Bound By Lies - Rafe Cameron

Chapter 4

The breeze carried the faint scent of salt and seaweed as I made my way down the familiar path to The Wreck. I hadn't planned on running into anyone today—hadn't even decided if I wanted to reconnect with old friends—but I was tired of being cooped up at home, replaying the argument with JJ over and over in my head.

I glanced at my reflection in the glass door, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear and straightening my shoulders. It didn't matter that JJ was upset, or that things were tense. I wasn't here to grovel. I was here to get some air, maybe see some familiar faces, and remember why I loved this place in the first place.

But as soon as I stepped inside, the familiar hum of voices quieted, just for a second. Heads turned, conversations paused. I could feel their stares on me—curious, cautious, judgmental.

Then I spotted Kie and Pope at a corner table, their heads bent close together. I hesitated, heart hammering in my chest as a thousand memories flooded my mind. Bonfire nights on the beach, sneaking into the old fishing docks, laughing until our sides hurt...

I took a deep breath, squaring my shoulders, and made my way over to them.

"Hey, guys," I greeted, trying to keep my voice casual.

Pope glanced up first, his eyes widening in surprise. He exchanged a look with Kie, something unspoken passing between them, before he nodded stiffly. "Teresa."

Kiara barely spared me a glance, her lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't say a word, just stared down at the table like it held the most interesting secrets in the world.

The awkward silence stretched, wrapping around us like a suffocating blanket. I shifted on my feet, suddenly wishing I'd just stayed home.

"Mind if I sit?" I asked, forcing a smile that felt too tight, too fake.

Pope cleared his throat, shooting Kie another look before shrugging. "Uh, yeah, sure."

I slid into the seat across from them, my heart pounding. "So... how've you guys been?"

"Fine," Kie replied curtly, not looking up. She picked at the edge of her napkin, her fingers moving with an intensity that seemed way too focused for such a simple task.

Pope shifted uncomfortably, glancing between us. "We've been... dealing, you know? It's been rough."

I swallowed, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I get that."

"Do you?" Kie muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. Her gaze snapped up, eyes flashing with something sharp and painful. "Do you really get that, Teresa?"

My stomach twisted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pope shot Kiara a warning look, but she ignored him, leaning forward, her eyes boring into mine. "It means that you walked back into town and started pointing fingers without even listening to the people who were actually here."

"That's not fair, Kie," I whispered, the words catching in my throat. "I'm just trying to figure things out."

"By blaming John B?" Her voice was cold, almost clinical. "You think coming back and accusing him is going to help anything?"

I clenched my hands under the table, struggling to keep my voice steady. "It's not like I wanted to believe it, okay? But what am I supposed to think? He ran. He's on the run, and—"

"He ran because Rafe is a fucking maniac!" Kie snapped, her voice rising. A few heads turned in our direction, but she didn't seem to care. "You're so quick to believe what everyone's saying, but you weren't here, Teresa. You don't know what went down."