Golden Hearts | Rafe Cameron

65

August 10

Adelines Pov

The thought of being back in OBX feels good the moment we step off the boat. I've been too stressed the past few hours, scared that they might come after us. That my dad might find out I'm fleeing.

But it must still be a miracle that they saved me, right? I am forever grateful to them, especially Rafe. There's no way to thank him enough for what he did. It truly means everything to me. Everything.

The others have left, and it's just Rafe and me now. I don't know what we're going to do now because if my dad knows I'm home, then it's over for me and maybe even Rafe if we're unlucky. But I don't know how else we could solve it. Maybe we should just run away from here? Maybe I should have listened to Rafe after all? That the best thing is to just flee far away and live a life we actually want to live. Without problems.

"I know your mom is on your side at least, and Nathan should be too. If we find them first, they can help you protect yourself," Rafe says, and I nod even though I'm worried it won't work. My dad has too much power. "I'm with you all the time."

"Thanks," I whisper and tighten my grip on Rafe's hand, and Rafe squeezes back.

We walk up the driveway to my house, and as soon as we reach the door, we are met by loud voices. My parents. They're yelling at each other. So loud that my ears hurt, and I stop. I don't want to see them fight. I really don't.

Rafe notices that I stop and stands in front of me. He looks me straight in the eyes even though I'm trying to avoid eye contact. He places his hand on my jaw to turn my face so that I'm looking at him instead of the ground. He then strokes his thumb along my cheek.

"We're doing this together, okay? I understand this is really hard, but we're doing it together. I won't leave your side. Whatever happens, I promise that. I will never leave your side," Rafe says and for a moment, I believe his words.

Rafe holds the door open for me, and we walk into the house together, and the voices only get louder and louder. I stop again, but Rafe pulls me through the hallway. Until we enter the same room as my parents.

They both look up when we enter. My mom looks surprised but relieved when she meets my gaze, but she has been crying. You can see that and... worst of all. She has a big bruise on her face. Did dad hit her? That can't be true.

The next person to look at me is my dad, who looks like he's about to explode any second when he realizes it's me standing here. He approaches me with big steps, but Rafe steps in front of me and protects me with his whole body.

"How dare you bring Adeline back?" my dad yells. This isn't him. This can't be him. It can't be true. It must not be true. Please, it can't be true. He's not the dad I grew up with. He would never do this to me. Why? Why has he become like this?

"Don't touch her!" Rafe says loudly and firmly back at my dad, and I am impressed by how brave he is.

My mom approaches me and is just about to come to my side behind Rafe when my dad is quick and hits her back so that she falls into the kitchen counter and plates and dishes crash. There's a loud bang, and glass flies everywhere on the floor. My ears hurt from the sound, and my mom just becomes more upset.

"Mom!" I say and try to get to her, but once again my dad is too quick. He reaches out his hand toward me, ready to hit me when Rafe hits back. He punches my dad right in the face so that he backs off, and I manage to sit down next to my mom on the floor in a corner where she is curled up, completely terrified of what's happening. She is shaking.

"Mom, it's okay," I whisper.

"No, it's not. This isn't the man I fell in love with," my mom whispers, and her words pierce my heart. I look up at Rafe, who now stands alone in front of my dad. My dad prepares to strike Rafe, catching him off guard, causing him to collapse on the floor, and it's the last straw for him to approach me and mum.

"STOP!" I scream, but of course, he doesn't listen. Please, Rafe. Please wake up. My dad prepares to strike when Nathan enters the room. He throws himself over my dad, causing him to collapse on the floor. Rafe snaps back to consciousness and helps Nathan restrain my dad.

"You're not welcome in this family anymore!" Nathan shouts, tears in his eyes, and I can't help but cry too. It hurts so much to see how broken our family has become.

"You'll never make it without me. It's thanks to me you have the money. You're nothing without me!" my dad almost screams while laughing. So he enjoys this? Enjoys hurting his family.

"So, this was your plan all along? To destroy our family?" I shout at him. Rafe steps back to me, making sure my dad doesn't do anything before wrapping his arms around me, and I almost collapse into his embrace. I grab my mum so she's part of the hug too because I know she needs it. She holds onto me and Rafe tightly.

"Yes, this was my plan all along," my dad says with such pride in his voice that it disgusts me.

"What do you mean?" Nathan sounds completely devastated in his voice as he stands ready to strike if my dad does anything.

"Ever since I met Jennifer, I knew I only wanted something short-term. I never wanted to start a family, so when I found out she was pregnant, I prepared to leave her, but then I realized it could work out. If I have a son, I can let him take over my job when I get old, and the family will continue to be known as OBX's richest family. But then when I found out we were having a daughter, I knew it would be different. I actually liked being a dad, but I was disappointed that I had a daughter because I only wanted sons," my dad looks straight into my eyes.

"I let you grow up, and Jennifer, you were so in love with me you said all the time, and I thought that was good for me because then I knew you wouldn't leave me. Then when Bailey died, I knew this was my chance to really make our family the most powerful..."

Rafe's grip on me tightens when my dad mentions Rafe's mom, and it feels so awful.

"I decided to work illegally to get more money than Ward when he started investing more than what we agreed on. I promised him to return the money I borrowed from him, but I knew it would never happen..."

"I continued to play the perfect dad until this year when I realized it's now time, now that you're no longer children and I no longer need to play that disgusting dad role..."

"What do you mean?" my mom sounds completely devastated as she speaks, and it's hard to hear what she's saying.

"What I mean is that I'm leaving this family because you don't need me. You'll never make it without me, and you'll damn well get what you deserve. You deserve it because you're so disgusting. I never wanted children, and Jennifer, I wouldn't be with you right now if you hadn't gotten pregnant against my will. That's why I've signed divorce papers and sent them in. I actually sent them in at the beginning of the summer..."

My mum almost screams in pain straight from her heart, and I let go of Rafe to hold her instead. I cry too. I never thought this would happen. Why? I don't want this to happen, I don't. Please. Can this nightmare just end sometime?

"I've already found another wife, and we're getting married as soon as possible. We've found accommodation far from here. I'll never have to see you again. Never,"

Those are the last words I hear from my dad.

The last words ever...