This is Me Trying ⭑ Rafe Cameron

fifty one

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE
[51]
song: waxwing by sorry

Cassie pulled a plate from the murky pool of water in the sink, though her mind was miles away. Her brother perched casually on the counter beside her, his legs swinging back and forth like he hadn't just escaped death— again.

"Dude had like a spear-gun, or something." JJ proclaimed. "And he locked me in like this closet thing—"

"I'd honestly rather you not tell me these things." Cassie says, placing the dish on the drying mat beside her before moving onto the next. "Just say some guy tried to kill you guys underwater and leave it at that. How are you feeling?"

The warm evening sun shone through the window above the sink. Frogs and cicadas hummed outside, and quiet chatter filled the rest of the house as everyone caught each other up on today's activities.

Cassie was less than enthusiastic to share that she'd been fired, and basically blacklisted from The Island Club. She didn't want JJ to feel like it was his fault, and even though it might've been, Cassie could feel herself carrying most of the blame. And it didn't feel fair to put that on anyone else.

"Then he chased Kie and I down the pier earlier." JJ adds, scratching the back of his neck.

Cassie gives him a face. "Dude, like all that does is freak me out. I'm gonna need to start following you guys around or something so I can monitor just how many people want to kill you—"

"Yeah, so you can pull a gun on him. All James Bond 'n shit." JJ nods.

Cassie wasn't amused, not responding as she moved to drain the sink. Though she could feel a question looming in the air, she tried to change the subject before it was asked.

"I talked to—"

JJ talked over her. "How did you even find that?"

She pauses, then looks at him. "Find what?"

"My gun." He responds. "It was mine, wasn't it? Last night with Rafe?"

Cassie's heart skipped. For a moment, she kept her back to him, pretending to busy herself. "I don't know. It's not like it was hidden, just sitting on your closet shelf." She shrugged, keeping her tone light.

"Do you frequent my closet shelf?"

"Frequent your closet shelf?" She narrows her eyes at him.

"Like are you snooping and shit?"

"No, I literally just saw it there the other day—"

"Because you were snooping?"

"JJ." Cassie flung her arms out frustratedly, eyes widened. He waved her on so she'd continue. "No. I saw it there the other day and went to grab it because I was home alone and didn't— like that he was here."

JJ crossed his arms, leaning back against one of the upper cabinets "Right."

Cassie looked at him, watching as he thought it over with an inquisitive look on his face. "What?"

He shrugs. "Man, you should've shot him, or something. Like just in the leg."

She got out a scoff, relieved his thoughtful expression led only to a snarky comment. She grabbed the towel and
began drying her hands, her gaze flicked up as John B strode into the kitchen with a swagger that only he could pull off while still chewing the remnants of his meal. He dropped the plate into the sink carelessly, a muffled crunch escaping from his mouth as he chewed.