BREAKING | rafe cameron

SEVENTEEN

"So, are you guys ready to eat? If not I can keep it warm." I offered, Rose glanced at Ward, he put on a fake smile, "let's eat!"

Sarah and Wheezie were oh so thoughtfully helping me in the kitchen, pulling out plates and silverware, grabbing glasses and putting them on the table. "Thanks, Z." I smiled at the young girl, I was the only person that ever really called her Z, and she liked it to stay that way. "Go sit down, I've got it." I assured her, handing her a plate of food, Sarah refused to sit until I did, so she helped finish up in the kitchen bringing everyone else their plates, when she came back I pulled her aside, "I'll try and control Rafe, you try and control your dad." She nodded in agreement, we had to have a plan just in case this dinner went sideways, which let's be real, we knew it would.

So far, everything was going okay, it wasn't bad, but it was definitely awkward. No one was really talking, Sarah and I had tried, but no one was cooperating, so we've given up, allowing the awkward silence to fill the room. I was in the middle of taking a bite of food, when Ward cleared his throat, I looked up from my plate, mid chew. "Girls, could you give Rafe and I second?" Ward asked, Rose didn't hesitate, Sarah and I didn't budge and Wheezie was looking between Rafe and Ward wide eyed. "Whatever you want to talk about, Charli can hear." Rafe grabbed my leg under the table, squeezing it out of anxiousness. I slid my hand underneath the table, placing it over his. Wheezie stood up, getting ready to go. I shot Sarah a look, silently begging her not to go. She looked to Rafe who nodded, "I'm not going anywhere." Sarah sat back in her seat, making Ward go wide eyed, Wheezie still stood there. "Wheezie, go." We all spoke in unison, I gave the girl a young smile, telling her it would be okay. "Sarah, go." Ward added after a moment of staring her down. "She can stay." I spoke up, shooting Ward a look. "Fine, if you insist." He wiped his mouth with the napkin before putting it on his plate. "Rafe, I think you should move back home." We all went wide eyed at his statement, I looked to Rafe, thankfully he looked just as disgusted by the thought as I did. "Yeah, that's not happening." He spoke, staring across the table at his father, Sarah and I caught each others eyes, shit's about to go down. "Charli-" I cut Ward off, "you can call me Charlotte." I corrected, only my friends call me Charli. "Charlotte here is a bad influence on you, son." My eyebrows shot up, "what?" Rafe and I spoke at the same time. "Isn't it true that you fell off the wagon, because of her?" Ward accused, looking at me like I was a piece of trash.

"That's far from the truth." Rafe corrected him, "she's made me a better person, better than you'll ever be." He mumbled the last part but Ward clearly heard it, "that's no way to talk to your father." He quipped. I sighed, feeling the anxiousness rise up my chest, I laced my fingers with Rafe's underneath the table. "Dad, just stop." Sarah tried to calm her dad, but he gave her a death stare, forcing her to slouch back in her seat. "You're moving home, she's no good for you, with her drug induced mother, you can't be around that, it's a surprise it took so long or you to slip up." Ward seethed, Rafe stood, his chair sliding out behind him. We all followed his actions, Ward resting his hands on the table, waiting for Rafe to have a comeback, but I beat him to it. "You know, Ward. Next time you want to come in our house and shit talk my mother, you should do your research. First of all, he's met my mother once, and that was in a public setting, and it never affected his sobriety, at all. Second of all, she's dead." I snapped, Sarah gasped, I hadn't told anyone, not wanting to relive the pain, of both the losses that came from that day. Ward didn't falter, "well, clearly you did something to make him drink."

