𝔅𝔬𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔡𝔦𝔢 - Rafe Cameron

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... 

This morning, she'd gotten up earlier than usual. She'd spent the entire night thinking, unable to find sleep. She wasn't going to prison—she didn't deserve it; she hadn't done anything wrong.

There was only one solution left: she had to leave, to get as far away from here as possible. So at four in the morning, with light steps across the floor, she grabbed a bag and filled it with essentials—pants, shoes, shirts, shampoo. 

Hidden in her wardrobe was a bag of cash. She would empty the rest of her account once she was out of here.

As she packed, she came across a photo taken a few weeks ago, when things were still good. Rafe had it printed after Jazmine insisted the walls of the house were far too bare and that now, with him living here, they should be filled with memories.

Seashells from the beach, little decorations—she had wanted to bring life into this house for him, for Rafe.

She had several photos, including one of Rafe with his cap on, relaxing on the boat from a day they'd spent exploring nearby towns. Rafe kept one in his room as well, one of Jazmine with her hair down. 

She remembered the moment he took it; that morning, he'd bought an old camera just to capture memories from that day. Rafe had told her a story that had made her laugh, and he had captured that exact moment.

That day, and many that followed, she had spent wonderful moments with him. A tear slipped down onto the photo. With a quick hand, she wiped it away, then resumed packing her bag. She shoved in the last few clothes, grabbed her keys, and left. 

...

Kiara looked at her, the weight of those words settling between them. "Where are you going?"

Jazmine shrugged, trying to sound casual, but the weight of the decision pressed on her chest. "Far away... maybe Latin America, maybe the Seychelles. I haven't decided yet." 

She glanced down, kicking a small shell underfoot as if the answer might be found there. She couldn't bear to look at Kiara's face, knowing it was full of questions, hurt, and fear.

"But we just found each other again," Kiara said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "And now you're leaving?"

Jazmine tried to smile, but it felt hollow. She reached out, taking Kiara's hands in hers. "Once I'm settled, I'll call. You'll know exactly where I am, okay?" She forced a light laugh, wanting to give her little sister some hope.

She gave a soft laugh. " Don't worry okay i'll even have a room just for you, in case you ever want to visit."

Without another word, Kiara pulled her into a tight hug, her arms trembling slightly as she held on. She pressed her forehead against Jazmine's shoulder, closing her eyes to stop the tears threatening to spill. "I'm crushed... I thought we'd finally get a chance to know each other."

Kiara looked at her, concern etched across her face. "Why are you leaving so quickly? It's because of Rafe, isn't it? What did he do to you? You don't have to stay with him, you know. You could come to my place—I'll talk to dad."