Rafe and Anastasia have always walked a fragile line.
They had known it all this time.
And Rafe didn't want to see it break.

By the way Anastasia tried to blink the tears away, how her eyes lids fluttered. She was trying to make a decision. Rafe couldn't watch it knowing she wouldn't choose him after all he had done.

It was his fault Anastasia had gotten addicted to drugs and alcohol.
It was his fault that they had committed all these crimes in California.
It was his fault he almost killed someone for her.
It was his fault John B and Anastasia were running from the cops.
It was his fault she wanted to hate him.
After all he was the problem.

"No, I-", Rafe took a deep breath and slowly moved closer to Anastasia. His hands cupped her face one last time as he forced a smile on his lips. Rafe wanted Anastasia to remember him smiling at her. Because at the end of the day she was the only thing that could make him smile.

"Don't say anything. Just tell me what you need and I'll get it done", Rafe whispered,"And then I'll leave you alone. I will stay out of your life".

Anastasia didn't know what was happening. She didn't know what happened to the possessive Rafe Cameron she used to know. He actually wanted to help her for real this time.
Anastasia was speechless.

"Take the car", Rafe said and handed her the keys. Anastasia looked down at the keys in her hand while Rafe was looking for something. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"And take this", he handed her a bag,"I bought it at Sally's when I heard they were looking for a brunette. That's the only thing they know about you, lov-".

He cleared his throat:"-Sorry, Ana".

Even though Rafe was doing the right thing, it hurt Anastasia deep down in her heart. She wasn't used to him being like this - responsible. She was used to his toxic self. The man who'd kill everything and everyone in their way.
But this time: Rafe was letting her go.
Something about this just didn't feel right.

"Thank you, Rafe", Anastasia forced the words out of her lips. All that she wanted was to get away from this. The mess Rafe got her and the pogues into in the first place.

"Anything for you".

Without another word Anastasia got into the Corvette, started the engine and sped away. Rafe watched her disappear into the darkness. If he would've been religious he would've prayed for her .

But instead he closed the garage door behind him and walked back to the house, leaving the bottle of alcohol on the table where he first sat. Rafe couldn't drink anymore, he was already sick to his stomach. All that he wanted to do was lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, debating about his fucked up life.

Once he passed by the door of Wheezies room, he could hear quiet sobs. Usually he would've let his sister be. But tonight he actually wanted to talk to her, about her problems in hopes he didn't have to deal with his own.

"Wheezie?", Rafe whispered after he knocked on the door,"Are you alright? Can I come in?".

"Yeah", she softly replied after a few seconds. Rafe entered silently and sat down next to his sister on her bed. Her dairy was closed next to her, slightly covered with a pillow she probably had thrown over it.

Wheezie always tried to hide her diary. Rafe didn't know why. He was probably also the only one in this family, who knew it existed. No one, not even Sarah, actually cared what Wheezie spent her time with. But her big brother knew. He always tried to look out for her after all.

"Why are you crying?", Rafe asked carefully and tried to offer his sister a small smile. Trying to make her feel better. He never liked to see her cry. It always reminded him of himself when he was younger. And Rafe was sure about one thing: he wanted Wheezie to end up differently.

"Do you think we are cursed or something?", Wheezie sobbed.

"What do you mean?", Rafe asked.

"Every time someone in this family falls in love, something happens and destroys them", Wheezie explained,"Look at mum and dad. Sarah and John B". How badly Wheezie wanted to add 'you and Anastasia' but she didn't. She wasn't brave enough.

She didn't need to. Rafe understood what she meant. But he didn't believe it was a curse. Mom and dad were a coincidence. John B was a Pogue, of course he and Sarah wouldn't work. Rafe couldn't see himself as the problem, not anymore.

"That's not true, Wheezie. I don't believe in curses".

"So you believe we'll all find love eventually?", Wheezie asked,"A love like the movies and books? Like in the Notebook?".

