041. liar and a thief

( the forty first chapter )

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains of Rafe's bedroom, casting a soft glow over the rumpled sheets and the pair still entangled in them. Olivine stirred first, her body stretching languidly against his, but her movements were stilled by the weight of Rafe's arm draped over her waist.

She blinked a few times, taking in the peaceful look on his face—his brow relaxed, lips slightly parted. His hair was a mess of golden strands sticking up in all directions, the gel from the day before long forgotten. She smiled softly, unable to resist brushing a hand through his soft hair.

"Stop staring," Rafe mumbled, his voice gravelly and thick with sleep, though his lips quirked up into a smirk.

Olivine let out a quiet laugh, withdrawing her hand. "I wasn't staring. I was... admiring."

"Same thing," he grumbled, but his smirk widened as he tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer. "Morning."

"Morning," she replied, her voice soft as she propped herself up on one elbow to look down at him.

Rafe's eyes cracked open, still heavy with sleep, but there was a warmth in them that made her chest ache in the best way. "You sleep okay?"

"Mmm," she hummed, her fingers absentmindedly tracing circles on his bare chest. "Better than okay."

He grinned at that, leaning up to press a lazy kiss to her lips. It was slow and unhurried, like they had all the time in the world—and for once, it felt like they did.

When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, his thumb brushing over her hip. "What do you wanna do today?"

Olivine shrugged, a playful glint in her eye. "Stay in bed?"

Rafe laughed, his chest rumbling against her. "That's tempting, Olive. Really tempting. But we should probably get up at some point. Eat something, maybe go outside."

She pouted, and Rafe couldn't help but kiss the expression off her face. "Fine," she relented, though her tone was far from serious. "But only if you make me breakfast."

"Oh, so you're bossing me around now?" he teased, his fingers pinching her side gently, making her squeal and squirm against him.

"Someone has to keep you in line," she shot back, laughing as she tried to push his hand away.

Rafe grinned, pinning her wrists above her head in one swift motion. "Careful, Liv," he murmured, his tone playful but laced with a familiar heat. "You're treading dangerous territory."

Her breath hitched, but she refused to back down, her lips curving into a smirk of her own. "Maybe I like danger."

Rafe's eyes darkened slightly, his grip on her wrists loosening just enough for her to pull free. She placed a teasing kiss on his jaw before rolling out of bed, leaving him to groan in frustration.

"Where are you going?" he called after her, propping himself up on his elbows as he watched her disappear into the bathroom.

"To brush my teeth," she replied over her shoulder. "You should do the same before you try to kiss me again."

Rafe let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he flopped back onto the bed. "You're gonna be the death of me, Olive."

Her laughter echoed from the bathroom, light and carefree, and Rafe couldn't help but smile. For the first time in a long time, everything felt... right.

He'd follow her to the ends of the earth if it meant hearing that laugh every day.

Olivine tilted her head slightly, her toothbrush poised mid-motion as she caught the subtle tension in Rafe's frame. His body, which was usually so relaxed around her, was now stiff, his hand running through his disheveled hair in a way that screamed unease.

He leaned against the bathroom doorframe, watching her with an expression that was almost unreadable. "I, uh, gotta head over to the house in a bit," he said casually, but his tone didn't match the words. "Finalize some things with my dad."

She nodded, spitting out toothpaste and rinsing her mouth, her eyes never leaving him. "Okay," she replied simply, but her voice was careful, soft, as if she didn't want to spook him. "How long do you think you'll be?"

Rafe shrugged, his jaw tightening briefly before he forced a nonchalant expression. "Shouldn't take too long. Just some... family stuff."

Olivine dried her hands on a nearby towel, leaning her hip against the sink. "Family stuff," she echoed, her brows knitting together. She could see right through him. "Is everything okay?"

He hesitated, his gaze darting away from hers for a moment before coming back. "Yeah. Yeah, it's fine." His voice was calm, but the way his shoulders tensed said otherwise.

Olivine took a step closer, her hand reaching out to gently rest on his forearm. "Rafe," she said softly, tilting her head to catch his eyes. "If it's not fine, you can tell me."

He exhaled sharply, running his hand over his face. "It's nothing, Olive. Just... my dad being my dad."

She frowned, her thumb brushing lightly against his skin. "Do you want me to come with you?"

His lips twitched into a small smile, and he shook his head. "Nah. I don't want you getting dragged into all that mess."

"Rafe..."

"I'm serious," he interrupted gently, his hand covering hers. "It's not a big deal. I'll handle it."

Olivine didn't look convinced, but she nodded, her fingers squeezing his arm lightly. "Okay," she murmured, though the concern in her eyes remained.

Rafe leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry about me, Olive. I'll be back before you know it."

"Just... don't let him get to you, okay?" she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, his lips brushing against her temple before he straightened. "I won't."

