EDEN sat quietly in the Cameron Estate, staring at a computer.
"A great man once said that if you're born poor, that's not your fault. But if you die poor—well, that's on you." Ward Cameron's solemn voice echoes through small room, reaching the ears of the seven who sat around the computer his face flashed upon.
Eden sat in a chair beside Sarah Cameron, lips drawn in a thin line as she watched the man upon the screen speak. Ward Cameron sat neatly in front of a computer, dressed in a white dress shirt with a peaceful expression as he spoke—he'd chosen the easy way out of his crimes, but he'd managed to find time to film his final words to his family in the time it took him to come to the decision.
Eden wanted to roll her eyes at his words, at his calm nature. She doesn't feel any remorse for the man speaking—he was a murderer, and he'd ruined her and her best friend's lives. The last thing he deserved was an ounce of her remorse for what led him to what he did. He chose to kill himself; he could have taken the blame instead, for the sake of his wife, his kids.
But, she doesn't roll her eyes or scoff because she does, however, feel remorse for his family—most of them, at least. She frowns at the tears running down Rose's face as she looks at her husbands face through a screen, the watery eyes of Sarah as she recovers from witnessing the event, the trembling lip of Wheezie as she listens to the voice of her dad.
Behind Eden is Rafe. He'd been let out of jail because, in his final deeds, Ward had taken the blame for everything. For Peterkin, for Gavin; for Big John. He'd made sure to protect his family, even if it meant he had to leave for good.
The Cameron boy paces back and forth, face daunting tear stained cheeks. His jaw is clenched as he listens to his father talk—why did he take the blame, why did his dad go down for his actions?
Isla and Tom were present too. However, Eden had seen a tension barrier between the two—instead of being placed next to one another, Isla was standing behind Rose's chair, arm placed on the head, holding onto the Cameron woman's hand in solemn comfort, while Tom stood behind Eden's chair, arms crossed. Any eye contact made between the two seemed distant. Something was off.
However, Eden didn't really care what happened between her parents at the moment—they hadn't really been a connected family in what seems like forever, so whatever marriage strain they were currently facing was beyond her.
Instead, she dedicates her focus on Ward's words.
"I think, in the end, it was my fear of going back, of losing everything I have that made me lose sight of everything I am......everything I wanted to be." Ward continues. He's silent for a moment before he admits, "I killed Big John Routledge."
Sarah lightly rolls her tear filled eyes at the mention of the Routledge man, and Eden bites her lip.
"I murdered Sheriff Peterkin."
Rafe crosses his arms, shaking his head with tears threatening to leave his eyes.
"I shot Gavin Barnstead." Ward proceeds, continuing to speak in the most solemn of tones. His stares directly at the camera, "Isla Bexley was not apart of any of these murders firsthand. I forced her to lie under oath; I forced her to keep everything a secret. Her involvement was all me."
Eden looks up at her mother, Isla letting out a sharp exhale at Ward's words. She was safe.
The Bexley was still feeling soft towards her mother after almost watching the woman follow after Ward, but she didn't find what Ward had said right in the slightest. Isla's involvement was her own decision, and the Cameron didn't need to take the blame. Isla Bexley deserved whatever punishment was coming her way, Ward dead or not.
"Isla, I can't express all I owe to you for what you've done for me—for my family." Ward speaks directly towards his accomplice now, recounting all the times Isla had been left cleaning up his messes; for simply being there since Big John's murder. "I'm sorry for all that I've put you and your family through by forcing you to help me. But, God, do I owe you my life for it."
Isla lightly scoffs, and stares up at the ceiling—she'd become sick of Ward making her pick up his messes, but he was her friend. Murderer or not, he'd been there since they were children. And now, he was gone.
"I know there's nothing I can do to ease the pain I've caused. Many will say I took the easy way out. But I leave this world with the terrible pain of knowing that I leave behind my family; shattered by grief, broken by my sins."
Rose squeezes her eyes shut and places a hand on the computer, lighting running her thumb over the screen as if she were caressing her husband's face. Isla squeezes the woman's other hand which she'd been holding in comfort.
Eden eyes Sarah beside her, watching as the girl turned away, trying to fight the tears falling down her cheeks. The Bexley did as she always did and wrapped a consoling arm around the blonde.
