Sunset games. Rafe Cameron

thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
[13]
"are we still friends" tyler, the creator

It had been a week since everything fell apart.
Olivia had barely left her house, spending most of her days curled up in her room, ignoring the world outside. She ignored the Pogues calls, avoided Sarah, and blocked out the memories of that painful day at JJ's house. The betrayal still stung, but there was something else. Something deeper, that kept her in the quiet of her home. It was the realization that everything she had built with the Pogues had crumbled, and she didn't, know where she stood anymore.

The only person she had let back in was Leah.
Ever since the fallout with JJ and Kiara, Leah had stepped back into her life like she'd never left. They'd grown closer over the past week, and it felt surprisingly natural, almost like old times before the Pogues had taken over Olivia's world.

That day, Olivia found herself at the country club with Leah, the familiar, polished atmosphere a stark contrast to the chaos she'd been living through. The sun was high, the day warm and peaceful as they lounged by the pool, sipping iced tea and catching up on everything they had missed in each other's lives.

"I'm glad we've been hanging out again," Leah said, giving Olivia a small smile. "I missed this."

"Me too," Olivia admitted. She felt a little lighter with Leah, like she didn't have to carry the weight of the drama that had consumed her life recently. "It's nice not having to worry about all the craziness for once."

Leah raised an eyebrow, clearly reading between the lines. "So... no word from the Pogues?"

Olivia shook her head, her fingers tracing the edge of her drink absentmindedly. "I've been ignoring them. I just—I can't deal with all of it right now."

Leah nodded in understanding. "Well, you deserve a break from that mess. You've been through enough."

They spent the rest of the day at the club, laughing, talking, and letting the tension of the past week melt away in the comfort of familiar surroundings. It was strange how easily Olivia had slipped back into her old world. Being with Leah, back at the country club, it felt like slipping into an old, comfortable sweater. The life she had before the Pogues didn't seem so bad anymore.

As the day began to fade into evening, Leah and Olivia decided to head out. They gathered their things and walked toward the parking lot, the cool breeze making the warm day feel refreshing. Just as they reached the entrance, Olivia spotted two familiar figures heading their way.

Rafe and Topper.

They approached with casual smiles, Rafe looking more relaxed than Olivia had seen him in a long time. He had been surprisingly sweet to her since that night at his house, and she wasn't sure what to make of it. Part of her was wary, knowing how unpredictable Rafe could be, but another part of her felt drawn to the way he'd been treating her, as if she mattered.

"Olivia," Rafe greeted with a smirk. "Leah. Fancy seeing you two here."

Leah grinned. "You know us, Rafe. Always in the right places."

Topper gave Olivia a warm smile, a reminder of how much closer they'd gotten again. "You girls heading out? We were about to grab some food. Wanna join us?"

Olivia hesitated for a second but then nodded.
"Yeah, sure. Why not?"

The four of them walked toward the parking lot together, chatting easily. It felt like the old days, before all the chaos. But just as they were getting ready to head to their cars, Olivia's heart sank. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group approaching.

The Pogues.

JJ, Kiara, Pope, and even John B were walking toward them, clearly having spotted her. Olivia's stomach twisted with nerves, knowing this confrontation had been inevitable but still not ready for it. She hadn't seen any of them in a week, and now, here they were, and she was with the Kooks.

JJ was the first to speak, his voice strained but soft. "Olivia, we need to talk."

Her heart clenched at the sight of him, but she shook her head, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "No. I don't want to hear it. You need to leave."

The tension in the air spiked instantly. JJ took a step closer, his eyes filled with guilt. and something else, something desperate. "Please, Liv. I'm sorry. I-I messed up. I know I did, but I didn't mean to hurt you like that."

Olivia's heart twisted. It was too late for apologies. Her anger flared up, mixing with the pain she had been holding back for days. "You didn't mean to hurt me?" she repeated bitterly."You were kissing Kiara behind my back, JJ. How do you 'not mean' to do that?"

The others stood awkwardly behind JJ, watching the confrontation unfold. Kiara looked away, clearly ashamed, while Pope and John B exchanged uncomfortable glances.

Rafe, who had been standing quietly, suddenly stiffened. His expression darkened as he processed what Olivia had just said. "Wait a minute," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "JJ cheated on you? With *her*?" He nodded toward Kiara.

Olivia could see the fury building in Rafe's eyes.
She swallowed hard, knowing what was coming.
Before she could say anything, Rafe stepped forward, his posture tense and threatening.

*You* did this to her?" Rafe growled, glaring directly at JJ. "After everything? You're nothing but a lying, pathetic piece of-"

"Back off, Rafe," JJ snapped, his own temper flaring. He wasn't backing down, not from Rafe. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Like hell it doesn't," Rafe shot back, his fists clenching. "You think you can just treat her like that and get away with it?"

The tension exploded in a flash. JJ shoved Rafe back, his face twisted with anger, and that was all it took. In an instant, the quiet evening turned into chaos. Rafe lunged at JJ, and the two of them collided with a force that knocked them both to the ground.

"Rafe! JJ!" Olivia screamed, panic flooding her as fists flew and the sound of angry shouts filled the air. Topper tried to step in, pulling Rafe back, but Pope grabbed him, shoving him hard.

Within seconds, it was an all out brawl. Kiara and Leah screamed at the boys to stop, while John B tried to separate them, only to get caught up in the chaos himself. Olivia stood frozen, watching in horror as the fight escalated. Rafe and JJ were going at each other with pure rage, and she could see blood on JJ's lip, on Rafe's knuckles. It was brutal, and it wasn't stopping.

"Stop it! Please, stop!" Olivia shouted, her voice lost in the chaos. But no one was listening.

Just as Rafe landed a hard punch on JJ, knocking him back, Olivia ran forward, grabbing Rafe's arm. "Rafe, stop!" she cried, pulling him back. "Please, stop!"

Breathing hard, Rafe froze, looking down at her, his chest heaving. His face was flushed with anger, but when he saw the look in her eyes. Fear, desperation. He stepped back. JJ struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth, his eyes still filled with fury.

The silence that followed was thick, heavy with unspoken words and broken friendships. Olivia stood between them, her heart pounding as she tried to catch her breath.

She had never felt so torn in her life.