Rafe took a few moments to think. He didn't know what the Notebook was. Eventually he replied:"I don't know. I guess it depends on the person you are and if you find someone who's willing to love you like you love them. I believe if two people want it bad enough, they'll work it through".

"Can you and Anastasia work it through?", Wheezie suddenly asked and she immediately threw her hands over her mouth. She didn't mean to ask. Curiosity just got the best of her.

But Rafe wasn't bitter like Wheezie expected him to be. Instead he actually took his time to come up with an honest answer.
"Yeah I believe we can. Once the time is right. We will eventually".

Wheezies lips curled up into a smile and Rafe realized her tears had already dried. She chuckled:"That sounds just like the Notebook".

"What's this notebook you're talking about?", Rafe finally asked as a laugh fell off his lips.

"The best movie ever", Wheezie laughed as she threw her head back,"You have to watch it! Right now! With me!".

"It's way past midnight, Wheez", Rafe got up from her bed and ruffled through his sisters hair,"Try to get some sleep and maybe we'll watch it this week?".

"Fine", Wheezie yawned, realizing she was actually super tired. So Rafe tucked her into bed and turned the lights off when he left her room.

When he laid down on his bed, everything washed over him once again. Rafe just wanted to forget. So he turned on his TV and scrolled through Netflix until he found the movie he had been looking for.

Rafe Cameron spent the rest of his night watching the Notebook, trying to hold back tears thinking about Anastasia.

-

Hazel eyes stared right back at each other. Anastasia's scalp was burning and something about the pain made her feel like she deserved it. So she sat in silence while Kiara asked for the third time:"Are you sure your scalp isn't hurting? I can wash the bleach off".

"It's fine, Kie", Anastasia smiled at her friend, looking through the mirror. The girls were sitting in the tiny bathroom of Hill Motors, bleaching the brunette hair to blonde.

The boys were laying in the Corvette, that was standing in the workshop, trying to sleep. Most importantly because Kiara didn't want any of them to mess around and fuck up Anastasia's hair.

"How did you even get all of this?", Kiara asked and took a closer look at the five different toners in the Sally's bag. Rafe had been prepared for everything. Whatever lighter color Anastasia could've wanted, he provided for it. Though he could already tell what Anastasia would go for: Platinum blond. Just like the hair she had back in California.

"You gotta be prepared for everything, Kie", Anastasia just winked and laughed it off. Her hair was almost white. Something about that made her feel clean, as if she would've wiped every single thing off of her mind. As if she could be a new person. Now that Rafe had said his goodbye.

"Do you really want to leave to Yucatán with JJ?", Kiara asked, taking a look at the hair underneath the bleach. Her hands softly massaging Anastasia's scalp.

"I don't know", she answered,"I'll just go with the flow. How did you even know about Yucatán?".

"I-", Kiara cleared her throat and turned her back to Anastasia, looking for something,"I overheard you and JJ talking. You guys seemed pretty close and all".

"Yeah well", Anastasia chuckled nervously,"He is my friend".

"Are you sure about that?", she asked and suggested to wash off the bleach now. Anastasia nodded and leaned her head back, so Kiara could help - the small sink made hair washing a two man job.

Eventually Anastasia decided to speak up again:"What do you mean, Kie? You guys are my friends, like literally best friends. My family. Nothings gonna change that".

Kiara sent her a small smile and continued in silence. She carefully towel dried Anastasia's hair and started putting on the Toner. Anastasia could tell her best friend was lost in thoughts. Maybe this was about the whole running from the cops thing, or something else entirely. "What's bothering you, Kie?".

"Nothing", she lied and forced a smile on her lips,"Just don't break each others hearts, okay?".

Anastasia nodded and decided to let this go. Something about Kiara had seemed differently today. For a few days actually, she realized. Though she couldn't explain herself, what could possibly be the reason behind her behavior. After all this mess is over Anastasia would look into it, she told herself.