Hey guys!! New part! First of all happy new year!! Second I wasn't supposed to write this part but I kept extending until it became a whole new part lol. Third, as always, hope it turned out ok. I will come back tomorrow look over it again, I know it's not perfect but trying to get the story out and eventually completed at some point. Anyways, let me know anything, and enjoy!!
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Rafe's knee bounces anxiously under the table. A light breeze blows gently, tickling his face, the strong smells of the bar drift to his nose as he sits across from Barry in a quiet corner of an outdoor area of a restaurant.
Barry had told him a lot...
He picks up a joint, brings it to his mouth and inhales it deeply as it's pinched between his lips. That high hits, melting his mind, letting it float just a little, making his head turn slightly. A sensation runs gently through his body and helps alleviate some of the emotions pulsating to his head...
He'd first refused the joint Barry had offered him originally, but that slowly turned into a need with the more that came from Barry's mouth... he needed something more than just his beer he held in his hand, to mellow the rage building up in his system after his talk with Barry.
Rafe was not just pissed- he was fuming- the weed was helping though, he thinks- doing something to alleviate the burning at his veins- help dissolve some of that anger that had been spiraled after their talk, at least to the point he wasn't throwing anything, or punching a wall, or letting his anger get a hold of him and control him...
Damn those pogues, his mind fumes- this had to be them- had to be their doing, their plan, all along this was what they'd wanted- what they'd meant when they'd said they'd seek out their revenge! Shit! This was it! Not like the death of his father hadn't been enough, they needed to hurt him more- rob him of Tannyhill too!
Rafe presses his fingers into his temple, wincing, trying to ebb away the pain throbbing at his skull. He takes in another long hard drag. This joint wasn't good- Rafe thinks, inspecting it- it's not nearly strong enough to control the anger pulsating through his blood. A lump forms in his throat. He's still trying really hard to control his anger. He was also trying to get his head around what was going on- put two and two together- how they managed to pull this shit off...and all under his nose... how had they managed to pry Tannyhill right off under him? He never suspected a thing. All that Barry revealed to him had stumped him.
And what's worse is that JJ... he had to be in the center of all this... everything had to end up a calamity when JJ was involved... Rafe's not dumb- his seen him hang with those cons... all this had to be JJ's fault.
"You saw him, right? Hanging with them? What'd you think Rafe? Use your damn head, brother... They the same damn fools that fucked up Topper's arm, face and everything, and you gonna sit here and try deny them pogues ain't nothing to do with it, hmm?" his smile dances mockingly, and he snorts with disbelief.
"I ain't denying anything, ok?" Rafe states firmly, in a low deep tone. He groans, fingers trembling, holding his rolled up joint between them and lifts it to his lips, taking in another long drag, then runs his fingers through his hair. "I just... I just have to consider... someone, you know... I-I" he pecks a hand to his chest as he stammers- "care a lot about..." His words trail off, and then suddenly slumps himself back heavily against his chair, crossing his arms in front of him, legs spaced out, widely apart. His mind was spewing curses. He's still trying to process it all. He brings a hand up to bite a nail as he thinks. Barry laughs. "Hold up... bro... ya think... Kiara..." he laughs, unable to contain himself, or complete his sentence, dropping his back into his chair also, eyeing Rafe questioningly. Rafe's gaze gradually lifts up knowing what his about to say. His expression shifts from confusion to fierce anger in a matter of seconds. His eyes burn into him with an intensity, piercing into him with a warning glare. "Not my words but Toppers, ok?" Barry lifts his hands up in mock surrender, taking in Rafe's intense threatening stare. "so don't come after me, Rafe, ok?... cause the man has a damn good point," Barry says, leaning forward, holding his gaze firmly. "You gotta listen to the damn hard truth, bro... have you ever thought that maybe your girl has been playing you, man?... she been playing you like a fool- playing yo' ass like a damn fiddle, bruh?... Kiara's got some noose around yo' neck, boy, and she about to hang you, Rafe... just like yo' sister did Topper so bad, he lost his damn mind... you seriously believe that girl is all innocent and shit?" he squints, getting a better look at him, reading him closely as Rafe intensely glares back. "Nah, bro- she own them pogues her whole damn life's allegiance- yo' know what? -what if the whole damn time she was the mastermind behind all this-"
"Shut up!" Rafe snaps, finally losing it, his face burning red.
He sniffles, and thinks.
Whether it were true or not- whether it were or not... damn, his fucked! What was he going to do now?... He can't do anything... because she's his whole damn world... she already owns his heart- she might as well tie his damn heart to a noose, crush it- squeeze it painfully tight until it hurts so much he can barely breath... it's causing his heart to painfully ache. She told him once she can't choose between the two- well, Rafe feels wedged- because no matter how much the pogues hurt him, he would always choose her- to run back to her... he would choose her over everything- over anything...
