SHOOTING STARS ✰ jj maybank

041. DADS GONE

"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. I think, in the end, it was my fear of going back, of losing everything I have that made me lose sight of everything I am.... everything I wanted to be."

Rafe, Wheezie, Rose, and the twins all sat at the kitchen table, tears streaming down all their faces as they listened to the video that Ward left them.

Sarah and Scarlett didn't know that they would be so emotional about losing their father after everything that had happened. Both of them felt as if a piece of their heart was ripped out and stomped on.

"I killed big John Routledge. I murdered Sheriff Peterkin. I shot Gavin Barnstead. I know there's nothing I can do to ease 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 family, shattered by grief, broken by my sins."

The twins each sat next to Wheezie, both girls gently rubbing their little sister's back to give her a sense of comfort as they cried.

"I don't expect you to forgive me for leaving you this way. I just pray you understand that... I can't go on ruining your lives anymore. This had to end. To all of you, I leave my estate, uh, to be divided equally, and I leave a love deeper than I could ever express. Take care of each other."

The video ended. Rafe shook his head, walking away with a glass of alcohol in his hand. Wheezie stood up and walked away, crying.

Sarah just looked at the computer, she grew angry as she stared at her father's face. She quickly slammed the laptop shut.

Scarlett was angry. She was angry for all her father had done. She was angry that Rafe let him take the blame for Peterkin. She was angry that he left her like that. He left her and Sarah on that dock even though both of them were pleading for him not to leave.

The blonde girl stood up from her chair and aggressively pushed it in, a loud bang coming from it as it hit the table. She then left the room, storming upstairs to Sarah's room.

She flopped onto the bed and continued sobbing.

Sarah and Scarlett decided to go to the Chateau. Sarah said that she had something important to do there, but she didn't tell her sister what. Scarlett decided to tag along because she wanted to see JJ.

Both girls were on their bikes, pedaling away from the house, both of them speeding up when they noticed Rafe chasing them.

"Sarah. Scarlett. Hey, wait, guys." Rafe ran after his little sisters but they ignored him. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Slow down. Slow down." He grabbed Sarah's shoulder.

Scarlett wasn't taking it anymore. She climbed off of her bike and pushed it onto the ground. She charged towards her brother, shoving him away from Sarah. "You touch either of us one more freaking time!" She yelled through her tears.

She then walked back over to her bike, picking it up off of the ground.

"We can't keep ignoring each other. Dad wanted us to talk." Rafe pleaded his sisters and tears ran down his cheeks.

"When we tell you you are the last person we want to talk to, we mean it, Rafe," Sarah yelled at the boy.

"I know you hate me. I know you hate me." Rafe repeated himself.

"You tried to kill us," Scarlett yelled at her brother. He lowered his head in shame.

"I know. I know, I know. I know, Scarlett. I just—"

The girls just rolled their eyes and began pedaling away on their bikes, neither of them wanting to hear their brother's stupid excuses.

"Please. No, Sarah, Scarlett. Please! Guys, please don't leave, okay?" Rafe cried out, causing the girls to stop in their tracks when they heard their brother's voice shaking.