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"𝙒𝙀 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙊 talk about this."
Anna and Mike Carrera were regarding their oldest daughter with looks full of concern. Their eyes continually drifted to her bruised eye that she hadn't even bothered to cover that morning.
She had avoided their questions the night previous after her, Kiara, and Sarah had left the party. But not long after she awoke, wedged in between her sister and friend, her parents had knocked on her bedroom door, asking to speak with her.
Now, Charlotte sat at the kitchen island, picking at her nail polish as she tried to avoid the stares from her parents.
She had awoken with an immense amount of dread that morning. She was heartbroken, and she was angry.
She was angry at Rafe for how he had treated her last night. And she was angry at JJ for causing a scene. But she was also heartbroken that JJ was willing to defend her like that, and that she still wanted to run back into Rafe's arms after all that had happened.
"There's nothing to talk about." She finally answered, dragging her eyes up to focus on her father who had spoken to her. "I got in the middle of a fight. My own fault really."
Anna exhaled, dropping her head slightly. "Charlotte, you disappeared for days and then show back up with a black eye that you lied to all of us about. And then we have to find out what really happened after one of your friends tries to beat up your boyfriend at our anniversary party."
Charlotte pursed her lips, "Well sorry I ruined your party."
"That's not what your mother is saying, Charlotte." Mike corrected.
"You're outta control, baby." Anna continued, tears settling in her eyes. "You've dropped out of school, you don't show up to the therapy appointments I make for you, you run off for days with barely a mention of where you are. We're scared for you."
A lump formed in Charlotte's throat as she looked back down at her manicure that she had ruined in the past five minutes. She picked at her nails again. "I'm fine."
Her voice broke slightly, signalling her lie.
"You're not." Anna whispered.
"Rafe and I are good." Charlotte argued. "We're back together and we're happy. I'm going to re-enroll in classes in the winter, and I'll go to my stupid therapy appointments. I'll be okay."
Mike studied his daughter, always able to read her better than her mother could. "Do you think getting back together with Rafe is what's best for you?"
Anna looked more taken off guard by the question than Charlotte did. She had always loved Rafe, her blinders on when it came to all the bullshit he had put her daughter through.
Meeting her father's eyes, Charlotte didn't say anything. She picked at her nails again. "I'm old enough to take care of myself. You guys don't have to worry so much."
"Baby," Anna whispered, "We're always going to worry about you. No matter how old you get. Something needs to change."
"What do you propose?" Charlotte snapped back, much harsher than warranted. But she was running on barely any sleep, and her heart felt like it had been ripped in two different directions.
Mike's eyes settled on the purplish bruise on his daughter's face, his expression full of sadness. "Maybe you should go back to school sooner than later. I think getting off this island may be good for you."
Charlotte didn't want to hear that. She couldn't hear that. Because it was the truth, she just didn't want to admit that to herself.
As if her perfect escape had been planned, there was a slight creak on the stairs, pulling the trios attention toward where Sarah stood.
"Sorry," She apologized, giving Mike and Anna a sheepish look. "I didn't want to interrupt."
Taking this as her chance to avoid any further conversation with her parents, Charlotte perked up. "What's up, Sare?"
Sarah shook her head, "I can wait until you guys are done."
"That would be gre─"
"─We're done." Charlotte interrupted her mother, giving Sarah a tight smile, "What's up?"
She had already removed herself from the barstool and had made her way toward Sarah, leaving her parents speechless.
Sarah cast a glance toward the Carrera parents, but when they remained in stunned silence, she turned to face Charlotte, "I was wondering if you could give me a ride over to Topper's? I need to talk to him."
Thankful for any excuse to leave, Charlotte nodded immediately. "Of course," She answered, "Just let me get my keys."
"This conversation isn't over, Charlotte!" Anna called as Charlotte made her way toward the front door. "You can't avoid talking about this forever!"
Charlotte ignored her mother, something she never would have done a year ago, as she ushered Sarah from the house.
