1 Day Left

You lie to yourself, tell yourself you're a hero, and it feels so right. Fight Hart for your father. Start shit with Isaiah. Clean Rafe's wounds. Be a Pogue. In a place full of people so focused on their own interests, you're the dipshit. Putting yourself on the line for strangers. And what does it get you?

Why did it feel like everyone I knew was a stranger to me? If they weren't strangers, I wouldn't be in this mess. It would be like living in a utopia if everything and everyone around me were perfect. All players were placed in the same game. I just entered it.

Everyone was playing their part, their role that they were supposed to play. My life was the setting and their characters were the pawns. The pawns that were all set up strategically, making a move whenever I made a move. Every time I found the light at the end of the tunnel with hope on my face, they moved the chess board to their liking. I was trapped in my own mind, and I couldn't get out.

It was impossible to find checkmate. There was no way out. I figured that out after everything around me became crystal clear. I was trying to find a way out through everyone. In the distance, I saw a new player entering my game. But when I tapped them on the shoulder they'd turn around and all hope is lost. I see it in their eyes. I know that some are genuine, some are loyal, some are just like me. But they all disappoint.

They all agree to let their role take over them. Leaving no chance to clasp our hands in agreement for it to be over. We were all playing a game. We were all stuck in a game. We all let the game masters control our minds, letting society around us dictate what it should be like. The game masters were our minds. We were all stuck in this endless loop of lies, slowly losing our sanity as we played along.

I was standing on a chess board. Everyone I knew was on the opposing side, on the other team. I have no one on my side. The Pogues were on the other side. Sarah and John B were both present. My parents, classmates, and friends were all there. As the atmosphere was pitch black, the only source of light around us was a bright light.

The ticking of a clock could be heard. Being the only sound in the room. The watch ticked like a time bomb with every ticking sound. It never stopped, and every step I took seemed to make the clock tick faster, increasing my anxiety.

I took a look around at the people in front of me. Everyone was wearing the same expression. There is no expression. They didn't even notice I was there. I was alone; I had no idea who the people on my side of the board were, but they were on my side, on my team.

The clock began to tick even faster.

I awoke suddenly, heavily breathing and drenched in sweat.

Sharp pains shot up all over my body, causing me to groan in agony. As cramps began to pound my stomach, I clutched it.

I stood up from the couch I'd been sleeping on, on the second floor of the large house.

I looked around for a bathroom, clutching my stomach. I locate a restroom to the right and down the hall.

Shit.

I took a tampon from the supply box next to the stall door.

At that moment, I despised my dress and wished I was dressed more comfortably for the occasion.

Maybe it was a bad idea to come here.

The warm water from the faucet felt good on my hands. I wanted to take a warm shower and enjoy the sensation of warm water on my skin.

Muffled voices filled my ears, prompting me to turn off the water. In confusion, I furrow my brows.

I come to a halt and carefully listen to the voices, trying to figure out what was going on.

I open the bathroom door quietly, unable to hear any of the voices clearly, in an attempt to get closer to the voices.

The voices were coming from downstairs, and I needed to find a place to hide so that I could listen in. As I scurried toward the stairs, I clutched my dress to keep from tripping.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" exclaims a deep voice echoing throughout the house.

Hart.

He's here.

Curious as to who he was talking to, I crept downstairs and hid behind a wall, creating a blind spot for myself.

"You owe money. However, I am not surprised. You conduct your business as if you have nothing to hide. You, too, can't seem to maintain a stable life because you're hiding behind closed doors" Hart says, in a mocking tone.

I tried to peer around the corner to see who he was speaking with.

Like the night before, I could only see men wearing skii masks.

"How long can you keep going? How long does it take for a man to snap? Years? Months? Weeks? You're breaking down from within. And before you know it, everyone and everything you've ever loved will abandon you once they discover who Mike Carrera truly is."

When my father's name is mentioned, my ears perk up.

I slowly stand up and approach the scene, not hesitating.

When a warm hand gently grips my inner thigh, I turn around to see Rafe crouched against the wall on the floor.

Rafe holds the small of my back firmly, almost knowing I'll fall because of the silk dress, so I don't blow our cover.

I grab the corner of the wall just in time to avoid slipping.

"We have to get out of here," Rafe says as he stares at me intently. He chose his words carefully.

I bite the inside of my cheek and shake my head at him.

I try to stand up again, but I'm stopped by Rafe's grip on my arm.

"Once you step foot in that room, Hart will point his gun at your father," Rafe says, his tone solemn.

As his words left his mouth, I felt my head start to weigh me down.

"I'm not going to leave him," I say firmly to Rafe.

"And I'm not going to let two more people die."

