Secrets in the Dark

Chapter 6

The afternoon had felt tense, and as the evening wore on, the undercurrent of tension finally erupted into chaos.

The Pogues were at the local bar again, unwinding after a long day, but Ava couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. JJ had been quieter than usual, his gaze shifting from Ava to Rafe, who had been hanging around the bar, making occasional comments in Ava's direction, his eyes always lingering.

The air felt thick, like a storm was building, and Ava couldn't escape the feeling that it was all about to come crashing down.

It started innocuously enough—JJ and Rafe exchanging a few heated words. They'd both been avoiding each other up until then, the tension between them thickening every time they locked eyes, but tonight, something snapped.

Rafe was leaning against the bar, a smirk playing at the edge of his lips, when JJ, his expression hardened, pushed his way toward him.

"What the hell is your problem?" JJ demanded, his voice low but charged with something darker, something controlled—barely.

Rafe's smirk never faltered. "Problem? I don't have a problem, Maybank. But it's cute you think I care about your little girlfriend." He turned to Ava with an exaggerated wink. "Don't worry, man. I'm just making sure she's happy."

JJ's eyes flashed with something dangerous, his jaw clenched so hard Ava could hear it from across the bar. "I don't know what your game is, but I'm not playing with you, Rafe."

Before anyone could react, Rafe pushed off from the bar, moving closer to JJ. "You think you can protect her from me? You don't even know her like I do, Maybank." His words were venomous, cutting, meant to provoke.

JJ didn't flinch. "I know enough," he snapped, shoving Rafe back, his anger boiling over.
Ava's heart pounded in her chest as she stepped forward, trying to interject. "JJ, stop—please!"

But it was too late. The words had already triggered something deep inside JJ.

In a split second, fists were flying.

Rafe lunged forward, throwing a wild punch, and JJ dodged, slamming his fist into Rafe's jaw. The force of the blow sent Rafe stumbling back. The noise of the bar seemed to fade out as the fight escalated, the sounds of grunts and punches filling the air.

John B., Pope, and Kiara rushed over to try and separate them, but it was Topper—Rafe's ever-loyal sidekick—who lunged at JJ, grabbing him from behind and throwing him off balance.
"What the hell, Topper?" John B. shouted, pushing Topper off of JJ and sending him stumbling backward.

"Stay out of it, Routledge," Topper hissed, ready to charge again, but Pope stepped in between them.

"Guys, stop!" Pope shouted, grabbing both Rafe and JJ by the shoulders. "This is insane! What's going on with you two?"

But Rafe and JJ weren't listening. They were locked in their own fight, the world around them fading away as their anger collided. JJ, despite being slightly smaller, fought with a ferocity that surprised everyone, his punches landing with the weight of all the frustration he'd been holding in.

Ava watched, frozen, her heart in her throat. She couldn't stop them. She couldn't stop anything.
The chaos only stopped when Kiara, seeing the danger, rushed to the bartender and grabbed a bottle of water, pouring it over the two of them.

"That's enough, both of you!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the madness.

JJ and Rafe stood panting, both bruised, their faces red with anger, their fists clenched. It was clear this wasn't just about a simple altercation anymore. There was something far deeper at play.

Rafe wiped blood from his lip and gave JJ a venomous glare. "You'll regret this, Maybank. I'm not done with you," he muttered before turning and storming out, Topper following close behind.

Ava could feel her heart beating in her ears. Everything inside her screamed to go to JJ, to make sure he was okay. But she didn't know if it was guilt, confusion, or something else entirely that kept her frozen in place. She couldn't believe she was watching everything fall apart.

JJ stood there for a moment, breathing heavily, his hands shaking. His eyes found Ava's, but before she could step toward him, he turned sharply, heading for the exit without saying a word.

Ava's heart sank. She couldn't just let him walk away like this. She followed him out into the cool night air, catching up just as he was about to get into his truck.

"JJ, wait!" she called, her voice shaky.

He paused, his hand on the truck door, his back to her. For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them, the tension hanging in the air. Then, slowly, he turned to face her.

"What, Ava?" His voice was tight, strained. "What really happened between you and him?"
Ava's throat tightened, and for a long moment, she couldn't speak. What could she say? The truth? That she had betrayed him not once, but twice?

"Nothing happened," she said, but the words felt hollow, empty.

JJ's eyes narrowed, disbelief and hurt flashing across his face. "Don't lie to me, Ava. I know something's going on. You've been acting different lately. And I saw the way he looked at you. You think I didn't notice?"

She took a deep breath, tears threatening to spill. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I swear."

JJ stepped back, shaking his head slowly. "You don't get it, Ava," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I trusted you. I trusted you with everything. And you—you—ruined it."

Ava reached out, but JJ pulled away, opening the truck door and slamming it behind him. He didn't look at her again as he started the engine and drove off into the night.

Ava stood there in the cold night, her body trembling as everything she had tried to ignore came crashing down around her. She had lost JJ—maybe for good.

But then, a text buzzed in her pocket. She pulled out her phone to see a message from Rafe:

"You know where to find me. Come over. I'm waiting."

She stared at the screen, the weight of her decisions crashing down on her all at once. She had just lost JJ, and she knew she had no one else to turn to. But Rafe—Rafe had always been there, in his own twisted way. He knew how to pull her in, how to make her feel like she was wanted, even when everything felt broken.

Ava made the decision in that moment. She didn't have the strength to fix the mess she'd made. She didn't know how to make things right with JJ. But she knew where she could go to lose herself—where the guilt would be quiet, where the pain could fade, even if just for a little while.

***

The door to Rafe's apartment clicked shut behind her. The familiar smell of him—cigarettes, whiskey, and something darker—filled her senses.

She didn't say anything as she walked past him, feeling his eyes on her, reading her every movement. She felt like an automaton, moving without thought, her heart still beating painfully in her chest.

Rafe stepped forward, closing the gap between them. His fingers grazed her chin, tilting her face up to meet his. "You're here," he murmured, his lips brushing against hers in a slow, possessive kiss.

Ava didn't resist. She couldn't.

She didn't want to feel anymore. Didn't want to think about JJ, about the mess she'd created. Just for tonight, she wanted to forget.

And as Rafe pulled her closer, she let herself be swept away again.