UNLEASH HER || OUTER BANKS

37: locked away ☆

"That was a long time ago," Rafe said, looking around his room. It was bland now. There weren't flags on the walls or basketball hoops, it was plain, boring, adult. The only piece of decoration he had was a picture frame on his bedside table, it was of Emerson.

"You should decorate," Emerson told him as she turned around to face him. She stepped over to him with a small smile on her face. "It would look nicer if you decorate."

"We can decorate our room," Rafe replied.

"Our room?" She asked, a curious look on his face.

A small smile tried to appear on Rafe's face. He stepped over to her, turning her around and wrapping his arms around her. Her back was pressed against his chest as they looked around Rafe's room. And Rafe didn't seem to notice that the keys to the truck were missing from his bed.

"I'm going to provide for us, Emerson. I'm going to make everything better."

She sighed, leaning her head back against him for a moment. They were nice words, she could admit that, but it's not what she wanted. She wanted to explore the world with JJ, she wanted to experience true love, and she couldn't do that with Rafe. 

"I'm going to give what that pogue can't," He added.

Emerson wanted to shake her head, she wanted to tell him that JJ was more of a man than Rafe would ever be, but she didn't. All she did was smile up at him saying, "I know you are Rafe."

"Go take a shower, okay? I'll get you some clothes," He spoke softly then backed away and walked out of the room and headed up towards Sarah's room.

Emerson didn't head to the shower, though, she stood in the middle of the room, waiting. A moment later Sarah walked in, and immediately started searching for the key.

"Sarah," Emerson whispered, holding up the key. Sarah sighed then walked over to Emerson, taking the key from her hand. "Okay you need to go before he comes back."

"Come with me," Sarah told her.

Emerson shook her head. "I can't Sarah, if I leave he'll know somethings wrong and we'll never be able to get the cross for Pope," Emerson replied, the sadness obvious by the look in her eye. She was desperate to go, she never wanted to step foot in this room again, but she had to stay. "Just go, before he comes back. Please."

"Don't make me leave you," Sarah said, holding onto Emerson's wrist, trying to take her away from Rafe. There were tears in Sarah's eyes now, she didn't want to leave Emerson behind, even though it's what she agreed to do.

"You don't have a choice, now go," Emerson said, her voice a lot more stern as she tried to push Sarah away.

"No. Emerson, I can't leave you here with him. I can't, I won't." Sarah said shaking her head at Emerson. "If you come with me you get to be with him. You won't have to be stuck here with Rafe."

"Sarah, just go. Don't make this harder," Emerson told her, tears beginning to form in her eyes as well. Some of them were Sarah, and some of them were for her, but most of them were for JJ. "Please Sarah."

"He'll hate me for leaving you here, they all will," Sarah added, still trying to convince Emerson to leave Rafe behind. "You're a pogue, Emerson. You don't belong with Rafe. I know part of you feels that you owe this to him but you don't. Nothing he did was your fault."

Both of them were crying. Tears were streaming down their faces and they both knew they only had a few moments before Rafe would walk back into the room and catch them.

"Please, just go. Get the cross, I'll find a way out," Emerson told her. "I promise."

"I swear to god if you stay with him-"