All her stars | Rafe Cameron

C H A P T E R 34

GONE

They stayed on the chair for a while, hearing the thunder grumble above the tents. They stayed silent until Shoupe came back and they all got up.

"Did you find them?" Pope asked, worried.

They had eventually learnt Sarah was in the boat with John B and they ran away together, towards the storm.

"No," Shoupe replied with a way too solemn tone. "We hum.. we lost them"

"You lost them? what do you mean you lost them? like- like they're gone what are you talking about?" Pope asked.

"They took an open boat into a tropical depression Pope"

They stayed quiet for a little while realising the impact of Shoupe's words in their lives.

"So they're dead?" Kiara asked. Those words were tough to hear, but Callie had a feeling the answer would hurt even more.

"We don't know," he only replied.

"You joking, right?" Callie yelled at him, on verge of tears.

"Does it seem like I am?" Shoupe replied rudely.

"You drove them right through the storm man! you kidding me?! come here," JJ rushed towards Shoupe, grabbed him by the collar but some other cops arrived so they tried to separate them.

"JJ stop!" they all shouted at him as he kept fighting.

"He didn't kill anyone and you know it!"

Kie pulled Pope in for a hug, as Callie had no one to hold onto. She cried alone for a few seconds, until JJ calmed down, held on his cap with both of his hands and pulled her in a hug.

"Come here"

"They're dead," she sobbed as he cried with her too.

John B was gone. Forever. She would never have him to laugh with, surf with, hang out with anymore.

Sarah was gone too, and it was hurting her that all she'd have known was an abusive family. At least Callie had found another one, to replace the family she didn't have; not anymore, at least.

"I thought I could save Rafe, JJ I swear, but look what he did," she sobbed again but then she felt another hand on her back.

She turned around and saw who she needed the most at this exact moment. She didn't know how he had learnt about her being arrested and being here but she pulled Cooper in for a hug and held onto him for as long as she could.

"They're gone, Coop, they drowned," she cried.

He nodded as he already knew and hugged back, keeping her as close as possible. JJ gave the siblings some privacy and joined the Heywards, who welcomed him in their family hug too.

Her life was falling apart, her heart was shattering, and she knew exactly who to blame.

After a while, they pulled away and walked to the car slowly and silently. Callie suddenly felt nauseous so she ran away and threw up in an isolated area.

"You okay?" Cooper rushed towards her and she wiped away her mouth as he gave her water to rince it.

"Yeah, let's go home"

ꕥ ꕥ

"Meet me at our secret beach spot, 3am, don't tell no one," she texted, and as fast as she clicked on « sending » she regretted. But it was too late for regrets.