𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

ninety nine.

─☼☼☼─
MUSIC BOOMED THROUGH the house, reverberating in Charlotte's chest as she weaved through the crowd in search of her boyfriend.

This was the third night in a row that Rafe had thrown a party and what felt like the umpteenth time since they'd returned to the Outer Banks.

Charlotte knew why he was doing it. It was the same reason she'd re-enrolled in Duke, prepared to start back in Durham in a matter of weeks...a distraction.

To the outside eye, the two teenagers seemed to have everything.

Rafe was sitting on not only money from the cross, but the gold from the Royal Merchant, while Charlotte had been given her cut of El Dorado, no matter how many times she told John B and Sarah she did not need it. Not to mention, they had Tannyhill to themselves with no threat of Ward Cameron ever returning to reclaim it.

A lump still lodged itself in Charlotte's throat at the thought of her boyfriend's father. She'd once hated him so much...but now it felt almost wrong without him around. Everything felt wrong, even though it shouldn't have.

The Pogues finally had the money they deserved, Rafe and Charlotte finally had the chance to start their lives...so why did Charlotte feel so lost, why did she lay awake every night feeling like the world was ending around her? Like she was drowning and there was almost nothing she could do to stay afloat.

She hadn't slept a full night in over a month. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the horrors of South America.

She saw the body of Mateo Fernandez, bloody and still.

She saw the body of Ward Cameron, contorted and broken.

She saw the body of Big John Routeledge, pale and defeated as he died on the boat ride to safety, finally having achieved his dream, just a little too late.

And she saw the devastation on her boyfriend's face as he faced his father's dead body. She heard the cries of her friend, more like a little sister, as she faced the same wretched sight. She heard the cries of her of another one of her friends as his father slipped away from him.

She felt the lump in her throat just as she felt each loss etched into her skin.

"Yo, princess! Why so serious?" The voice cut through her somber thoughts, rising above the noise of the party.

Charlotte winced as Barry threw an arm around her shoulders, the smell of alcohol radiating from his breath. "Not now, Barry." She muttered, trying to free herself from his embrace.

He leaned into her, far too close for comfort, "What's wrong?" He wondered, genuine concern noted in his tone.

Charlotte managed to break free from him, giving him a small shake of the head before she continued to push through the crowded house. She didn't have the energy to even begin to explain what was wrong. All she wanted was for her and Rafe to be alone, for them to share more than a five minute conversation about what was going on.

Each of them were running from their demons, and in turn, running from each other.

Rafe was in the basement when she found him, he and a few other guys crowded around a poker table. Rafe was even more cocky than ever when it came to money, and despite the immense wealth he possessed, Charlotte feared he would lose it sooner than later if he kept up.

A cough fell from Charlotte's lips as she made her way through the smoke-room. A mixture of cigar and weed smoke swirled around, creating a thick haze.

"God," she muttered, even more pissed than she was to begin with.

One of the other boys spotted Charlotte first, and his expression instantly changed as he mumbled something to Rafe.

The Cameron boy turned to look at her, almost resisting an eye roll as he noted the look on her face. "We're almost done, babe." He assured, turning back to the table. "I'll be up to read you a bedtime story in no time."

A chorus of laughs came from the other boys as Charlotte clenched her jaw, trying so desperately not to give him the reaction he was searching for. "It's almost two AM," She pointed out, "And I have a meeting tomorrow morning."

Rafe didn't turn to look at her, "Then go to bed, Charlotte. I don't know what you want me to say."

She moved around the table so he was forced to look at her, "Right, because that's so easy to do when you can hear the music down the fucking street."

Sucking in a deep breath, Rafe tilted his head slightly, closing his eyes. "You're giving me a damn headache."

Charlotte Carerra knew then, in that moment exactly, that Rafe Cameron was high. She'd seen it all before, all the tells were there.

It'd been close to a year since he'd used...and now that was all thrown away, and for what?

Not wanting to cause a scene, Charlotte tried to calm her breathing, "Everyone out." She ordered, doing everything to maintain her composure. "Now, please."

The boys look to Rafe, and when he didn't say anything in opposition they all stood and filed out of the basement, leaving the couple alone in the haze-filled room.

Silence stuck for a moment...and then another. It almost went on unbearably long before Charlotte spoke, "You're high," she whispered, afraid to trust her voice at a higher level in that moment.

Unlike he would have in the past, Rafe didn't deny it. A lazy smile spread across his face as he shrugged. "So?"

Charlotte felt like laughing at how unimaginably ridiculous he was being in that moment, "So?" She echoed. "You've been clean for almost a year, Rafe...what the fuck are you doing?"

Rafe leaned forward, narrowing his eyes on Charlotte. "Why do you care?" He pressed, "You're leaving in a few weeks anyway."

The fact that Charlotte was retuning to school had been a major source of contention between the two of them. To Rafe, it seemed like she was abandoning him in his time of need. To Charlotte, she couldn't understand why her boyfriend wouldn't support her creating a life for herself, one that didn't rely on him and his fortune.

"We've been over this," Charlotte maintained, keeping her voice level, "You can come to Durham whenever you want...and I'll come home whenever I can."

Rafe lazily rolled his eyes, "Right," he muttered, "Because I'm supposed to take your word for it."

"What?" Charlotte shot back, unsure of where this all was coming from.

"You lie." Rafe accused, "You lie and you play both sides...and people get hurt. It's what you do, Charlotte."

It felt like a shot to the chest, one that Charlotte wasn't going to sit back and take. "I'm going to bed," she announced, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Rafe didn't say anything as she turned and made her way to the stairs. It wasn't until she had reached the first step that his voice carried across the room.

"It's your fault, Charlotte. All of it is your fault."

Charlotte made it to the top of the stairs. Then, and only then, did she let the tears falls.

─☼☼☼─

don't yell at me, guys heehee 😈