𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐒𝐓 , 𝐨𝐛𝐱

𝟎𝟗, chapter nine

VIOLET PETERKIN had a friend. as much as that sounded like a toddler rejoicing after making conversation with another toddler and declaring them their life-long best friend, becoming friends with jj maybank was genuinely one of the best things that had happened to violet in over a year.

so, when she had left her house that morning, she was happier than she had been in months. that was until she was pulled backwards by the arm and pushed against a wall, a firm hand covering her mouth — a familiar hand. "fuck no!" she attempted to scream but was muffled by his hand.

"v, stop. i just want to talk." rafe demanded, towering over the girl. "please just let me talk."

"no fucking way, you psycho!" she pushed him away from her but he grasped tighter onto her arm. "rafe, let me go." she felt her throat grow hoarse as her voice broke in pure fear.

"v, stop struggling against me. i would never hurt you, you know that."

"no, rafe! do you not understand what you did? nothing would've hurt me more!" she grew panicked, struggling desperately against him as her heart raced. "i know what you're capable of, so please just let me leave."

he saw the hurt in her eyes and felt a tug at his heart, but proceeded. "i can't let you go, baby. you're going to tell everyone what i did and—"

"fuck yes, i am! you killed my—"

he cut her off with his hand returning to its position of blocking her words. he was so close to her that she could feel his breath fanning her face as he spoke lowly, "if you promise to keep your mouth shut, i'll let you go."

"i can't do that, rafe." violet timidly spoke — trying to regain her power but failing — when he moved his hand from her mouth to hold her jaw. "she was my mother. i have to do right by her."

he chuckled in a way his ex-girlfriend had seen a few times before (one time being the night of the movie when he nearly killed pope). "well, then." he grabbed her throat, and she felt terror wash over her. there was no way this was the same man she'd fallen in love with. "i guess i'll have to deal with you."

she would've sworn her heart stopped beating in her chest and terror washed over her. the man in front of her, with his hand around her throat, was a murderer and had just indirectly threatened to kill her. however, this man was also rafe cameron — a man she had fallen madly in love with for two years of her life. she knew him, and therefore knew exactly how to get him to falter.

"i thought you said you wouldn't hurt me?" she choked out, him still partially blocking her air.

he pondered, loosening his grip momentarily which allowed her to quickly slip from his grasp, swiftly kneeing him between the legs before sprinting in the direction of the busy country club. "violet!" he screamed, but gave up once she was lost in the crowd. rafe cursed himself and almost punched the brick wall his ex girlfriend was previously pinned against.

violet breathed deeply in an attempt to calm herself down, to no avail as she had to run to the bathrooms and crouch over the sink, the panic within her making her feel like she was going to throw up. she dared to look up at herself in the mirror, and saw the tears staining her face.

she was weak. around rafe, she knew she was still the girl who blindly fell under his manipulation. she was the same weak idiot who had no power whatsoever when put against rafe.

even now, she let him have power over the larger aspects of her life. so far, everyone had let him get away with killing her mother, and that was something she desperately wanted to change.

—

when violet returned home that evening, she had to fight the urge to reopen the liquor cabinet and crack open another bottle. her arm ached and she realised there were marks which would most likely bruise from where rafe had grabbed her. she ran her arm under cold water from the kitchen tap and winced when it stung — he'd clearly broken some skin.