WILD RIDE (Rafe Cameron x OC) *COMPLETE*

Chapter Ninety-Two (Alana)

CHAPTER NINETY-TWO

Alana

ONE MONTH LATER

We righted all of our mistakes. Every single one of them. So well in fact that we didn't kill Groff, no, we had set the perfect trap to catch him and bring him back to Shoupe just as we promised. JJ's charges? Thrown away.

For the most part. The destruction of the city shit? Yeah.. He's got community service and a lot of it. But that's way better than the alternative which is him being fucking dead. But now his favorite thing to do is tease me about it. I told him about how I kissed him like some fucking idiot and he thinks I'm the biggest weirdo for it.

"Did you really try to pull a Snow White on me?" He was mind boggled.

"I was dying from an infection and blood loss, idiot. Don't flatter yourself." I argue back. "Doesn't matter anyways because apparently it's like it never happened."

On the ship ride back to the Outer Banks everyone took the time to speak their minds about shit. Getting everything out in the open and no one was allowed to interrupt the other. Rafe gave everyone individually heartfelt apologies for everything he had ever done to each and every one of them.

Once he started the train of apologies it was like everyone else sort of followed suit. Pope apologized for being so closed minded to Rafe being able to change and be a better person. Which was then followed up with the topic of how people we think are our heroes can actually be the bad guys.

Before leaving Morocco though I had made it in perfect timing to see a doctor. A good doctor, one that instantly put me on antibiotics and like I knew before- happened again. My IUD had been dislodged and they were able to help me through the miscarriage. Rafe was devastated but I had already processed it. I already knew it was over and done with so I lost all attachment to the thought of it going anywhere.

Getting home though? Getting home was the best part. Pulling up the driveway of Tannyhill and seeing Leah playing in the yard. Stopping dead in her tracks when Rafe and I got out of the car.. She ran to us. She ran so fast and tears fell from all of our faces.

Never again. We would never leave her like that ever again. Which is why we decided to continue working from home. And if I had a showing? I brought Leah and Rafe with me. Which hadn't been many since we took time off to just be a family after arriving home.

Today we planned to be just a pool day. Relaxing by the water and just enjoying being home.

Wheezie had decided to hang around but Rose had to go home and head back to work for a bit. She had missed a lot while we were gone. That was when the door bell had rang and Wheezie looked around the front.

"Hey that's the girl that's been coming around here looking for you." Wheezie said.

I go through the house and open the door only to find Katie Michaels standing there. Toying with the ends of her hair while she looks at me like a lost puppy.

"What do you want?" I cross my arms.

She takes a moment and then speaks. "M-Mom... She uh... She.. She died." Katie says and where I should feel grief I feel nothing.

I blink at her as she starts to cry and I don't do or say anything. Why should I? Julia Routledge abandoned me and ran off to have another baby so my dad wouldn't find out. Yet she just left me and John B and blamed her own mother. I guess Marge is at fault too I mean that old bitch is a cunt but Julia is her own person and made her own choices. Choices that had been influenced by Marge Lewis.

"Oh." Is all I say.

"Oh?" Katie wipes her tears and questions me. "She's your mom too."

"No." I argue. "My mom's name is Rose Cameron. Julia Routledge died when I was two and she decided to run off. She's been dead to me all my life, Katie. Her being dead now doesn't bother me."

"It should!" Katie argues back. "Because before she stabbed herself in the gut she wrote a letter. It's all because of you and John B! She felt so much guilt and sorrow because neither of you accepted her back into your lives-"

"She immediately went to my brother for money. She didn't love us and didn't care about us. She barely fucking knew us."

Katie shook her head at me and the way she crinkled her nose looked so much like Big John that it was frightening. "You should be ashamed of yourself.."

"For what? For not wanting a monster in my life? For not lowering my standards to fit the mold of someone who never wanted me to begin with? Let me ask you something Katie, where were you born? A nice hospital? Did you have a nice nursery growing up? Did Mom read you bedtime stories and cuddle you until you fell asleep?"

Katie remains silent but nods. "Why does it matter? She loved you so much and all she wanted was for all of us to be a family. For us siblings to be together and you never gave her that. You shut her out of your life and your daughter's life."

"Why does it matter- Katie, I was born in a bathtub, alright? Mom never snuggled me or cuddled me. I didn't get bedtime stories or special moments to remember forever. I used to sit in my bedroom window and imagine what my mom would even look like. Some days it was Winona Ryder and other days? Other days I pictured the Wicked Witch of the West just to make myself feel a little better than maybe she could never come back for me because she was in Oz or something. Or because you know she was green and evil."

"You're right you had it worse than I did but I had to grow up thinking my Dad was dead."

"You got lucky." I give warning with my tone. "Big John was a shit bag and a minimal father. Clearly you had everything with Dental Daddy and your Mommy who loved you oh so dearly and read you stories and gave you a million kisses and..." Did everything for Katie that I do for Leah. The over compensation I do at times to make up for the fact I never had my mom and for being away from Leah for weeks. But even before that.. It was to make up for what I never had. To fill that void in my heart and heal my own childhood.

Katie says nothing. "She would have wanted you and I to bond, Alana. And John B too. Nicky still asks about you and Rafe all the time. No matter what Mom did to you it wasn't my choice. There's no reason to shut me out."

"I have all the reason to shut you out."

"Name one."

"I can't stand looking at you and knowing that you were the chosen one. You were the kid that Julia decided enough was enough and left. You got to grow up in a mansion and go to private school and go on class trips out of the country. You had your own passport-"

"That you stole."

"I never left North Carolina until Rose put me on a boat and took me out of here for my own good. I mean it ended badly but... That's not the point of this. You had everything I didn't. How can I look at you and have a bond with you when you're everything I should have been? You got everything I should have got... You and Nicky got everything.. John B and I? We had nothing."

"I just lost my everything." Katie says softly. "My Dad is a mess and can't handle any of this. It was so sudden.. Out of nowhere. She was fine, like completely fine, Alana. But then a month ago she just-"

"A month ago?"

Katie nods. "Yeah, it's been a month. I tried to come here to talk to you but that girl said you were in Morocco. I thought she was fucking with me. But yeah, it's been a month since Mom died."

A month... I was in Morocco and had talked to Wheezie. She said a girl came to see me and that was both times. But in this timeline Wheezie said the girl was distraught and Wheezie didn't know we already got the crown... The crown...

I wished for JJ to live and for our family to be together. At whatever cost as long as it didn't harm us. The crown had to take in order to give. A life for a life. My baby was going to miscarry not matter what so that didn't count but Julia.. Julia was taken so we could have JJ. A fair trade.