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"What is this whore doing on our porch Carissa?" my father spits, his arm falling onto my mother's shoulder, the beer in the glass bottle he's holding spilling onto the wooden planks. "She was just leaving Cash, let her go," she says quietly, her voice at least four volumes lower than his.
"No, no she's on our property, therefore she's my problem so go head inside while I take care of this." his eyes connect with my stomach and I immediately take a step back onto the stair."Cash please..' my mother grabs his wrist but he yanks it out of her reach, making eye contact with me again.
"Now you listen here bitch, how dare you ruin this family's reputation by getting knocked up by a pogue. Nevertheless, that blonde delinquent. Do you know how this is going to affect your mother and I. The looks and words that we'll have to endure from others." With every syllable he gets a step nearer to me and by the last word he's inches from my face, the stench of alcohol palpable in the air. "Cash please." I can hear my mother say before his fist connects with my cheek and stars burst across my vision. I stumble backward, clashing with the pavement lain in front of our house.
"What would Charlotte say about this Delilah? What would she say about her younger sister ruining the second chance she gave you? How dare you wear her face and disgrace her memory like that."
His fist connects with my face again, this time with my nose. My hand reaches up to stop the blood flowing freely out of my lips as I spit it in his face.
"She would tell me that she was proud of me. Proud of how I finally realized what I wanted in life and managed to find the love of my life and am taking advantage of the second chance she gave me." His right hand freezes and the left one has a steel grip on my shoulder and I can tell I've hit a nerve.
"She wanted out of this life dad. just as much as I do and all you are doing is tainting what memories you have left of her. She was the light and you smothered her, you blew out that light the minute you told her she couldn't see Rafe again." his face changes and I glance towards my mother whose face shows utter confusion. "Cash what is she talking about?"
"Oh you didn't tell her? Well let me enlighten you mother." my father casts his gaze from my mother to me, worry skimming across the surface.
"Rafe proposed to Charlotte the day before she died. they were going to move to California after the summer was over but Dad found out and forbid her to see him ever again. she was distraught so we went on the midnight surf. Dad's the reason we were out there in the first place. He's the reason she's dead." for the first time in weeks, my father is silent.
"Cash is that true?" my mother whispers and his silence is all she needs. "How could you? You had no right. You and I both know how much those two loved each other, even when they were little."
His gaze casts downward, his hands balling up into fists. "It was only to protect her. She was so young, I didn't want her throwing her life away for some boy, even if it was Rafe Cameron. She had a full ride to Duke for nursing, and she was going to leave that so that Rafe could start his own boat company. So I made the choice for her, but Carissa, I had no idea she would react the way she did." the desperation is thick in his voice but my mother is having none of it.
"Cash, let go of your daughter, you and I need to have a talk." she shoots him a stern look and he loosens his grip on me and I immediately take a few steps away from him.
"You will never touch her like that again, at least not while I'm still alive. If you do I swear to god I will turn you into the police and you know I have enough evidence to put your ass in jail for life so help me god."
That's all it take for me to step away from that conversation and back into my car, sticking the key into the ignition.
Neither of them bother to stop me as I pull out of the driveway, my left hand still heavily pressed to my almost certainly busted upper lip.If I had anything to do with it I would never step inside that house ever again but deep down I know that's not going to happen. Something always ends up bringing me back, besides my whole childhood is in that house and like hell if I throw away the last memories I have of my sister.
I don't really know where I'm heading until I shift my gears into park outside the Cameron's household. I jump lightly out of the car, closing the door and locking it behind me and once I'm about to open the door it swings open, none other than Rafe Cameron standing on the other side. "Delilah what the hell?"
"I fucked up my lip, big deal okay. Now is Sarah home?" I attempt to pear inside as the dirty blonde shakes his head. "No she's out with that filthy pogue again. Oh sorry if that offended you, I know you're shacking up with that sharpshooter. Hey, you should ask if he intends to try to kill me again."
I feel myself scoff as I shove him out of the way, running into the bathroom and spitting blood into the sink. "What JJ and I do is none of your business asshole, besides I didn't come here to fight I just can't go home right now."
"What do you mean you can't go home," It takes a second for him to register what I'm saying and his face completely changes and suddenly he's the same sweet little boy I grew up with. "Del how long has this been going on?"
My voice comes out more timidly than I would like as I whisper, "Since Charlotte died," his eyes soften as he wets a washrag and presses it to my eye. "God del, I never thought Cash was capable of that. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, well it's not okay but I can deal. It was only occasionally at first, but it got so much worse once my dad found out about JJ." I mumble softly, and suddenly Rafe's lips are inching towards me. My eyes widen and out of instinct, I shove him full force, sending him tumbling into the bathtub. "Rafe what the hell do you think you're doing!?"
"I-I- I'm so sorry. It's just that you look so much like her and I just got caught up in the thought that I had her back, even if it was just for a moment. " He rubs his face up and down, and I can't help but feel sorry for him. He lost the love of his life that night, his other half.
"You should go, I don't think I can be around you right now, all I can see is Charlotte and it's really freaking me the fuck out." he sputters, and suddenly I'm halfway out the doorway, Rafe shutting it behind me without a thought.
"Okay well tell Sarah I said hi." I yell through the door before jumping into my jeep and shifting the car into drive.
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hey talk about a plot twist man. I mean Rafe and Charlotte will always have a soft spot in my heart. also here to tell you that you need to be emotionally ready for the hot tub scene cause its going to be a tearjerker. anyways I hope you liked this chapter and hopefully the next one should be out soon.
