Sunset games. Rafe Cameron

fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
[14]
"something about you" eyedress, dent may

The silence after the fight was almost suffocating, the air heavy with the tension between both groups. Olivia stood in the middle of it all, her heart pounding in her chest. JJ, battered and breathing heavily, was glaring at Rafe, who wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes still burning with fury. Topper and Pope were locked in a standoff, while Leah stood next to Olivia, her expression tense but calm.

Olivia took a deep breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. She couldn't stay silent anymore. The Pogues, the people who had once been her family. Had broken her trust. And here she was, standing with Rafe and Topper, the very people she'd sworn she'd never turn back to. But after everything that had happened, everything JJ and Kiara had done, she couldn't deny where her loyalty was shifting.

"You need to leave," Olivia said firmly, stepping closer to the Pogues, but her eyes were locked on JJ, "All of you, Just... go."

JJ stared at her, disbelief and hurt flickering across his face. "Olivia, what the hell are you saying? You're seriously choosing them? After everything?"

"You chose Kiara!" Olivia snapped, her voice shaking with anger. "You lied to me, JJ! You betrayed me. Don't stand there and act like I'm the one who did something wrong."

Kiara, who had been silent until now, took a step forward, her face flushed with frustration.
"You're such a backstabber, Olivia," she spat, her voice full of venom. "After everything we've been through, you're really going to turn your back on us for *them*? For Rafe of all people?"

The word *backstabber* hit Olivia like a slap, but instead of crumbling under the accusation, something inside her snapped. She turned to Kiara, her eyes flashing with anger. "You don't get to call me a backstabber when you've been sneaking around with my boyfriend behind my back. I trusted you, Kiara, and you threw that away. So don't act like you're the victim here."

Kiara opened her mouth to respond, but Leah stepped in before she could. "She's not worth it, Olivia,* Leah said, her voice steady and calm.
She put a hand on Olivia's arm, pulling her back slightly. "Let them go. They're not worth your time."

Olivia hesitated, her chest heaving with the mix of emotions coursing through her. She wanted to keep shouting, to release all the hurt and betrayal that had been building up inside her. But Leah's calm presence grounded her, and slowly, Olivia nodded. Leah was right. This wasn't worth it anymore. They weren't worth it.

"Just go," Olivia repeated, her voice quieter now but still firm. "I don't want to see any of you again."

For a long moment, the Pogues didn't move. JJ looked like he wanted to argue, like he was still holding on to some hope that things could be fixed, But Olivia wasn't giving him that chance.
She turned her back on them, walking over to where Rafe and Topper stood.

JJ's voice broke the silence, soft and full of regret. "Olivia, please..."

But she didn't turn around. Leah linked her arm with Olivia's, and together, they walked toward her car. Rafe and Topper followed closely behind, leaving the Pogues standing in stunned silence.

———

The ride back to Olivia's house was quiet, the tension from the fight still hanging in the air.
Olivia's mind raced, replaying everything that had happened. Kiara's words, JJ's broken expression, the feeling of finally standing up for herself. But more than anything, she was aware of Rafe sitting beside her, his presence a heavy reminder of the choice she had just made.

When they arrived at her house, the quiet of the empty home greeted them. Her parents were out for the night, which was probably a blessing considering the state everyone was in. Olivia led them inside, her thoughts still spinning, but she knew one thing for sure. Rafe needed to be patched up.

"Come on," she said quietly, gesturing for Rafe to follow her into the kitchen. "Let me take care of you for once."

Rafe didn't argue, following her wordlessly while Topper and Leah settled in the living room. The adrenaline from the fight had started to wear off, and Olivia noticed how bruised Rafe's face really was. His knuckles were split open, and there was a cut above his eyebrow, still bleeding lightly.

She rummaged through the first aid kit, her hands slightly shaky as she pulled out some gauze and antiseptic. When she turned back to Rafe, he was sitting at the kitchen table, watching her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. His usual arrogance was gone, replaced by something quieter, more thoughtful.

Olivia swallowed hard, trying to focus on the task at hand. She dabbed some antiseptic on a cotton ball and carefully pressed it to the cut on his eyebrow. Rafe winced but didn't move, his eyes never leaving her face.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Olivia said softly, breaking the silence. "Fight JJ like that."

Rafe shrugged slightly, his voice low. "Yeah, I did. He deserved it for what he did to you."

Her heart twisted at his words. Rafe's protectiveness had caught her off guard, but it was also... comforting in a way she hadn't expected. She wasn't used to being defended like that, especially not by someone like him.

As she cleaned his wounds, the tension between them grew thicker. She could feel his gaze on her, and every time their hands brushed, a jolt of something electric shot through her. She tried to ignore it, tried to focus on the cuts and bruises, but it was impossible to deny the connection that had been building between them over the past few weeks.

When she finished cleaning his face, she looked up, meeting his eyes fully for the first time. There was something in his expression, something raw and unguarded that made her chest tighten.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "For standing up for me."

Rafe's lips twitched into a small, almost hesitant smile. "You don't need to thank me for that, Vi.
I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Her heart skipped a beat at the way he said her name, the way he looked at her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered in that moment. The air between them felt charged, and Olivia wasn't sure if it was the aftermath of the fight or something deeper pulling them together.

She realized then just how close they were standing. Rafe's hand brushed against hers, and she didn't pull away. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the warmth of his skin against hers, the tension between them almost unbearable now.

But before anything else could happen, Leah's voice broke the silence from the living room.
"Liv, you okay in there?"

Olivia blinked, the spell between her and Rafe broken. She stepped back quickly, her heart racing as she tried to compose herself. "Yeah, we're fine," she called out, her voice shaky.

Rafe's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before he stepped back as well, his expression unreadable. "Thanks for helping me out," he said quietly, his usual confidence creeping back into his voice.

Olivia nodded, not trusting herself to say anything else. As they walked back into the living room, her mind raced with everything that had just happened. The fight, the tension with Rafe, the way her world seemed to be shifting beneath her feet.

She wasn't sure where things were headed, but one thing was clear. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

Little talk!!!!

Last episode of the day. I'm so invested in this I swear. I hope you are liking it. And don't forget to vote and comment your opinions 😉💗

-MAx