But as he walked out of the bathroom, his posture still stiff and his movements just a little too deliberate, Olivine couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this "family stuff" than he was letting on.

Rafe smirked as he pulled a wad of cash from his wallet, effortlessly taking out at least two $100 bills. "Here," he said, slipping them onto the bust of the dress Olivine had worn the day before, the fabric draped neatly over the chair in the corner. His grin widened mischievously as he added, "Go have a girls' day with Daniela or... whatever girly shit you two do."

Olivine narrowed her eyes at him, pausing mid-motion as she reached for the shower knobs. "First of all," she began, tilting her head, "you don't get to call it 'girly shit.' Second of all, I'm not taking your money, Rafe. I don't want you spending so much on me."

He shrugged, leaning casually against the sink with an air of mock innocence. "Suit yourself. But if it just so happens to end up in your purse later, I won't tell."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "You're impossible."

"And yet, you still like me," he teased, stepping closer as she turned on the shower, her fingers testing the temperature.

Rafe was still grinning when she splashed warm water at him, catching him off guard. He jerked back slightly, a surprised laugh escaping him. "Hey!"

"Serves you right for bribing me to hang out with Daniela," she quipped, her tone playful. "Besides, I have to be home anyway. You know, family obligations."

Rafe raised a brow, leaning one shoulder against the wall. "You're really gonna ditch me for your family?"

"Yes," she said with a grin, turning fully toward him now. "And you're going to text me when you get to Tannyhill. Oh, and let me know if your arm still hurts."

As she bent down to retrieve a towel that had fallen onto the tiled floor, Rafe's grin turned devious. Before she could fully straighten up, he delivered a playful smack to her rear, his injured arm barely slowing him down.

Olivine gasped, spinning around to glare at him, though the corners of her mouth betrayed her amusement. "Rafe!"

"What?" he said, feigning innocence as he raised his hands. "Couldn't help myself."

"You're ridiculous," she muttered, shaking her head as she stepped into the shower, her laughter echoing softly as the water cascaded over her.

Rafe leaned against the doorframe for a moment, watching her with a smirk before pushing off and heading back toward the sink. "Don't forget to text me first," he called out.

"You wish," she shot back, though there was warmth in her voice.

Rafe left the bathroom after brushing his teeth, giving Olivine some privacy as the sound of water filled the quiet space. He walked over to his bed, pulling the covers into place with lazy precision before making his way to the closet. He thumbed through the hangers, finally settling on a clean white tee and a pair of dark jeans for the day ahead.

With a sigh, he removed the bandages from his arm, revealing the burn scars beneath. The raw, uneven skin stung as the cool air hit it, and he gritted his teeth against the lingering pain. His jaw clenched as his eyes lingered on the injury, and he muttered a single curse under his breath,

Shaking off the thought, Rafe tossed the used bandages into the trash and moved back to the bed, collapsing onto it. His phone was in hand within seconds as he started scrolling through Instagram and his messages, aimlessly swiping past party photos, dumb memes, and a few unanswered texts from friends.

The sound of the bathroom door opening drew his attention, and when he glanced up, he froze. Olivine stepped out with her moisturised skin glowing, still flushed from the heat of the shower. She was wearing nothing but a matching purple bra and underwear, and the steam clung to her, making her skin glisten.

Rafe let out a soft whistle, his eyes trailing her every movement as she crossed the room. Her hips swayed naturally with each step, her chest bouncing slightly, and her curves catching his full, unapologetic attention. Her perfume lingered in the air, strong and intoxicating, as she reached for her dress hanging over a nearby chair.

"Enjoying the view, Cameron?" she asked, her tone teasing as she slipped the dress over her head, smoothing the fabric down over her hips.

Rafe smirked, leaning back against the headboard with a lazy grin. "I'm just an admirer of art," he quipped, his voice smooth. "And, well, you're a masterpiece. Blame me for looking."

Olivine rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. Spotting one of his socks on the floor, she picked it up and tossed it directly at his chest. "Go shower, perv."

Catching the sock with ease, Rafe chuckled. "You're not gonna deny it, though," he teased, standing and walking toward the bathroom, his smirk firmly in place.

"Just go!" Olivine called after him, shaking her head as she busied herself with brushing out her damp hair, the faint sound of his laughter echoing from the bathroom.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

After breakfast with Olivine, Rafe heads back to Tannyhill, his mind heavy with thoughts of his father and the money in the safe. He climbs the stairs, heading straight for Ward's office. He's done this before—slipping into the room unnoticed, accessing the safe hidden behind a portrait of Tanny. Rafe's fingers tremble as he punches in the pin, assuming it's a combination of his birthday and his mother's. The safe clicks, but then a warning beep echoes, the pin declined. His heart races.

