𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐓 , 𝐨𝐛𝐱

𝟎𝟖, chapter eight

FINDING OUT that the man she'd been in love with for two years had killed her mother took a huge toll on violet (obviously). so, she'd spent yet another entire day in her bed, crying until she ached.

the next day, she decided she'd had enough — similar to her day after her mother was shot. she went on a long walk around the island to clear her head, and passed through the country club.

what she didn't expect to see was pope heyward delivering groceries — only a few feet away from her. she froze. on one hand, if she told him she knew about rafe he could scold her forever for not believing him, or he could think this was a set-up and that she would later betray them. what reason would he have to trust her? before she could consider her other options, the boy turned around. she immediately looked away but cringed as she realised he'd definitely seen her watching him — and had most likely rolled his eyes dramatically.

hesitantly, she approached him. "hey, pope. can we talk?"

"violet, i'm just trying to do my job. could you please torment me on a different day?" violet pursed her lips, knowing that was probably a valid response.

"i don't want to torment you. i'm sorry i have done in the past." she swallowed her pride, deciding to try and reason with the boy.

"wow. is violet peterkin apologising to me?" he placed a hand on his heart, feigning shock. "i feel so honoured." her tongue poked the side of her mouth as she tried to contain her annoyance at his sarcasm. "that's like receiving a knighthood, for us peasants on the cut."

"very funny." she replied in a sharp tone. he turned to walk back to his father but paused at her next words. "rafe killed my mom." he met her eyes and they stared at one another dumbfounded.

"you believe us?" the glimmer of hope in his eyes made violet's heart ache, but she couldn't lie to him.

"not exactly. rafe told me this morning." he nodded and sighed, knowing he should've expected nothing less. "i'm sorry that i didn't believe you — in my defence: he was my boyfriend, and you guys didn't exactly like him in the first place."

"yeah, why do you think?" violet looked down at her feet, ashamed. "he's always been psychotic, violet. he terrorised us, and made our lives miserable. so, it wasn't too much of a shock to me that he killed someone and framed a pogue. that's just like him."

"yeah, i'm sorry i misjudged him, and you guys."

"if you're on an apology streak, you should probably apologise for staying with him through all of it. you even participated in his torture, actually! you were the one who came up to me at the movie and pretty much started that fight."

"i didn't want a fight to break out. i tried to stop rafe and topper! in fact, i actually stopped the—"

"you stayed with him when he beat the shit out of me for no reason! he could've killed me and you didn't care!" his voice broke as his emotions were clearly overpowering him. pope's dad came up behind him and tugged his shoulder, attempting to pull him away as he realised many people turned to look at the yelling teen.

"i'm sorry for everything, pope. really, i am. i was awful to you." violet felt embarrassed to have even tried to speak to him. she had treated him and his friends like less than human beings, and for that she knew she didn't deserve forgiveness. "if any of you ever need anything, you can come to me."

"oh, cool! could you can bring back john b for me?" the polite act she was putting on fell completely after he said this.

"you know that wasn't my fault. and, i lost sarah too, you asshole!"