𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐓 ― rafe cameron

εβδομήνταδύο ; 72

song of the chapter:
UNRECOVERY ; duster

Margarita wandered aimlessly for a while after leaving the docks, the ache in her chest growing stronger with every step. The sun was starting to set, casting a golden glow over the horizon, but it only made her feel colder. She didn't want to go home—not yet. Not to the silence, not to the emptiness that would greet her as soon as she opened the door. She didn't want to face the aftermath of everything she and Rafe had just said.

Eventually, she found herself on the beach, the same one where she and Rafe used to come late at night to escape the world. Back then, they'd laugh, smoke, and talk about their dreams like the future was something they could still shape. Now, it felt like all those moments belonged to someone else, like the person she used to be was a distant memory.

Sitting down in the sand, she hugged her knees to her chest and stared out at the water. The waves were calm tonight, as if mocking the storm inside her. She let her mind wander back to everything that had led to this moment. The chaos of their relationship had always been simmering beneath the surface—Rafe's addiction, her own struggles, the lies they told themselves just to get through each day. They'd clung to each other because it was easier than facing their own demons alone.

But now, there was nothing left to cling to.

As the minutes passed, Margarita pulled out her phone, her fingers trembling as she scrolled through the messages Rafe had sent her over the last few months. The desperate apologies, the late-night promises to be better, the endless cycle of highs and lows. Each message was a reminder of how far they had fallen, how trapped they had become in this toxic dance of love and destruction.

Her phone buzzed again—a new message. For a second, her heart skipped, thinking it might be Rafe, but when she looked at the screen, it wasn't him.

It was JJ.

jayj
Wya??
Everyone's worried 

She hesitated. The thought of seeing her friends, of pretending everything was okay, felt impossible right now. But she also knew that if she didn't respond, they'd keep pushing until they found her. She could only isolate herself for so long before someone came knocking.

beach 

she typed back, keeping it vague.

A few minutes later, the phone buzzed again. 

Stay there. I'm coming.

Margarita let out a long breath, leaning her head back against her knees. JJ was always the one who showed up when she didn't want him to, but maybe tonight that wasn't such a bad thing. She felt like she was drowning in her own head, and a small part of her hoped he could pull her out—at least for a little while.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps behind her, and she didn't need to turn around to know it was JJ. He had this way of walking, this energy about him that was impossible to miss.

Without a word, he sat down beside her, close enough that their shoulders touched but not so close that it felt overwhelming. He didn't say anything at first, just looked out at the ocean with her, giving her the space to speak if she wanted to.

For a while, they just sat there, the sound of the waves filling the silence between them.

"I broke up with Rafe," Margarita finally whispered, her voice shaky.

JJ didn't respond immediately, but she could feel him tense slightly beside her. "I'm sorry," he said softly, though she could hear the relief in his tone. JJ had never liked Rafe—he had made that clear from the start—but he'd always held back from saying too much, knowing that Margarita wouldn't have listened anyway.

"I don't know who I am without him," she continued, her voice barely audible over the crashing waves.

JJ sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're still you, Margo. You just forgot that for a while."

She blinked, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. "I'm a mess, JJ. I don't even know where to start picking up the pieces."

He turned to her then, his gaze steady and unwavering. "You don't have to figure it all out tonight," he said quietly. "But you've got people who care about you. Let us help. Let me help."

Margarita looked at him, her throat tightening. She wasn't used to this—letting people in, letting them see the cracks in her armor. But she also knew that she couldn't keep going like this, pushing everyone away while she self-destructed. JJ's presence was grounding, his sincerity a reminder that there were still people who believed in her, even when she didn't believe in herself.

She nodded, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. She wasn't naive—she knew it wouldn't be that easy. The road ahead would be long, full of setbacks and pain, but maybe, just maybe, it was a road she could walk.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to hope.

--- end of chapter