Pretty When You Cry ୨୧ Rafe Cameron

thirty three

Isla and Rafe sat in the car on the tarmac waiting for the Pogues to arrive. They got coffee and bagels before that because Rafe knew it was her favourite meal and he wanted to distract her from her location.

The tarmac wasn't Isla's favourite location. It was hard to let go of the events that occurred there. It was difficult for Rafe too. He regretted what he did that day here more than anything. Sometimes he even wished it was him who died instead of her— or that he just let her arrest his dad. All Rafe yearned to do was make it right, but he couldn't revive the deceased.

A tear rolled down Rafe's cheek without permission. Isla glanced over and caught sight of it.

'It's ok,' she said softly as she wiped it off his cheek with her thumb.

'I'm sorry— I'm sorry,' Rafe replied embarrassed. He was beyond ashamed that he was crying. He felt weak.

'No, don't be sorry. This is hard,' Isla hugged him. She questioned from time to time if she was seeing the real Rafe in these good moments, or if she was seeing his potential. This was just Rafe, and it was growth. He had to feel the magnitude of what he did.

'I regret that. I regret it every fucking moment,' he sobbed.

'I know,' Isla rubbed his back. 'You had good intentions. I know what it's like to want to please your dad.'

If any other person said that to him he'd yell and tell them they couldn't possibly get it, but he knew Isla really did.

'I just wanted to save him,' Rafe murmured as he pulled away from the hug and calmed himself down.

'I know,' Isla answered.

As Rafe settled, distracting himself by playing with Isla's hair tie in his hands as she told him how to play a game with it where you either get a rocket or bow depending on which finger you pick, the Pogues arrived. And Ward opened the door to the plane.

'You ready?' Isla asked nervously.

'As I'll ever be,' Rafe replied, squeezing her hand before getting out of the car.

Rafe's presence immediately caused conflict as the Pogues spotted him walking onto the airstrip.

'Oh! Hey, look what the mother fucking cat dragged in!' JJ exclaimed, clearly irritated.

'Don't be like that JJ,' Isla sighed.

'Isla you know I love you, but this is seriously insane,' Pope said.

'I mean what the hell has he done to deserve to come with us?? Because if I remember things right he killed Sheriff Peterkin right here! Now he's just fucking our friend like that never happened!' JJ yelled.

'Watch your fucking tongue, Pogue,' Rafe snapped, bringing back his violent side after JJ's cruel remark.

'OK, everyone shut up! Here's the thing, ok? Yes, he fucked up. Bad—' Isla started when John B cut her off.

'Well no shit,' he said.

'No, listen. But he was there for me when you guys fucking weren't. When you didn't give a single shit about if I lived or died. Do any of you recall that?? Because I do. I would be dead too if he didn't step in and be my friend.'

A silence fell over the group, including Isla's father who was the source of much of this in some shape or form.

Isla began conversing again. 'So I get why you don't like him. I understand that. But can't you just fucking try? For me?'

'Yeah, yeah,' Kiara said gently as she came over and hugged Isla because she saw that she was beginning to tear up. Isla hadn't even recognized the fact she had gotten emotional.