WILD RIDE (Rafe Cameron x OC) *COMPLETE*

Chapter Sixty-Four (Alana)

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Alana

Charleston

"See that lady there? She's got the keycard that we need to get into the building to find some of the archives that we're looking for." Dad says. "Bird blew it inside the museum but Flower, I need you to prove to me that you can do this."

I nod. "Alright... I've got this."

Getting out of the twinkie and walking toward the small older woman, I smile. Wearing a sundress that I purchased right here in Charleston so I can blend in better with the crowd. I see her coming toward me and I shoulder check her, knocking the bag from her hands and throwing my own onto the ground. All our belongings spilling.

"My goodness!" The woman cries out as I'm attempting to gather my things. I see the keycard on the ground. I slid it into my bag carefully. "I am so sorry, sweetheart. I should watch better to where I'm going."

I shake my head and give a forced smile. "No, no, it's my fault. Pregnancy brain. I'm always somewhere else rather than where I'm supposed to be." I reach my hand to her. "Katie Michaels, nice to meet you."

"Miss Katie... My you look like my dentist's wife. She's much older than you though. Are you from around here Miss Katie?"

I nod. "Yes, I am. Born and raised here in Charleston. Going to be having this little guy here too." I run my hand over my bump. "My husband... Jack, he uh... He's a realtor. Right now he's actually in Kildare. Trying to flip some properties there. My mind is where he is."

"Oh darling, I'm so sorry." She gathers her things and we both get to our feet. "I wish you and your husband the best of luck. But it's killing me to know.. Are you related to Julia Lewis? Her husband is the dentist on Eighth Street. Place with the blue banners."

My chest tightens. "No." I say knowing damn well that before my mother was Julia Routledge she was Julia Lewis. She was never from Charleston though. Unless I miss remembered everything. I froze and just shook my head. "No, I don't know Julia Lewis at all." Not a lie... I don't know my mother.

The woman looks disappointed. "Well, I'd say you could be her sister."

I nod again and hold back the hurt that brews inside of me. "Have a nice day. I'm sorry I bumped into you."

She gets into her car and I head back over to the twinkie. Sitting in the back and handing the keycard over to Dad and John B. They're both laughing and amazed that I was able to get it. Dad keeps ranting about how great this is but John B notices how quiet I am.

He crawls from the front seat while Dad blasts some tunes and drives to the next destination. Woohoo'ing to himself that I was able to do something so important for their next task.

"You okay? You sick or?" John B asks while sitting next to me. His knees up to his chest but I can't do that anymore. Not with this growing dragon blocking my knees from reaching my chest. "What happened? Did you get hurt?"

"Julia Lewis." I whisper.

"Mom?" He furrows his brows. "What about her?"

"She lives here... In Charleston. Married to a dentist. That woman asked if I'm related to Julia Lewis because I look like I could be her sister." I tell him. "Mom is here... Mom has lived here this whole time and never once tried to find us."

"We didn't get lost from her, sis. She left us and that was her choice. Just like it was his choice to leave too... We can't let him know that she's here. Or that you know where to find her. Maybe someday you can try to find her but not today. Not when you're like this.."

"You think I'm weak?"

"I think you're not in the right state of mind." John B replies quickly. "Rafe know you're here?"

I nod. "Yeah... He's been texting me all day. Worried about me and doesn't like that I'm just running off. He's scared something will happen."

"Rightfully so." John B mutters. "We'll be home tomorrow and you can run off with him and forget about all of us..."

"I'm not going to leave you in the dust. You're my brother and I love you I just.. John B I just want a moment of peace. I want to live my life for one solid day and not be stressed out or terrified that someone is going to come after me or Rafe. I want my baby to be okay and.. I can't do that. Now I'm going to be thinking about Mom."

"If she wanted to see you she would have by now. Think of it that way."

I nod. "You're right."

Later that night Dad pulls up to a house. A house that I've been too.

"Woah. No. No way." I say from the backseat. "I know this house. This is Limbrey's place. Limbrey has it out for me."

Dad laughs. "Nah, she's over that. And if she's not? She will be once I hand her this," He pulls out a silk scarf from his bag. "The shroud."

"No.. I was there when she tried to get it out of the cross. Rafe pissed her off-"

"Yeah. Telling her that bugs ate her magic bathrobe. I know."

"Scarf." I corrected him. "He said scarf."

"Rafe Cameron said a lot of fucked up things to Limbrey. Made a lot of threats to her. She'll only forgive you because you're my kid. But him? You best hope she finds it in herself to never go after him."

Dad knocks on the door and John B and I stay back at the bottom of the porch. He talks to her and then he says "Look over there," pointing to the two of us. I blink and don't even try to fake a smile. John B salutes her and speaks with no enthusiasm at all.

"You got your kids back." Limbrey says with a smile to Dad. "It must be so nice to be together again as a family and... I see there is much to celebrate. Rafe Cameron's I assume?" She points to me. "Come on in.."

After an hour we're sitting on the hot and sweaty porch. I've been chugging water and trying not to faint from the heat and John B is staying by my side. Annoyed as Dad tells this elaborate story of the shroud to Carla Limbrey who's sitting down and trying to absorb it all in.

Only a fool would believe this shit.

Dad hands her the fake shroud to match the fake story and she hugs onto it like it's a sweater from a past lover that still smells like them. I sit in one of the chairs and exhale. She looks at me and doesn't say a word. Just continues to hold the damn thing so close to her.

Limbrey gets up and drops her crutches one by one. The sound making John B stir and shake in place. I look at him and he shakes his head at me.

Limbrey walks.. Without her crutches. Crying tears of joy. Dad on the other hand.. Makes a joke that sits in silence. "Guess my daughter can take back her favorite weapons, huh?" pointing down to the crutches.

The silence is deafening until Carla lets out a caw of laughter. My heart thumps in my chest and John B jumps. We all fucked Limbrey over in our own way. Some of us... Mainly myself... Have fucked her over worse than the others. Rafe and I stole the cross and I beat her up for threatening my husband.

My husband who dumped Shrimpy's body to be eaten by gators in the swamp. To be fair though it was Limbrey who shot him to begin with so.. That's not my fault or Rafe's.

"Listen, we got more to do here-" Dad starts and I turn to Limbrey.

"Do you have a car I can use? I need to get home. I want nothing more to do with this shit." I say loud enough for Big John to hear. "I'm sorry I hurt you before I was not in the right state of mind."

"Clearly." Limbrey says with a smile. "You can use Renfield's old car. I do appreciate that you and Rafe... Took care of that. I have all I need now. I heard Ward Cameron is donating the cross so.. I won't ask for a share of it."

"Good." I nod. "I uh.. Thanks." Limbrey hands me the keys and I make my way back home.