Frustrated, Rafe hurries to his father's desk, rifling through papers. His eyes land on a birthday card, Sarah and Rose's dates marked in bold. He scoffs bitterly, realizing that's the code. With a quick punch, the safe opens.

He grabs $1,000 in cash, stuffing it into his pocket. But just as he's about to turn, he freezes. Ward stands in the doorway, his gaze cold and piercing. The air thickens with tension.

Rafe's stomach drops as his father steps forward, his jaw clenched. "What's this, Rafe?" Ward growls. "Stealing from me?"

Rafe stammers, "It's not what it looks like."

Ward laughs darkly, stepping closer. "Really? Because it looks like my only son is stealing from me." Before Rafe can react, his father grabs him by the neck, dragging him down. The pain shoots through his spine, making Rafe's breath catch. Tears form in his eyes, his lip quivering, but he remains silent.

With a forceful shove, Ward releases him, sending Rafe crashing into the sharp corner of the furniture. Rafe winces, but his father doesn't care. He takes the stolen money, sighing deeply.

"You need to get your act together, Rafe. I can't keep bailing you out. Stealing from your own family—lying like this. It's malicious. You need to find God. If you keep this up, I'll take everything you love away, and enlist you in the military. Maybe that'll teach you discipline."

Rafe stares blankly as Ward walks away, grabbing his car keys. Wordlessly, the two men make their way downstairs. The atmosphere in the living room is tense as Sarah, Wheezie, John B, and Rose sit, the air heavy with unspoken questions. Wheezie's eyes flicker to Rafe, sensing something is wrong. She opens her mouth to ask, but Rafe cuts her off sharply.

"I'm fine. Just a fight with Olivine," he mutters, his voice low.

Rose raises an eyebrow, noticing his rude interruption. "Watch how you talk to Wheezie," she says, her voice sharp.

Rafe glares at her, his anger simmering. "I'll talk to my sister how ever I want, Rose so shut up, Rose. Go back to being a fucking dirty ass gold-digger." His words are cruel, and the moment they leave his mouth, the room falls silent.

Ward steps in, his face twisted in anger, grabbing Rafe by the jaw. "Get in the car. Now."

He turns to John B with a forced smile. "Teenage boys, you know how it is. Fights with their girlfriends." He gives each of his girls a kiss on the forehead and hands Rose his card. "Order something sweet, alright, Ro?"

Rose smiles at him, watching him leave following after his carbon copy, but her eyes linger on Rafe. His closed-off, defeated posture tells her everything she needs to know.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

As they pull up to the cut, the familiar sight of the trailer comes into view. Ward eyes it coldly. "Where's your dealer?" he asks, his voice low and demanding. Rafe hesitates for a moment, then quietly responds, his eyes flickering toward the trailer. "Over there. Barry's inside."

Ward scoffs, muttering under his breath, "Only my son would know exactly where his dealer is, down to the last detail." He slows the car as they approach the trailer, the sound of a small fire crackling in the distance. Ward stops the car, unbuckling his seatbelt. Rafe follows suit, but Ward's hand snaps out, stopping him.

"Stay in the car," Ward orders harshly.

Rafe watches, silent and still, as his father steps out and heads toward the fire. Barry is seated next to it, sipping from a bottle of water. His eyes narrow as Ward approaches.

"Well, took you long enough to bring me my money," Barry says, his voice casual as he stretches out. He holds out his hand. "Pay up."

Ward doesn't hesitate. He drops the money to the ground, making a point of not handing it directly to Barry. The paper crumples on the dirt, and Barry's gaze hardens. He moves to pick it up, but before he can reach it, Ward kicks him harshly in the gut. The sound of Barry's pained groans fills the air as he stumbles back. The fire crackles, an unsettling backdrop to the violence.

Rafe's eyes widen in shock, his body tense with the urge to intervene. But he stays frozen, his fists clenched in the car. After a moment, he can't watch anymore. He opens the door slowly, stepping out of the car with quiet determination, his gaze locked on his father.

Ward pauses, sensing his son's presence. He turns around, eyes narrowing, catching sight of Rafe approaching.

"I'll pay you back," Rafe says softly, his voice steady despite the tension.

Ward's face darkens, his lips curling in bitter disdain. "No, you won't," he says coldly, his tone final. "You're a liar and a thief. I don't want you anywhere near my house anymore. You can stay at your loft or go snort yourself to death with your little dealer. It's not my problem anymore."

Rafe stands still as Ward walks past him, heading back to the car. The weight of his words hangs in the air, heavy with finality. Without another glance, Ward gets in the car and drives off, leaving his son behind, standing next to his dealer, caught between the two worlds. Rafe watches the car disappear into the distance, a cold knot tightening in his stomach as he turns back to Barry, who watches him with a mixture of amusement and indifference. Blood scattered on his face.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

Rafe stumbles slightly as he glances back at the trailer, where Barry watches him with an unreadable expression. He takes a deep breath, then asks quietly, "Hey... can I stay here for a little bit before I go home?"