The Cameron herself rubs a hand over her little sister's back, Wheezie leaned over the table with tears falling under her glasses, staring at her father.
"I don't expect you to forgive me for leaving you this way." Ward states, voice slightly cracking with emotion. A few tears begin to fall from the man's eyes as he states, "I just pray you understand that....I can't go on ruining your lives anymore. This had to end."
He did end it. By killing himself and taking the blame from Rafe and Isla, Ward had finished everything. Eden couldn't put her mother or the Cameron boy in prison, nor could John B. get justice for his dad. The gold didn't matter, Peterkin didn't matter, the tapes they'd tricked Limbrey into getting, all of the hell they'd gone through—it didn't matter anymore.
"To all of you, I leave my estate, uh, to be divided equally." the Cameron finishes, "And I leave a love deeper than I could ever express. Take care of each other."
The video ends and there's a pool of grief filled silence between the seven seated Kooks.
Rafe is first to disperse, grabbing a half filled glass and stalking towards the backyard.
Wheezie lets out a sniffle before pushing her chair away and walking off, more than likely towards her room.
Sarah looks at the paused image of her father with an almost sour expression before roughly slamming the screen down. A few moments later, she throws off Eden's arm an follows her sister towards her bedroom.
Rose stands up with a light sob and Isla wraps another arm around her, leading the blonde woman towards the kitchen.
That left Eden and her father, standing awkwardly. Neither necessarily had to be at the small event—Eden had gone there for Sarah, and even Wheezie if the girl needed it, and Tom had shown after the news, even after everything, to be there for his wife.
The Bexley girl stands up out of her seat and turns over to face her father. Unlike her mother, who looked more unkept then usual, Tom still seemed decent—Ward's death hadn't affected him much, but he knew it would affect Isla.
"What's going on between you and Mom?" Eden quietly brings up. She was curious about what Isla said—whether she had told him the truth, or whether Tom had simply took matters into his own hands and distanced himself from her.
Tom raised a brow, "You can tell?"
"Dad, all of my friends are going through a relationship tension stage. You and Isla are making the exact same eyes at each other as Sarah and John B. are right now."
The Bexley man pauses before admitting, "She told me everything. The secrets, that you were right—everything. I kicked her out of the house. I guess she came here."
"What are you gonna do now?" Eden asks.
"I don't know." Tom looks distantly towards the kitchen at his wife, who was busy comforting Rose. "But you don't have to worry about us."
"Believe me when I say I have other people to worry about right now." Eden stares up towards where Sarah had disappeared with a small frown. She nods towards upstairs, "I'm gonna go check on Sarah."
Tom nods and Eden heads upstairs. She can hear light sniffling coming from one of the two rooms in view—Wheezie's—and frowns as she passes by the white door and lightly places her hand on the doorknob of the other.
The click of the doorknob seems ever so loud within the silence coming from Sarah's bedroom. Eden peers her head into the room to see the blonde girl curled up on her bed, arms wrapped around her knees which are pulled into her chest. Her chin rests on her knees and she looks utterly glum.
"Hey." Eden softly voices from the door, lightly shutting it before coming closer to the girl.
"Hi." Sarah looks up and offers a tight lipped smile, though her tear stained cheeks and flushed nose make the Bexley doubt she was anywhere ready to be smiling.
"How are you doing?" Eden knows the question is stupid. The Cameron was clearly anything but okay right now.
"I don't know. I just—" The Cameron girl's face contorts for a minute before she turns to look at the Bexley with a hurt expression, "Did you see his face?"
Eden isn't sure who the girl is precisely speaking about a crosses over towards her bed, "Who?"
"John B." Sarah admits sharply, as if thinking about the boy made her upset. At Eden's raised brow of confusion, the Cameron proceeds to retell what she'd seen on the dock, "On the dock, after it....it happened. I saw him. He almost looked relieved. He didn't seem to care at all."
Eden lightly frowned—she hadn't really had time to think about why Sarah had been sobbing into Topper's arms rather than John B.'s but what Sarah was telling her made sense as to why. John B. had been relieved that Ward was finally gone. And, while in the moment, it might not have been the best emotion to display, the Bexley sure didn't blame him for the feeling.
