This story follows a girl name Haylee Maybank, JJ Maybanks younger sister. Haylee has a past with an eating disorder, that ended up sending her to rehab for a year- but when she comes back, everything starts to fall apart and she wishes she never ca...
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Song for this chapter: would've could've should've by Taylor Swift
"If clarity's in death, then why won't this die? Years of tearing down our banners you and I. Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts, give me back my girlhood it was mine first."
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Rafe glanced over to Haylee with a knowing look, that shit was about to hit the fan.
She slowly walked over to JJ, as she fidgeted with the skin around her nails- a nervous tick she's always done.
JJ scoffed and shook his head at her, as he walked down the steps and stared right into her eyes with a look she had never seen before- disappointment and pure anger.
Sure, her and JJ had gotten into arguments before, but this was much more than an argument.
"I don't even know where to start Haylee- the fact that you snuck off and outed dad to the cops last night, or that you just got out of Rafe Cameron's jeep!" He said angrily and tossed his hands to his side.
"JJ, please- you have to understand where I was coming from-" She began, but JJ didn't want to hear any of it.
"No, Haylee. I really don't. He was our dad-"
"No he wasn't!" Haylee shot back and ran her hand through her hair, trying to stay calm. He wasn't their dad, he was barely even in their lives. "JJ, when was the last time he did something for either of us?" She asked, looking for a genuine answer.
He clenched his jaw and took a few steps closer to Haylee. "This isn't about what he did or didn't do- this is about blood. If you came running home after escaping from Jail, the last thing I'd do would be to go to the police!"
She scoffed and rubbed her face with her hands, already so fed up with this. "That's exactly it, JJ. I won't come running home from Jail, because I'm not like Luke, I try my hardest to be nothing like him!" She sighs.
"Well maybe you should just embrace it, because it's in our blood, there's no escaping it!" He yelled back and got a glare from Rafe, who had been leaning against the jeep, staying there incase Haylee needed him for whatever reason.
Haylee took a sharp inhale and looked to the side, trying to hide the tears that were pooling in her eyes. "I'm not like him." She said in a firm whisper and looked back to JJ. He began to speak, but she cut him off and spoke in an angrier voice than JJ had ever seen. "You wanna know how I know that? Because I keep this family afloat, not him!" She looks to the house before back at JJ. "I pay the bills. I work for the money, I payed for your stupid doctor's appointments whenever you did something stupid and got hurt! I buy the groceries, and I cook the food that kept me and you alive." She said with a shakiness in her voice as she threw her hands to the side before pointing at her chest and speaking with a hurt tone "I did everything. While you were off with your friends going on fucking treasure hunts, I was here!" She set her hands down to her side and looked at him with genuine hurt in her eyes. "I was always here, alone."
There was a silence. A silence that rang in their ears- the same ringing that they heard whenever Luke had yelled at them. Maybe she was more like him than she knew- or would ever admit.
Rafe was still there, standing still, with a shocked and somewhat angry look. He was angry that JJ couldn't see her hurting, he was angry that Luke treated them the way he did, but most of all, he was angry at himself for not realizing it sooner.
Haylee had been a friend of the Cameron's for several years, how could any of them not notice? Did someone notice and didn't say anything, or was Haylee just that good at hiding it? He didn't know.
Rafe saw the look Haylee gave JJ, and he saw the way JJ's expression changed. He saw her dig right through to his heart, and he saw the realization slowly seeping into his brain. Was JJ that blind, he couldn't realize his little sister was doing all this labor for him their whole lives, or did he notice and didn't want to be the one to take over for Haylee?
JJ began to speak, but everyone could tell he didn't know what to say, or even if he should say anything at all. "Haylee- I.." "No, stop." Haylee cut him off, and walked past him, giving a slight shove to his shoulder as she entered the house.
JJ stood in place and just watched her walk away, but Rafe couldn't just watch. He knew this feeling all too well. The feeling of being abandoned by their father, and fighting with their siblings over whether or not their dad deserved the bad things that came for him- or if they should help because he's still their blood.
Rafe glanced at JJ with a look that said 'don't follow me' and he walked into the house, following behind Haylee. But he didn't realize what he was walking into.
The house was a mess. Glass shattered across the floor that Haylee was busy cleaning up, picking up one piece at a time and holding them in the palm of her hand. A chair was overturned in the living room, but it looked like it belonged in the kitchen. He saw a fallen frame on the ground, and when he picked it up, it was a shattered picture of Haylee and JJ sitting around a table with a cake that said 'Haylee's fifth birthday'. He set the picture down on the table and looked over to her, and he saw the anger and sadness flowing through her body- he hated it.
"Haylee." He said and bent down next to her, helping her clean up the mess. She glanced over to him, but didn't say anything. She just kept picking up the shards of glass and throwing them into the trash next to her. Rafe sighed and spoke again. "Haylee, go upstairs and get rest." He said firmly and this time she didn't stay silent. "No- I have to clean this up." She said and started frantically walking around the kitchen and living room, placing things back to where they were supposed to be.
Rafe didn't know what to do. He had never been in a situation quite like this before, and he didn't know what to say- but he felt all of it. He knew he shouldn't budge, but he also knew that's what she needed. She needed a break, she needed sleep. But Rafe kept quiet. He helped her clean the house, and fifteen minutes later, everything was back in place, except for the picture of Haylee and JJ that she threw in the trash.
The uncomfortable silence was back, but this time it was quiet. It wasn't screaming in their ears to say something- it was telling them to keep quiet and to just be there.
Rafe walked over to the couch Haylee had slumped onto, and sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
She was hesitant at first, but she quickly relaxed and laid her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
Rafe shook his head and looked down at the silent tears that were coming out of her eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Haylee" he replied and hugged her a little tighter.
And that's how they spent the rest of the day. He held her while she cried, and they didn't speak. They were just there.
There for eachother.
Authors note: AH. This was an emotional roller coaster. Oh my goodness. 😃 I'm acting like I didn't just write this. Whoops. But seriously, I'm crying for Haylee. Why am I doing this to myself?
Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying this. 🙏 if you aren't enjoying it, don't tell me, I'm sensitive. But thanks for reading! It seems like her and Rafe are becoming closer 😉 let's hope it stays that way. He he he. (I'm gonna make y'all angry sorry not sorry.)
