Rush | Rafe Cameron

F O U R

Before I knew it tires were flying down John B's dirt driveway, little pieces of gravel flying through the air in their wake.

Music blaring as his truck came to a halt just short of the now died down fire. I felt like I was in a movie, what sounded like hard rock music blaring all came to a halt as Rafe flung open the passenger side door.

"Maddie we need to talk."
And once again here he was about to make a scene.

JJ shot me a concerned look before I nodded him off walking towards Rafe. Topper standing just a few feet behind him with an unknown look playing across his face. He looked like he was contemplating his fight or flight reactions over and over again in his head.

"About what Rafe?"
The eyeroll more present than he would've liked to see. Though he couldn't have come at a worse time, by the time I just start to feel okay again he's always here.

"Us"
All eyes shot to him. What was he doing. In front of Sarah and Top? Why was he about to do this?
Sarah's eyes found me before I could even process what he had just said, he face flashed confusion and hurt but not angry.

"I love you Maddie and I'm tired of taking advantage of you. You're my bestfriend. No other girls ever compare to you and why I even try I couldn't tell you. I just want us back to the old us. Start fresh just me and you. We can be happy."
The blush rose to my my cheeks.
In the back of my mind I knew he still didn't mean it. I've heard this speech one too many times. But here as we stood in front of our 'friends' maybe he finally meant it.

"Rafe, you're drunk" I stuttered. I didn't realize how shaky my voice was going to be or I probably wouldn't have spoke.

"Drunk or not I know what I want and it's my best friend." My stomach doing flips at the mention of him wanting me.

But that's the problem, he was drunk. I could smell the alcohol from here, and the way he stuttered across his words was a dead giveaway. He didn't mean any of this, this was just a drunk Rafe in his feelings. That's all it would ever be.

"I think you should go Rafe." My voice soft as I finally turned my head away from him, searching the ground for some kind of answer to the mess.

"No I'm not, not until you go with me." His eyes looked pained but the bloodshot in his eyes from the alcohol was still was too present.

"Top, take him home please."
My head hung low and I started backing away. Tears threatening to spill if I spoke too many more words.

"Promise me Maddie. Promise we'll talk tomorrow. I'm sorry I'm a fuck up just please promise me you'll come see me tomorrow and we can talk"
His words slurred more as he began to chug a bottle of vodka that he had tucked away in the door of his truck.

"We'll see Rafe"
The words barely above a whisper.

I was now almost back to my spot beside JJ when I jumped. The bottle of vodka was now in a million tiny pieces beside the tree.
Rafe was almost out of control as Topper tried to talk him back into the passenger seat of his own truck.

"Tell her Top, tell her it's her I want"
As the liquor all started to set in Rafe's words were no more than a jumble of worlds no one could understand. The pain in his voice made me want to rip my own heart out. I never was the cause of his pain, I was always the one fixing it. This was breaking me.

I didn't even realize I was shaking until Kie was by my side. Her arm finding it's way around me for a side hug as we watched Rafe's taillights through the trees.

"What the actual hell was that"
Sarah's eyes wide. I know the poor girl felt so left out and it was all at the cost of me. I was a shitty friend and I knew it.

The guilt was setting in on how I could've kept something so big away from my best friend for this long. All the nights I was tucked away In Rafe's room while I had told the blonde I was going to the guest room or even home. It was all flooding back and yet she didn't look at me with one ounce of hatred.
I truly underestimated her.

JJ quickly pulled her to the side, I'm assuming to fill the younger blonde in on the events of the past little bit. Kie didn't leave my side. Her soft words calming me down from the adrenaline pumping it's way through and out of my body.

The rest of the night was filled with a comfortable silence as Sarah and Kie kept me cuddled close as we all stayed close to the fire. No one daring to speak a word of the events of the past hour.

JJ stole quick glances at me from time to time and I'd send him a quick nod almost my way or saying I was doing just fine.

These new found pouge friends were something I wasn't going to be able to give up. But I didn't really think I wanted to in the first place.