"I wouldn't think about it so hard, Sarah." Eden admits, taking a seat beside the girl on her bed. Sarah was quick to scoot closer to the Bexley. "Ward has put John B. through hell and back, and while it might not have been the best emotion for what had just happened, you can't necessarily blame him for feeling that way about it—"
"Of course you agree with him. Why wouldn't you?" Sarah's voice has a sharpness to it, and it hits Eden unexpectedly. Was she trying to accuse Eden of simply siding with John B.? Because she saw why he looked, per say, relieved, but she certainly wasn't calling the fact that he wasn't here right now with his girlfriend good. Both of them were in the right and the wrong.
"Sarah, I'm not agreeing—"
"You're glad he's gone too, aren't you?" Sarah frowns sourly. Eden's eyes widen in slight surprise as the Cameron continues, "You're happy that you and the Pogues are out of this mess? That he's dead—"
Eden shakes her head, "Sarah, I'm not happy that your dad died! I might not have loved him but I would never wish this on you, or your mom, or Wheezie—hell, Rafe shouldn't have to deal with this. Why would I be happy over your grief?"
"Because it means your mom is yours again." Sarah spits, eyes still narrowed accusingly at the Bexley. "I heard what you said at the hearing. You said that my dad was holding on to Isla so she couldn't tell the truth. Now that he's gone, your mom is free again, yeah?"
"Isla was on that boat too, Sarah." The Bexley started firmly. She'd pondered over that fact since she embraced her mom on the dock—she almost killed herself, too. If Eden hadn't started yelling when she did, Isla would have met the same fate. "Okay? I'm not happy because my mom was going to do the exact same thing—"
"But she didn't!" Sarah shallowly exclaims, "She chose you, and now she's alive. I bet you're happy my dad died because it means you get your family together again."
"Together?" Eden scoffs, fighting back the urge to laugh at the blonde girl. She couldn't tell you the last time she felt the Bexley's were a functional family. "My mom slapped me the other day—do you really think we're together right now?"
Sarah seems to not have heard what the Bexley admitted and proceeded, "Everyone has expected me to be happy about this. John B., Pope, JJ—they were celebrating when we found out Ward was going to jail. Fucking celebrating. And I get it—our problems are solved. But he's my dad. No one has even stopped to ask how I'm feeling about all of this. He was the bad guy, but he was my dad." She presses two fingers to her temples. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this."
She doesn't even think before stating, "It's not like you get how I'm feeling right now; losing someone so close to you—"
"Don't I, though?" Eden abruptly snaps. There's a hint of sharpness in her tone, which she isn't afraid to use right now. "Because a month ago, I thought my best friend was dead—I thought the closest person to me was dead. And a week or so ago, guess what? I found out that my mom was behind everything, too. And when the boys were celebrating, I was sitting with you because I was starting to feel different about everything." Tongue in her cheek she states, "So, yeah, Sarah, I think I do understand how you're feeling right now."
Sarah's silent for a few moments before she apologetically mutters, "I'm sorry—I didn't mean it. I don't think you're happy he's gone—" she lightly sniffles and closes her eyes, "I just can't believe he killed himself over everything. I can't believe he's gone."
"And you have every reason to be upset over it, okay?" Eden loses any anger growing towards the Cameron in a heartbeat and turns sympathetic again. She can see the girl is simply hurting inside. "Ward was your dad, bad guy or not. You're naturally gonna cry and grieve over him, whether or not you want to." She wraps an arm around the girl again, feeling Sarah's head lean against her shoulder.
Sarah sniffles, "I don't want to be sad, the Pogues aren't—"
"The Pogues might be relieved, yeah. But to them, Ward was the bad guy the entire time. To you, he was your dad before he was ever bad. You see him as the guy who helped you build the best sandcastles and made you smiley face breakfasts." Eden states, holding on to the girl as if she were a young child needing comfort after a nightmare—she was. "You still see good in him; they never did."
"That was actually really pretty." Sarah sniffled with a small smile. However, her smile falls again as the words she'd been playing over and over again in her head for the past few hours fall from her lips. "Don't be mad at me, but I.....I think I'm—I think I have to break up with John B."
Eden feels her heart fall in her chest, "What?"