Rafe was balling his fists, his knuckles turning white, "what? You're gonna hit your old man. Go ahead!" He shouted, "dad." Sarah cautioned, Rafe jerked forward but I stepped in front of him. "Let me handle this." I whispered to him, turning towards Ward. "You can think what you want of me, Ward. But what you need to realize is you're the one who's bad for Rafe. All you did from the time he was little was put pressure on him to be this perfect business man. He started doing drugs and drinking because it made him forget what a shitty father you were. The truth is, I am showing Rafe what kind of man he can be, and he's choosing to be a better man than you. Oh, and another thing, one day you'll see us walking down the street, happy, maybe even with your grandkids, and you'll kick yourself for being such an asshole to your only son. Now get the hell out of our house." Sarah and Rafe stared at me in shock, but agreeing nonetheless. "Rafe, if I walk out that door, I'm never talking to you again!" Ward snapped, slamming his hands down on the table, Rafe didn't hesitate. "Get out." I took a sharp breath at his words, he's really doing this. "Let's go, Sarah." Ward mumbled, walking towards the door, we followed, Rose and Wheezie standing in the living room in shock. "No, I don't want to go with you." Sarah stood her ground from beside me.

"Excuse me? Young lady, get your ungrateful ass in the car." Ward stomped over to her, gripping her wrist. "Ow!" She snapped, trying to peel her grip from his wrist, he didn't budge. "Daddy, you're hurting me." She cried out, but he was too busy staring at Rafe to listen to her. "Get your hands off of her." Rafe demanded, his voice booming. Ward dropped his grip, Sarah instantly wrapped her arms around Rafe, he softened at his sisters touch, being angry that he allowed her to get hurt. Rafe put his arm out, motioning for me to join the hug, I did. I pulled Sarah closer to me as she cried, I felt Wheezie wrap her arms around us too. This is by far one of the most depressing hugs ever. Rafe let a couple of tears as his three favorite girls were all hugging him tightly, like he would just be torn from their grip. "Wheezie, you need to go with him." I whispered as she squeezed me tightly, I've never seen her this emotional. I stepped aside, allowing her to hug her brother directly. "Go home, okay, be good, I love you." Rafe mumbled, kissing the top of her head, "I love you too." She cried, pulling herself from him. I cried harder at the sight of Wheezie walking out the door, tears streaming down her face, unsure of when she'll get to see her brother again. "Sarah's staying, until she feels safe around you." I seethed at Ward, feeling protective over her. He didn't protest, just walked out with Rose, slamming the door in the process. Sarah peeled herself from Rafe, clinging herself to me, "thank you, for everything, for helping Rafe, I missed my brother." She whispered to me, I had a hand on the back of her head as she held me closely. "Of course, you can stay here as long as you need." I paused, taking a much needed deep breath.

"Do you want to call John B?" I asked her softly, pulling back to see her eyes, the answer to this question told me that they were just as in love as Rafe and I. Her eyes showed a flicker of happiness just at the mention of his name, "please." She looked to Rafe, I brushed him off, "don't worry about him, he's gotta get used to you having a boyfriend." Rafe groaned at my words, his mood lightening a little bit. Sarah nodded, wiping at her face before pulling her phone out. "Come on, give her some space." I whispered grabbing Rafe's hand as she started talking into her phone, "I'll be right there." I faintly heard John B through the phone speaker. "Are you okay?" I asked, cupping Rafe's face in my hands, staring up at him with soft eyes. He nodded slowly, "nothing he said is true, you know that, right?" His hands went over mine, looking down at me. "Of course I know that, Rafe. You love me, I have no doubt about that." I assured him, pulling him in for an emotional kiss. Rafe pulled away to catch his breath, "this is a complete conversation change, but you standing up to my dad like that was really hot." He breathed out, our foreheads touching. "You're sister is in the next room." I laughed, completely killing his mood. "Sarah!" I heard John B call, the front door swinging open. "Hey." He breathed out in relief when Sarah hugged him. "It's okay."

I gave Rafe a small smile, "he loves her, the same way you love me." I comforted Rafe, he's always been so nervous about John B breaking her heart, since he's my best friend, it would no doubt cause issues. "I know, you're right."