Kook Princess | Rafe Cameron

Ch 25: Druthers

Hours had passed as Rafe continued to talk to me through the wall. I held my stomach, lightly tracing the outlines of the bandages. I turned to see an officer unlocking my cell.

"You both are being released" she said.

I stood up as Rafe wrapped his arms around me. As we walked outside I saw my parents standing outside of my fathers truck. I looked down walking to Rose. I got into the backseat riding to Tannyhill. I noticed Sarah sitting at the table with tear stains on her cheeks. She looked up slightly then back down.

"Where's Ward?" I asked softly.

"Um he, he's dead" Rose said.

"What?" I asked.

I turned to Rafe as he ran up the stairs.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I think it's better if we don't talk about it in front of Sarah" she said.

I followed her to the den as she locked the door.

"He was on the Druthers and he blew it up" she said.

"Holy shit" I said.

"Sarah saw it happen" she said.

"Oh shit" I said.

I walked out of the den towards Sarah. I sat beside her as she kept her head on the counter.

"I'm sorry Sar" I said.

"He needs help" she said.

I clenched my jaw.

"You know he does. He tried to kill me Liz!" She said.

"I know!" I snapped. "You don't think I know that? I'm going to get him help, I promise."

"I used to look up to you. Now I don't even want to look at you" she said walking away.

I took a deep breath before walking up the stairs to Rafe's room. I crawled into bed next to him wrapping my arms around his stomach.

"I doubt I can go back home" I whispered.

"This is your home" he said.

I turned his body so he would face me. I wiped the tears from his eyes as he laid his head on my chest. I began rubbing his head as his body relaxed.

~

"A great man once said, if you're born poor, that's not your fault. But if you die poor well that's on you" Ward said on the screen.

I sat next to Rose while she held her hand on top of mine.

"I think in the end it was my fear of going back, of losing everything I have that made me lose sight of everything I am" he said. "Everything i wanted to be."

I glanced over at Rafe who was standing behind us all pacing side to side.

"I killed Big John Routledge. I murdered sheriff Peterkin" he said. "I shot Gavin Barnstead. I know there's nothing I can do to ease the pain i cause. Many will say I took the easy way out. But I leave this world with the terrible pain that I leave behind my family."

Rose squeezed my hand.

"To all of you I leave my estate, to be divided equally. And I leave a love deeper than I could ever express. Take care of each other" he said before the video ended.

Wheezie stood up running out of the room, Sarah slapped down the screen wiping tears. I sighed standing up as Sarah walked out towards the door. Rafe began to follow her.

"Rafe! Let her be" I said.

"She can't leave" he said running after her.

I turned to Rose who hadn't moved since the ending of the video. Sarah walked back inside.

"Can you take me somewhere?" She asked.

I nodded slightly smiling. I grabbed the keys to Rafe's car walking out to it. We both got inside as I turned the vehicle on.

"Where to?" I asked.

"The chateau" she said.

I began driving towards the Cut.

"This about John B?" I asked.

She looked at me then out the window.

"Some things aren't meant to be" she said.

"Listen I know you're mad at me for a lot of things. And I can't blame you for them. But that boy loves you a lot" I said.

She ignored my words as I pulled in. I watched as she slowly walked towards the dock. John B was sitting at the end. The two sat across from each other sitting at the edge of the dock. She started walking back towards the car when John B hugged her from behind. She took off the small string around her neck handing it to the boy.

The second she got into the car she began crying. I held her letting her cry into my body.

"It's okay baby" I whispered.

She cried and cried finally stopping. She wiped the tears slightly smiling.

"Will you bring me to Toppers?" She asked.

I nodded turning the vehicle on. It was now dark as I pulled into Topper's driveway. She got out of the vehicle standing with the door open.

"I don't blame you by the way. I know you love him and he loves you" she said. "Thank you for being the older sister I needed."

I smiled as she shut the door. She walked over to the fountain grabbing a rock before throwing it to the window that belonged to Topper's room. I waited until Topper came outside to her to leave.

Driving back to Tannyhill, I sighed pulling into the driveway. I turned the car off walking inside. I walked up to the room as Rafe walked out of the bathroom with a towel hanging around his waist.

"Where'd you bring Sarah?" He asked.

"If I told you she probably wouldn't trust me" I said. "There's very little trust between us now."

He walked up to me wrapping his arm around my waist. I smiled as he placed a kiss on my cheek.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on" he said.

"I better be" I said.

There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" I responded.

"I need your help with something Liz" Rose said.

I looked at Rafe before walking out. I followed Rose to the Island Room to see papers scattered across the table.