Sarah didn't know what she wanted. She loved John B.—she really did. But, she couldn't lie and say their relationship wasn't straining. Topper taking her home had really put a sheet of tension between them. However, seeing his face on the dock.....the relief; it didn't sit right in Sarah's mind. She was at her worst and he didn't come and cradle her, nor did he spare her a look of any emotion.
Topper was the one who had been there for her. John B. hadn't even spared her a look.
"I think that we need—we need a break." Sarah admits, though thick with tears. "Everything that's happened has really taken a toll on me, on our relationship. Too much has happened and, I don't know, I just thought he of all people would get what losing a dad felt like." She shakily sighs, "I just don't think we're working right now."
"Sarah don't let that determine your decision, okay?" Eden frowns at the thought of John B. hearing this news. She had never seen a girl make the Routledge boy smile the way Sarah Cameron did; he looked at her like she put the stars in the sky. He'd feel empty if she broke up with him. "John B. really loves you—he practically chose you over me and Kie, and if you haven't realized by now, that takes a lot. Do you remember what he said? Love just walked in." She can't even smile at the memory because she can tell nothing she says will make Sarah rethink her decision. "I'm sure he feels really shitty for not being there for you right now."
"I know, I know. I'm sure he does." Sarah sniffles, looking up at Eden knowingly. "I just think this was a long time coming. I mean, Kie and Pope broke up....." She sighs, "It's complicated. There's just.....there's too much going on for me to be focusing on trying to fix our relationship. I want to be there for Wheezie and Rose but I can't think of anything other than the look on his face on the dock."
"Okay." Eden nods, voice unwavering. Sarah's decision was made and the Bexley couldn't really stop her.
"Are you mad at me?" Sarah asks wearily, "Because I know John B. is your brother—I don't want you to be mad at my decision."
Eden shakes her head. She couldn't be mad at Sarah; not when she was hurting inside. "I can't be mad. Your decision is your decision. I don't want to see John B. hurt, but if this is what you want, I won't stop you."
"Thank you." the Cameron whispers.
The two Kooks sit in silence for a moment, Sarah's head still laying on Eden's shoulder. The two had only been true friends for a week yet there was a sense of comfort the two girls had with each other. Sarah felt as if she could tell the Bexley all her secrets without getting judged, and Eden felt like the Cameron was the one person who would understand her emotions; they were in the same boat when it came to Ward and Isla.
Sitting like this just felt natural.
"Hey, if you don't want to be here, you can always crash in my bed." Eden understood if Sarah wouldn't want to live at Tannyhill for the moment, with Rafe and everything that had happened. "I can't guarantee I'll be there but, uh, if you need somewhere to go, the offer is open."
"Thanks." Sarah mutters again.
Eden slightly pulls away from the Cameron and stands up off of the bed, "I think I'm gonna head back over to the Chateau, and I doubt you're going to join me." Sarah nods her head and the Bexley backs up towards the door, "Call me or come and get me if you need someone, kay?"
Sarah nods again before Eden leaves her alone in her bedroom to think.
Heading back down the stairs, Eden can hear the muffled voices of her parents coming from the kitchen. She doesn't want to eavesdrop per say, but she peers into the kitchen and see's them standing a few inches away from each other, quietly discussing what would happen between them.
"What do you want to do about it, Tom? I did what I did."
"I don't know, okay? I don't trust you right now—"
"Hey." Eden breaks the conversation. Her parents stop talking and turn to look at her with sealed lips. "I'm gonna head over to the Chateau. I don't know how long I'll stay or if I'll come back here for Sarah."
Tom firmly nods his head, "Okay. Just call if you're gonna stay for longer than a day or two."
Eden nods with a light tipped expression before leaving them to converse.
The Bexley girl heads out to the front yard of Tannyhill, beginning her trip back to the Chateau. She hasn't had a car since JJ and John B. wrecked her previous—she'd gotten it for her sweet sixteenth, only for the two to crash it that night—and didn't feel like asking her father to drop her off. Eden didn't mind the long walk; right now, she needed it, if she's honest.
Just a peaceful fifteen or so minutes to herself.
However, she's unable to get too far before Rafe Cameron comes running out of his house, her name falling from his lips. "Eden! Eden! Hey, Eden—stop!"