Barry gives a half-hearted shrug, his eyes narrowing. "Fine, but don't make this a habit. You're lucky I'm even letting you stay."

They move to the trailer, and Rafe hesitates for a moment before asking, "Can I, uh... have a little bit of coke?"

Barry chuckles dryly, raising an eyebrow. "You just paid me off $600, and you're asking for more?"

Rafe leans against the wall, exhaling sharply. "My dad gave me a thousand. I've still got 400 left. That's enough to pay for a little coke."

Barry shakes his head, but the offer is already on the table. A few hours later, the air inside the trailer is thick with the scent of stale smoke and chemicals. Rafe's face is pale, sweat beading on his forehead. His hands twitch uncontrollably, scratching at his arms. Barry looks at him with a mixture of exasperation and annoyance.

Rafe, barely coherent, slumps against the floor, his body barely able to stay upright. Barry picks up Rafe's phone and starts scrolling through his contacts. His eyes land on a name: Baby Livi. With a roll of his eyes , he dials the number, waiting for the call to connect.

When Olivine answered after one ring, her voice concerned, "Baby? What's up."

Barry's tone is flat. "As sweet ad this is, it's Barry. You need to come get your boy. He's breaking his shit, and it's driving me crazy. I'll send you the addy."

Olivine hesitates for a moment, then responds, "Is this a joke? What are doing with my boyfriend's phone?"

Barry shrugs, unfazed. "It's nothing you need to worry about. Just come get him."

When Olivine arrives, the scene that greets her is worse than she expected. Rafe is slumped against the wall, his face ashen, his skin covered in a sheen of sweat. He scratches furiously at his arms, lost in his own haze. Barry stands nearby, watching with an indifferent expression.

"Well, well, well. Big Mama Cameron finally showed up to pick up her boy," Barry says, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Olivine shoots him a glare before turning to Rafe, her eyes searching his face for answers. "What happened to you?" she demands. She kneels beside him, her hands gently grasping his arms. "Rafe... you're hurting yourself—what the hell?"

Rafe's glazed eyes meet hers, and he struggles to sit up, his body trembling. "Baby, it's not what it looks like," he says, his voice shaky. "I'm okay. I'm okay. Let's just stay here a little longer, and then we can go home."

Olivine shakes her head, her voice firm. "No. We're not going home until you tell me what's going on. What happened to you?"

Rafe attempts to stand on his own, but his legs buckle beneath him. Olivine quickly reaches out to help him, supporting his weight as he stumbles.

"No, no, just stay quiet for a bit," Rafe mutters, his grip tightening on her arms in desperation. "There's nothing going on. Nothing."

Olivine, hurt and confused, pulls her arms away from him, her face a mix of disbelief and anger. "What the hell, Rafe? Get in the c-."

Before she can get another word out, Rafe grabs her face roughly, his fingers digging into her jaw. She whimpers in pain, but Rafe's eyes are distant, his actions almost automatic. At that moment, Barry steps forward, but Olivine reacts faster, smacking his face hard, pushing him back.

"Don't touch him," she warns Barry, voice trembling with barely contained anger. "You calm down, or I'll make you calm down." she pointed towards rafe whose jaw ticked in annoyance muttering curses under his breath, glaring at her.

Olivine pushes Rafe out the door, dragging him toward her car, Barry follows behind. She glances back at Barry, glaring. "What the hell happened to him?" she demands.

Barry shrugs, tossing a glance at the disheveled Rafe. "He got high, obviously."

Olivine rolls her eyes, frustration mounting. "I can see that. But he's been clean for almost three weeks." Her voice falters. "He's been doing so well..."

Barry chuckles darkly. "Yeah, well, you're wrong. Country Club hasn't been clean for three weeks. I saw him snort powder right before I burned him."

Olivine's face falls. She's heartbroken. As she helps Rafe into the car, she's silent, the weight of the revelation pressing down on her. Rafe lies in the backseat, his body a limp mess, drifting in and out of sleep.

On the way to his loft, Olivine looks down at him, fighting back tears. "You're such a liar," she mutters under her breath.

The soft sound of his soft breathing mixed with his light snores fills the car, but Olivine can't shake the sense of betrayal that's settled deep in her chest.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

KIKI SPEAKS ;
not edited !!

this is quite sad-but atleast olivine has an idea of how mean rafe can get while high and how aggressive and how he mimics his father when upset, but this was me writing my first coked-out scene it's not accurate because i didn't want to trigger ppl into relapsing but if u feel like you're about to relapse call friends immediately or reach out to anonymous addiction centres for help

word count : 3.7k

ENJOY !!
xoxo kiki 💋💋