"Are you sure you're okay to take me? I can ask Kie." Sarah wondered as they loaded into Charlotte's car.
"Positive." Charlotte answered, reaching over to do up her seatbelt. "I would have gouged my eyes out if I had to listen to them lecture me any longer."
Sarah's attention had snagged on Charlotte's black eye, much like everyone else's did. "Have you talked to JJ since last night?" She suddenly wondered, catching Charlotte off guard.
Charlotte flicked on her blinker, steering them toward Topper's street. "No." She answered, pushing down the lump in her throat. "Not really sure what to say to him."
Nodding slowly, Sarah looked like she was biting back a response.
"Have you talked to John B?" Charlotte inquired, trying to turn the tables. It was a nasty thing to do, but she wanted to conversation to be off of herself.
Sarah visibly tensed, "No." She responded. "He won't talk to me. That's why I need to talk to Topper to sort this mess out."
"You think Topper's gonna press charged?" Charlotte wondered.
"Even if he doesn't want to, his mother will make him." Sarah mumbled, "The fact that John B did that in front of the whole Figure Eight won't bode well."
Charlotte nodded, her heart feeling heavy as she recalled the night before.
"Do you mind if we make a stop after?" She questioned, the sudden urge to see Rafe unbearable.
Sarah knew exactly who Charlotte wanted to see, and no matter how much she wanted to say no, she didn't. "Yeah."
Pulling into the Thornton's driveway, Charlotte gave Sarah a small smile, "Want me to come with you?"
A nervous exhale flew from Sarah's lips as she shook her head, "I should do this by myself." She answered, not sounding fully convinced, "Thank you, though."
Charlotte nodded, reaching out to give her hand a squeeze. "You've got this."
Sarah didn't look fully convinced of that as she stepped out of the car, giving Charlotte one final uneasy glance before making her way up the stairs of the porch.
Charlotte watched her go, losing sight of her as she turned the corner. She knew Topper would be pissed, his mother equally as so. It was no easy task Sarah was taking on.
She sat in silence for a few moments, her mind reeling. She wasn't sure how she was going to fix all of this with Rafe...and with JJ.
Soon enough, Charlotte found herself reaching for her phone and pulling up his contact. Her hands hovered over the keyboard for a minute, unsure of what to say. She settled with the simplest greeting.
charley: hey.
A minute passed...and then two...and then three.
Finally, his response came through.
jj: hey.
Charlotte could feel her heart stumble for a moment, his response sounding so much unlike JJ. He was pissed at her, and for good reason.
charley: how are you this morning?
His response took longer this time.
jj: im fine. Just worried about John B
Biting at her nails, Charlotte let out a breath.
charley: sarah is working on that. just lay low for now, alright?
jj: we've got it handled.
"Fuck." Charlotte felt tears sting her eyes. The last person she ever wanted mad at her was JJ. He was the best thing she had. They'd never fought before, he'd never been angry with her before.
Maybe that's why she took him for granted.
Maybe that's why she was in this fucked up mess.
The door to her car swinging open startled Charlotte, forcing her to hastily reach up and wipe her tears away with the hope that Sarah hadn't seen them.
"Hey," She greeted, voice cracking slightly. "How'd it go."
Sarah looked equally as upset as she slumped into the seat. "They're pressing charges," She muttered, closing her eyes for a moment. "And they want me to testify against John B."
"Are you serious?" Charlotte's sadness had turned to utter shock. "Do they really think you're going to—"
"I told them I would," Sarah interrupted, causing confusion to ripple across Charlotte's features. "But I'm obviously not." She added, "I just need some more time to convince him to drop the charges."
"Oh," Charlotte nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief, "Good idea."
Sarah closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and reaching for her seatbelt. "We should get going."
Charlotte let out a small exhale as she started the car. "Yeah. Guess we should."
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"I'll be right back," Charlotte announced, killing the engine and stepping out of the car.
