Secrets in the Dark

Chapter 8

The air outside was cool, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the house, but Ava barely felt it. She kept walking, faster now, trying to escape the party, escape everything. More importantly trying to escape Rafe's cruel words from earlier. The distant sounds of laughter, clinking bottles, and music felt like they were closing in on her, suffocating her. It was too much. Everything was too much.

She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. Her thoughts were too loud, a constant buzz in her head that wouldn't quiet.
How did I get here? She had asked herself this question a thousand times since the night with Rafe, but now, it felt different.

Her mind replayed the scene with Rafe and Sophia, and the sting of betrayal dug deeper with each passing second. She hadn't just messed up her relationship with JJ—she had betrayed herself. Rafe had made her feel special, wanted, but it was all a lie. He was never going to be the person who helped her escape. He was the one who had dragged her further into the mess.

Ava's thoughts scattered like broken glass as she found herself standing at the edge of the beach. The water rolled in gently, but the waves felt like a reminder of everything crashing down around her. She sat down on the cold sand, hugging her knees to her chest, her mind a whirlwind.

She could still hear JJ's voice, the hurt in his words as he had walked away earlier. The way he had looked at her, as if she had betrayed not just him, but everything they had built together. She hated the way that memory dug at her. She hated that it felt like there was no going back.

***

Meanwhile, JJ was still inside the party, trying to shake the feeling that he had just witnessed the final chapter of something he didn't fully understand. His fists were still sore from the fight with Rafe, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the gnawing feeling in his chest.

He had watched Ava leave the house earlier, her eyes full of something he couldn't quite place.

The way she had turned away from him, the way her expression had shifted when their gazes met—he couldn't ignore it.

Something was off.

JJ had no evidence, but his instincts told him there was more to what had happened than just a fight with Rafe. The way she had been acting lately—distant, anxious, avoiding him—it all pointed to one thing.

Ava had been hiding something from him. He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't believe it. But deep down, he knew. And the others thought so too...

He could feel the walls starting to close in, the space between him and her growing wider with each passing minute. He didn't know how to fix it. He didn't know how to fix her, or them.

He needed to talk to her.

But as he walked to the door, he paused, his heart sinking when he saw Rafe slip through the crowd, a smug look on his face, a beer in his hand. He didn't want to confront Rafe, but he had to.

The bastard had caused all of this.

"Rafe," JJ called out, his voice louder than he intended.

Rafe glanced over, his expression bored. He turned slowly, taking a sip of his beer, as if he wasn't about to engage in the same fight they'd had earlier.

"What do you want, Maybank?" Rafe's voice was smooth, but there was a hint of annoyance underneath it.

"I want to know what the hell you're doing with Ava," JJ said, stepping forward, his anger flaring up again.

Rafe raised an eyebrow. "I'm just talking to her, Maybank. Nothing you need to worry about." His lips curled into a smirk, and it made JJ want to punch him all over again.

"I saw you two," JJ spat, his jaw clenched tightly. "Don't act like I didn't. What the hell are you playing at, man? She's not some toy you can use."

Rafe's eyes narrowed, a dark glimmer of something passing through them. "You really think she's yours, huh? That's cute."

JJ's fists tightened, and for a moment, he wanted to throw himself at Rafe, wanted to knock him out for good. But something in Rafe's gaze stopped him—something that made JJ realize that this fight wasn't just physical anymore. It was bigger than that. It was about Ava.

"Ava made her choices, man," Rafe continued, his voice quieter now, but no less venomous. "She came to me. Not the other way around."

JJ's mind was reeling, his emotions tangled between rage and disbelief. He had trusted Ava. He had believed in her. And now, this?

"You're sick," JJ hissed.

Rafe's smirk only deepened. "Maybe. But it's too late to turn back now."

With that, Rafe turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd, leaving JJ standing there, seething with frustration and confusion.

***

Ava didn't know how long she sat on the beach, her mind spinning, her emotions a mess of anger and regret. It felt like the world had frozen around her, like she was stuck in this moment with no way out.

But then, through the haze of her thoughts, she heard footsteps crunching on the sand.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw JJ standing there, looking every bit as lost as she felt.

"Ava," he said softly, his voice quieter than she had ever heard it. "I need to talk to you."
Ava didn't know what to say. She wanted to apologize, to explain herself, but she couldn't find the words. She could see the hurt in his eyes, the way he stood there, arms crossed defensively, waiting for her to speak first.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, her voice trembling. "I... I don't know what I was thinking. I messed up. I messed up so badly, JJ."

He looked at her for a long moment, his gaze unreadable, before he stepped closer. "Ava, you—" He stopped, taking a breath. "I don't even know what to say to you right now."

Ava's chest tightened as she looked at him. She knew she had lost him, and it hurt in a way she had never felt before. She had been so selfish, so blinded by what Rafe had made her feel that she hadn't considered how much she was risking. She hadn't thought about the person who had always been there for her, the one who loved her for who she was, flaws and all.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, her voice breaking.

JJ shook his head slowly. "You don't get it, do you?" His words were quiet, but the pain in them was unmistakable. "I trusted you, Ava. And you... you just threw it away. For him. For Rafe. And I don't know if I can come back from that."

Ava's throat tightened as she realized the depth of the hurt she had caused. She had destroyed everything, not just with Rafe, but with JJ too. There was no easy way to fix it. No way to take back what she had done.

"I never wanted to hurt you," she whispered, her voice breaking.

JJ looked at her one last time before turning away, his back to her as he walked back toward the party.

Ava stayed on the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore the only thing she could hear. The world felt like it was collapsing around her, and she didn't know how to make it stop.

She had lost him. She had lost everything.