Strawberry Kiss | OBX

t h i r t e e n

. . .

Lizzy

"Take your sisters home Rafe" Ward ordered him.

"No dad, I'm not leaving Sheriff Peterkin alone. She needs help!" Sarah protested as she stayed by her side.

I was still pacing back and forth because I was losing my mind. I was so close to seeing justice, but it's never that way. I never win. Ward has always had the upper hand... and he always will.

Ward picked Sarah up and put her in the passenger side of Rafe's truck and Rafe grabbed me, "Let go of me Rafe," I spoke weakly and in defeat.

Rafe put me in the backseat of his truck and began driving and Ward called for help. Supposedly. I don't believe it.

"Rafe why on earth would you fucking do that?" Sarah asked.

Rafe was sweaty and shaky, "Dad needed my help." He looked over at Sarah and me.

"Dad was getting arrested! He was found guilty for murder and now you're following in his footsteps!" Sarah yelled

"Can you just shut up?!"

"No Rafe, You just fucking shot someone!" She snapped.

I didn't speak that entire time. I was mad, I was so fucking angry with him because Sheriff Peterkin was the only way that my mom would've had the slightest bit of justice. Now all of that's gone. Peterkin never gave up on helping me and Rafe ruined it all.

"Lizzy, you alright?" He asked, clearing his throat in between words.

"Rafe she doesn't wanna talk to you." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't talking to you." Rafe glared at her and then looked back at Lizzy, "Liz, please talk to me."

"Peterkin was my only hope to have justice for mom, clearing my name, and ending the fear of dad killing me next..." I curled into myself, "I have nothing Rafe."

He looked at me, "You have us?"

"Rafe you're gonna get locked up." Sarah interrupted.

Rafe shook his head, "No, dad's going to figure this out"

"You and dad are both murderers." Sarah rolled her eyes.

I placed my head against the window and closed my eyes for a second. Life was getting messy. Our family lies were unraveling and they're hurting us.

. . .

"I didn't mean to do what I did, Liz"

"What were you even doing there... especially with a gun?" I rubbed my head trying to wrap my head around everything that was going on.

He paused and scratched the back of his neck, "I was gonna kill Sarah" He mumbled and frowned.

"You what?"

"I was gonna kill her Lizzy," He rubbed his eyes and paced around my room, "she's getting in the way of everything."

"Rafe, listen to me... Sarah's our little sister, we have to protect her."

"No, the only one I have to protect is you." He looked at me and then sat down, "Sarah's dads favorite... always has been"

"And that's never going to change," I explained to Rafe, and I kneeled on the ground and place my hands on his knees, "I'm tired of asking you to get your shit together" I looked up at him.

He frowned and chewed on his lip, "I can't Lizzy..." He cried, "I have these voices... and they're the ones that tell me to do all this bad shit."

"Voices?"