful, her nose red.
Rafe stood behind them, looking everywhere but the computer. His father looked so alive in the video, he couldn't stand it.
His father confessed loudly and clearly, with a sureness the police wouldn't be able to ignore, "I killed Big John Routledge. I murdered Sheriff Peterkins. I shot Gavin Barnstead."
Rafe winced, giving a quick shake of his head, hands forming fists.
This was because of him, Rafe knew. This was all because of him.
His father was dead because of him, just like Sarah said.
Ward continued, "I assaulted Bexley James in my own dive shop. I physically mistreated her while I was her guardian and threatened her into saying it was my son."
Rafe felt more stabs of guilt for every bad deed his father took the fall for.
"I know there's nothing I can do to tease 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 father, shattered by grief, broken by my sins. I don't expect you to forgive me for leaving you this way, I just pray you understand I can't go on ruining your lives anymore. This had to end."
Had to end.
Had to end.
Rafe clenched his jaw as he felt tears rising. He refused to let them fall.
"To all of you I leave my estate to be divided equally. And I leave a love deeper than I could ever express. Take care of each other."
The video ended. Those would be the last words he ever heard from his father. His throat burned from the grief he refused to show the others.
Wheezie left the room, or at least Rafe thought she had. He only saw her stand, he didn't watch her go. Instead, he turned around, and snatched a bottle of whiskey from his father's shelf, unscrewing it and taking a few gulps on the patio.
He didn't look back until he heard a harsh slam. Sarah had slammed the laptop shut, furious tears rolling down her eyes.
Rafe clenched his fists, staring at the officers out by the docks.