Sarah was looking down at her phone, as if unable to look up at the house in front of here. She had spent seventeen years in that house, but now all it seemed to do was haunt her.
"Be careful," she warned, still not looking up.
Charlotte let out a low sigh, wiping her clammy hands on her shorts as she made her way toward the front door. She had no idea how this conversation was about to go, but knew there was no chance it was going to be easy.
Rafe was hurt, but most importantly he was embarrassed. And when he was embarrassed, he made sure to make it everyone else's problem.
The bell chimed throughout the empty house as Charlotte pressed her shaky finger down against it. She couldn't hear movement for what felt like forever, and she wondered if Rafe was even home.
She pressed the bell down again, and this time she heard footsteps from behind the door followed by a voice. "I'm coming. I'm coming."
The door opened to reveal a rather disheveled looking Rafe. He had most likely just woken up, and by the smell of him, Charlotte could tell he hadn't stopped drinking when he left the party last night.
His eyes darkened slightly at the sight of her. "What are you doing here?"
"You need a shower." Charlotte announced, pushing past him to enter the house.
"Good morning to you too." Rafe muttered, closing the door before turning to face her. "What do you want?"
"You're really going to talk to me like that?" Charlotte demanded, her eyes meeting his tired ones. She could tell his attention was fixated on the bruise he had caused, the one she hadn't bothered to cover up today.
Rafe scoffed, giving his head a small shake, "You're the one who fucked up, Charlotte. Not me."
"I'm the one who─" Charlotte paused, trying to decide if she had heard him correctly. "I'm the one who fucked up? Are you serious right now, Rafe?"
Biting down on his bottom lip, Rafe ran a hand over his buzzed hair. "It was an accident, Charlotte. But you just had to run to fucking Maybank of all people."
"Oh my God, give it up!" Charlotte snapped, the ferocity in her tone shocking both of them. "I didn't tell him anything. He has two eyes and a heartbeat and could figure it out on his own. How about instead of blaming me, you look at the real problem here."
Rafe let out a humourless laugh, "And what's the real problem here, Charlotte?"
"You." She answered, setting her jaw in anger.
"Fuck you."
Charlotte didn't even bother to answer him. Instead, she turned and yanked the door open, anger coursing through her.
She was tired of being his punching bag. Everything was always somehow her fault, even when it wasn't. With Rafe, with the Pogues.
"Lottie!"
She had only made it halfway to the car when Rafe came after her, all the anger from his voice has dissipated. "Lottie, wait!"
Charlotte ignored him, clutching her keys as she continued on.
"Wait." His hand attached itself to her upper arm. When she didn't stop walking, Rafe was forced to pull her back.
"Let go." Charlotte demanded, counting in her head in an effort to calm herself. "Now."
"Rafe!"
Charlotte hadn't even heard Sarah get out of the car, hadn't even noticed her until she was right in front of them.
"Let go of her." Sarah snapped at her brother, her eyes flickering between the two of them.
Rafe's grip loosened on Charlotte's arm, as if he hadn't realized he'd been holding onto her. "Get back in the car, Sarah."
Sarah ignored her brother, "You okay, Char?"
Pulling herself from Rafe's grasp, she nodded. "Yeah. I'm good." She stole a glance at Rafe's guilty expression. "Get back in the car, I'll be right there."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Charlotte promised the younger girl. "It's okay."
Reluctantly, Sarah moved back toward the car, not taking her eyes off of them.
"I have to go." Charlotte muttered to Rafe.
He nodded, eyes still full of regret. "Can we talk about this more...please?"
"Meet me at the Tiki Bar at noon." Charlotte gave in, knowing she really shouldn't.
Rafe let out a sigh of relief as he nodded.
Studying his expression for a moment, Charlotte turned to leave. "And fix your attitude by then."
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me randomly posting a chapter after two months 😬 ...
sorry besties, I'm the busiest ive ever been.
hope you enjoyed
mads xoxox