"When I say you're the last person I want to talk to right now, I mean it." Eden doesn't even bother looking at the Kook boy and continues walking, the wind lightly blowing through her hair. Rafe didn't deserve her time.
Rafe doesn't seem to get the memo that Eden doesn't want to speak and continues to follow her, "Eden, you can't ignore me—"
"You've given me a bruised nose, tried to choke me, and then you grazed my arm with a bullet all within the past month." Eden whips around with an unimpressed expression as she names off the things the Cameron boy had done to her. "So, yeah, I think I can ignore you if I want too."
"Grazed you with a bullet?" Rafe's brows furrow, "I didn't shoot you."
"Uh, yeah, you did." Eden bluntly states, gesturing to the line of stitches running down her arm, where there'd previously been a chunk of skin missing. The pain had subsided within the few days it had been, but there'd always be a scar to remind the Bexley. "You and Barry decided to fuck around at the Chateau, remember that?"
Rafe's eyes narrow, "You guys were there?"
"We were hiding in the tree. The one that read P4L—the one you decided to shoot up?" the Bexley comments dryly. "Thanks for the injury. It was really fun to stitch up."
"Well, I didn't mean to shoot you, okay? I'm sorry." Rafe's apology sounds rushed, but Eden doesn't even care anymore—not like she was accepting it, anyway. He messes around with the gold ring around his pointer finger. "Can we—can we talk?"
"I have other places to be right now, Rafe—"
"Please." Rafe grappled, voice sounding rather desperate. He had no one to talk to—Eden was his last chance. "I lost my dad too, okay? Sarah and Wheezie aren't the only ones." He falters, "I just need someone to talk too."
Eden takes in a sharp inhale and finally stops walking. No matter how much Rafe didn't deserve an ounce of her attention, he had a point. Rafe had also lost his dad—the man he idolized, the man who he tried so hard to please with everything he did. Rafe was a shitty person, but he was grieving too.
"What do you want?" While still on alert, Eden speaks softer than before.
"I feel really alone right now." Rafe admits lowly.
In the aftermath of finding out that his father had killed himself on the My Druthers, the Cameron boy came to the realization that he was simply lonely. His dad was dead, Rose resented him for what he'd started, Sarah hated his guts, and Wheezie didn't deserve to listen to the burden of his problems. He had no true friends—Topper hated him, he hadn't spoken to Kelce in forever, Barry betrayed him—and all he had to keep him company was a few lines of cocaine.
He had no one to comfort him—not like Rose had Isla, Wheezie had Sarah, and Sarah had the Pogues.
But, at some point, he'd remembered Eden Bexley.
Now, he knew Eden hated his guts, too—that was clear. But, he also knew that Eden was a comforter. He knew that she was willing to listen to others, willing to give words of reassurance, willing to help and care even with people who didn't exactly deserve it.
Which is why he chased her outside. He just needed someone who he could talk too because everyone else seemed to forget he had feelings too.
"I have no one to talk to." Rafe continues, still fiddling around with the ring on his finger. "And I, uh, I know that you're a listener and that you might be willing to just help me. I know what I did, I know I've fucked up with you and the Pogues, but my dad died and....and if you could just be my friend for a minute—"
"I'm sorry about Ward, okay? I really am. It was really fucked of him to do that to you guys." Eden sighs remorsefully. She won't say she feels bad for Rafe, but she can tell that he's also being affected by his father's death—Ward ended everything at the cost of his family left in shambles. "But we're not friends, Rafe. I don't know what you want me to say."
"Eden, please, you can help—"
"No, I can't!" Eden exclaims, eyes searching through the Cameron's. "You shot Peterkin dead. You shot and tried to drown Sarah—" Rafe opens his mouth to speak but the Bexley doesn't let him, "You need more help than just a person to talk too."
"Don't do that."
"Do what? State the truth?" Eden sharply snaps, crossing her arms around her chest defensively. "You've done fucked up things, Rafe. Things you should be in jail for."
"You're right, I should be." Rafe admits, falling quieter again. He brings an anxious hand through his hair—it was disheveled, tousled by the slight breeze and the restlessness of the situation. "But...but my dad took the fall for me. And then he blew himself up."
