Outerbanks Imagine

Funeral - Rafe Cameron

The air felt thick with grief as you stood beside Rafe at Sarah's funeral. It was a day you never imagined would come, but now, here you were—surrounded by the people who loved Sarah, who were mourning her tragic and untimely death. The weight of the loss seemed unbearable, the confusion about what had happened only making the pain worse. No one really knew exactly what had gone down. All anyone knew was that Sarah and John B. had been on the run—fleeing from the law, from the Pogues, from everything—and now they were gone.

The police reports said they had drowned at sea while being chased. There was no body. No closure. Just a terrible feeling that hung in the air like a storm cloud that wouldn't dissipate.

Rafe stood at the front, his jaw clenched tight, eyes staring blankly at the small coffin in front of him. He didn't look like he was grieving—not in the way that the others were. His face was hard, his body stiff, as if he were trying to hold everything inside and pretend he was okay. But you knew better.

You'd seen Rafe like this before, this dark, impenetrable shell that he created when he didn't want to show his emotions. You wanted to reach out to him, to wrap your arms around him and let him know he wasn't alone, but you didn't want to push him. Not now. Not in front of everyone.

Still, your heart ached for him. He was losing his sister, and despite everything that had happened between the two of them, you could see the pain in his eyes. He loved her. That much was clear.

As the funeral ceremony went on, you watched him, feeling your heart break for the man you loved. You saw how stiff he was, how his hands shook slightly, even though he was doing everything in his power to keep it together. The tears he refused to shed were visible in the tightness of his throat, in the way he clenched his fists, in the way he wouldn't look at anyone. He was trying to be strong, but you knew he was breaking inside.

You couldn't stand it anymore. You knew Rafe needed you, even if he wouldn't admit it.

You walked up to him, standing next to him quietly. Without a word, you slipped your hand into his. He tensed, but after a beat, his fingers relaxed, and he squeezed your hand back. You could feel the weight of his grief in that simple gesture. His fingers were cold, his grip tight—he was clinging to you like you were the only thing keeping him anchored to this moment.

"I'm here," you whispered, your voice soft but steady. "I'm here for you, Rafe."

He didn't look at you at first, his eyes still fixed on the coffin, but you could feel his gaze shifting toward you. For a long time, there was nothing but silence between the two of you—no words, just the shared weight of loss that hung in the air like a dense fog. And then, just as you thought he wouldn't speak, he did.

"I should've done more," Rafe's voice was rough, like he was fighting tears he refused to let fall. "I could've stopped her... I should've stopped her from going after John B. I... I should've been there."

You shook your head, not needing to hear his self-blame. "You can't change what happened, Rafe. Sarah made her choices, just like we all make our own. You can't carry that weight. She loved you, no matter what. She knew you were trying to protect her. And I know you did."

His jaw tightened, his face hardening again, but the pain in his eyes didn't go away. He finally met your gaze, and there was a flicker of something there—something raw, something vulnerable. For a moment, you saw the broken man beneath the tough exterior, and it hurt your heart to see it.

"I just wanted to protect her, Y/N," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I wanted to be the one to take care of her. But I couldn't." His grip tightened on your hand, and you could feel the tension radiating from him. "I couldn't protect her from all of this."

You took a step closer, wrapping your arm around his waist. You could feel his body tremble under your touch, but he still didn't pull away. "You loved her, Rafe," you said softly. "That's all you could do. You loved her. And she knew that."

Rafe stood there for a moment, his eyes scanning the crowd, as if looking for something or someone, but all he found was emptiness. His hand dropped from yours for a moment, and he wiped his face roughly with his sleeve, as though trying to force back any emotion.

"I don't know how to do this," he muttered, more to himself than to you. "I don't know how to move on from this."

You stepped forward again, this time cupping his face gently in your hands. He tensed at the contact, but when you met his eyes, you could see how much he was hurting. You spoke softly, every word heavy with emotion. "You don't have to do this alone, Rafe. You don't have to carry all of this on your own. I'm here for you, always. No matter what."

A single tear finally slipped from the corner of his eye, and it felt like the weight of the world came crashing down on you. Rafe, the strong, hardened man who never showed weakness, was finally letting go.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N," he whispered hoarsely, his voice breaking. "I just... I don't know how to keep going."

You pulled him into you, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders as he let his emotions spill out. His arms, once stiff and unyielding, came around you, holding you tightly as if you were the only thing keeping him from falling apart completely. You could feel the tremors in his body, the raw pain in his chest, and you held him tighter, not saying anything more, just letting him grieve in the way he needed to.

And for that moment, the two of you stood together, mourning Sarah, mourning the life that had been stolen away, but also finding solace in the fact that you had each other. The world might have seemed dark, and the future uncertain, but with you by his side, Rafe wasn't alone.

"I love you," Rafe whispered into your hair, his voice barely audible.

"I love you too," you whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, knowing that, no matter what happened next, you would help him through it. You would help him find a way to heal, even if it took time. And together, you'd face whatever came next.

For now, you just held each other, letting the grief wash over you both.