...and the voices are back. They are beginning to build, their words sharpening, although they are only still fairly dim, they are still there whispering and buzzing thoughts into his ear. The alcohol and weed stirring in his system was doing this, he knew. They whisper words to his brain faintly- and he wants them to leave him the hell alone, stop infiltrating his mind, hounding him with unwanted conversations and thoughts... voices he hadn't heard in so long, voices he wished never came back... he can sense the wisp ghost of his father's words lingering vaguely behind his head, hanging there in the air, waiting for him to put his guard down, wanting to join in the chorus of words cursing and haunting him...
His chest heaves. It hurts slightly as he feels it tighten, he touches a hand to his chest... he takes in another long drag.
He loves Kie. She breathes air to his lungs- an air that richly flows through him like no other- he would let her do anything- fuck him over many times again and again... if it only means she would stay with him- she brought magic, something that fills his lungs like no other drug he could ever do... he should have done it, should have knelt on one knee, pulled out the ring, then maybe... maybe she would love him enough not to hurt him...?
A sudden thought comes to mind- and his breathing becomes more heavier, eyes darting around.
She was trying to tell him- that's what she was trying to do- is this what she wanted to talk to him about last night? Shit! Maybe... maybe she did... she did know- His mind was sputtering. He needs to talk to her. He loses his cool, frustrated, flying off his chair and it smashes to the side, then storms out toward his car.
"Aye!" Barry yells after him, jumping to his feet and chases after Rafe, out onto the road. "Rafe- Rafe," he calls, jogging up next to him as he's already getting into his car, fumbling with the keys in shaky hands. "Fuck man- I can't let you leave, bro! Rose expects me to bring you back-" he pauses, holding the door open, making sure Rafe doesn't slam it in his face. His gaze hardens on Rafe- "Rafe are you listening to me!-" he yells.
Rafe snarls at him. "Tell Rose she can fucking wait... I need to sort shit out here first, ok? And you better not get in my way-"
"Bro" Barry tries to reason. "You know I ain't gonna do this the hard way-"
"Barry, I'll pay you double what she pays you, alright-"
"Right?" Barry laughs. "Like Imma take your word on that."
"You got no choice." Rafe raises a brow at him, eyeing Barry with a hardened look. "You don't wanna know what shit I'm capable of- the shit I'd pull on you, Barry- I'm warning you." Rafe warns in low growl.
"Hmmff," Barry huffs, assessing him. "And what the hell you gonna do, huh? Tannyhill is where you need to fix thing, Rafe- what them damn pogues did is all there, bruh-"
"I know!" Rafe's chest heaves in and out, starting to loose his cool again. He takes his breaths back. "I need to see her, Barry, ok? You need to understand that-." He licks his lips as his putting his words together, because really he didn't know what he was going to do- "What if, I don't know... what if JJ or, you know- that guy-" he says with malice. "-try something, hmm? On her? What then, huh? What if they do-" his eyes darken, but a pain is buried deep inside them, reddening his eyes. "I need to be there, and you may not get that, but I need to make sure, alright?- that she's ok." he contemplates the ideas conceiving in his head... the thoughts infused with voices swirling like a gust of wind whirling together, intermingling and whispering in his ear.
"Did you listen to a thing I said, bro- your girl's a fucking pogue, man. She gonna double cross you no matter what- she's involved in all this shit-"
"I don't care." He rolls his eyes lazily. A strange blank expression starts to glaze his eyes, emotion starting to drain from him. He pries the door from Barry's grip. "I know I need to talk to her, ok? So just don't try-" he warns him with a cold hard look. "anything. I have plans for JJ..." he tilts his head to the side, his eyes strangely glazed with a distant look. "I need to make sure... I need to make sure JJ never goes near her again."
As his about to shut the door on Barry, Rafe watches his phone light up on the dashboard... it takes him a moment before he reacts, reaching over for it and reads it slowly... Miguel- Wheezie's boyfriend. Rafe tiredly picks the phone up and scans through his message, running a hand through his hair, his eyes steeled.
Miguel: Hey bro Wheezie told me that Kiara is meeting the pogues at Surfside at three and we wanted to grab a drink with you before we go. Wheezie and I are heading off tomorrow back home- before school semester begins. Rose has been nagging for her endlessly about her grades...
Rafe trails off, not reading the rest... Kie... she was meeting the pogues at Surfside and that was all he needed to know...
...... ADDITIONAL CHAPTER 1: FIVE WEEKS LATER