Eden lets out a sigh at his words, and her tone softens ever so slightly, "Look, I'm really sorry for what happened to your family, and I understand why you think I can help, but, I can't. If you really want someone to talk to or someone who can help, call me and I'll give you my therapist's number."
"I don't want to talk to a therapist, I want to talk to you." Rafe states, meeting Eden's gaze. "I feel like out of anyone right now, you'd be someone who could understand. We're in the same boat right now. You're there for Sarah—I'm not asking you to like me or to be friends with me. I'm not asking you to forgive me for all the shit I've done. I just....I just need someone."
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you put your burdens on me right now." Eden admits. She doesn't like Rafe, but she can't help feeling slight remorse for the Cameron, even if he got himself into the position he was currently in. "I'm dealing with enough shit right now."
"You have too much shit?" Rafe scoffs, letting his quick temper get the best of him. He was admitting to needing someone to talk too after his dad died, and she was trying to tell him she had too much shit—Eden Bexley, with her present mother and loving father, with the only child glory, with her caring friend group, had too much shit?
Eden's jaw slightly clenches—she'd been told something similar by Sarah moments before, and she was over it. Sure, her dad didn't just die and, hey, at least she had people who cared about her, but she was going through shit too. She didn't break down over a bottle of Vodka mere nights ago to simply cross it off her bucket list.
"Yeah, Rafe, I do." Eden spits, growing more defensive again. "I thought my best friend was dead and had to grieve over him, which if you hadn't seen took a real toll on me. I found out my mother has been hiding bullshit secret after bullshit secret from me, which has also happened to take a toll on me. The only time I can feel generally at peace right now is when I'm drunk or high, which is probably a problem, but I can't focus on myself right now and go back to therapy because I have to be here for every other fucking person."
"I'm sorry." Rafe murmurs, but his apology doesn't as genuine as it does to try and get her to stay. "I shouldn't have—"
"Don't apologize." the Bexley dryly comments. "This is why you have no one to talk to, Rafe. You don't really care about people until it benefits you—I mean, seriously, you have tried to hurt me and my friends on multiple accounts and now you suddenly care about me enough to want my help? If it wasn't for the fact that you were alone, you wouldn't have bothered to follow me out the door. "
"I know what I've done, but I'm gonna be different now." Rafe states, almost desperately. "Please."
"I'm sorry, okay? But I can't." Eden finalizes, sending him a solemn yet serious expression. "It's not my fault you've burned every bridge you've built."
Rafe looks at the cement below, nodding his head. Why had he bothered? He knew better than to think Eden Bexley would give him an ounce of her time after all that he's done.
Noticing his silence, Eden takes that as her cue to leave and yet again starts walking away from Tannyhill, leaving Rafe Cameron standing in his driveway.
mara's misc!
eden/sarah & eden/rafe moments???? i'm wilding out here.
this chapter was pretty fun to write! (i say that like the cameron family isn't crying the entire chapter). a lot of it was filler which is surprising given how much i hate writing filler/my own shit bc i just suck when it comes to creativity. but somehow it still managed to wrack up 5000 words????
march has been a packed month for me, so it's been hard for me to find the time, let alone the motivation to write. i've been busy with a shit ton of school work, given teachers are pressing to get everything taught before state tests, dance class, annie tech week/shows and then the guts tour!!
yes, i saw olivia yesterday and yes it was fucking amazing. she played can't catch me now and i screamed every single song lyric to every song like i could relate to any of them (i'm a single and chronically online teenage girl). chappell roan was also a great opener, and i'm glad to have gotten her, too!
also guys me and kensie had our first actual phone call a few nights ago and it was freaking crazy. the silence when I picked up the phone was crazy and we both collectively forgot how to talk it was hella awkward but hey we're still friends it's all good.
tbh petition for everyone to get an online, long distance AND age gap best friend because it's an experience. since then we have video called every night and she has screenshots of me sleeping.
before i end, i also want to say thanks for 10k!!! i started this book last january based off an idea i had watching the pilot episode of obx and somehow it's turned into this silly little book. eden is probably my favorite oc and i'm glad that you guys love her just as much <3
anyways, that's about it!
hope you enjoyed <3 see you back with chapter