My jaw clenches and my breathing becomes more rapid. I had to make a decision: go in and save my father, or stand by and watch him be tortured by Hart. I couldn't just hide behind this wall.

Rafe's hand is still on my arm, preventing me from standing up and entering the other room. The sound of skin being slapped is audible to me. My father groans, and I lift my head to see if he's okay.

I rest my head on the wall, half of it hidden behind it, the other half out spying on Hart. Because of the excruciating pain I was in, I desperately wanted to smack my head against the wall. I crouch down to a better position to avoid slipping on my dress.

Hart's hand is covered in blood from hitting my father across the face with his gun.

I see my father tied to a chair. I clench my fists in rage, eager to emerge from my hiding spot and save my father.

I yank myself free of Rafe's grasp and make my way across the room that mirrored where Rafe and I were hiding.

Rafe was across from me, I then leaned against the wall.

His eyes questioned me, a worried look on his face because I was about to do something stupid.

"What the fuck was that?" one man exclaimed as footsteps approached Rafe and me. My eyes widened, and in a split second, I was quietly running on my feet toward a hallway opposite to where I was crouching. My heart was pounding against my ribcage as I ran down a hallway and around a corner.

Because it made no sound, the marble tile made it easier to run.

In the corners of my eyes, I see Rafe dash through the house, his figure creating a mirage due to his speed.

The slickness of the marble floor causes me to slide and lose my balance. I catch myself before I make a sound from falling on the floor.

I quickly lean against the nearest wall, which is now closer to Hart and my father. The wall separated me from them, creating a maze-like design. I look up to see Rafe in the same position across the room as we were just a few seconds ago. He puts his index finger to his mouth, signaling that I should not make any noise. I peered over the wall as best I could because we were now behind Hart. My father was sitting in the chair, out of breath, his nose covered in blood.

"You've got a daughter, don't you? And how will she react if she discovers that her father is not who he claims to be?" Hart says in an aggressive tone.

Guilt washes over me as I watch my father, feeling helpless in his situation.

"Leave her out of this. This is just between you and me" my father says through his teeth.

I swallow, resisting the urge to strangle Hart.

Hart laughs.

"Is this correct? Mr. Carrera. You're walking on thin ice right now. You don't realize that once a man is in my business, his entire family will be closely monitored to ensure that nothing slips out."

My father tries to free himself from the duct tape that has been wrapped around his wrists.

"I must have struck a nerve, didn't I? You see, you give me the best business on the island. I don't want to lose a customer ", Hart says as he drags the gun across my dad's neck to taunt him.

"I'll give you three days. Three is a generous number, Carrera. Don't let me down." Hart says as he motions to the men in ski masks to untie my father. As they release my father, I breathe a sigh of relief.

~ ~ ~

"You should have seen her face!" exclaims Colton, laughing.

I was with Colton, JJ, and Pope at Byron's. We all got along great. Colton grew up with Pope because his father was friends with Heyward. Colton would accompany his father on trips to the outer banks and stay at Pope's house.

"Okay, okay, very funny. Colton, you never told us about the time you ran out of the principal's house butt-naked because the girl never told him the principal was her father", I say, as I sip my beer and grab the cue stick to position it on the pool table in preparation for hitting the cue ball.

"Damn son, you still got it in you?" JJ asks, jokingly slamming his fist into Colton's chest.

"Not quite, I was busy busting some ass because all the guys were trying to get with Kiara," Colton tells JJ.

"Understandable," JJ says, squinting as he hits the cue ball into a couple of balls, only making one of them in.

I slap JJ on the arm and walk around him to the corner of the pool table. "JJ wouldn't get it. Thinks with his dick. Isn't that right, Pope?" I ask, turning to Pope for confirmation.

Pope laughs and pushes off the wall, sipping his beer. "Look, I did my best. He wouldn't be able to survive if the entire female population disappeared" Pope says, shrugging.

"Pope, if you weren't always buried in a book, you'd notice all the girls vying for your attention." JJ responds.

"Wow. What am I hearing? I believe I heard the admissions office calling the school to ask about JJ Maybank's record. Oh, sorry, he didn't get enough attendance points to get his diploma", Pope jokes as he grabs a pool stick.

Colton and I both burst out laughing. "Senior year, Maybank. Unless you enjoy living with Heyward." Colton says.

"It's all a dream. He wouldn't mind having some extra help because Pope is too busy, with scholarships up his ass "JJ says this before hitting an 8-ball.

"At least I get offers that last," Pope jokes, and JJ takes advantage of Pope's turn.

I pass my stick to Pope, allowing him to take my turn. Colton joins me as I lean against the wall.

"You good? I see you've been taking this boxing thing very seriously", Colton says as he examines some visible bruises. The majority of my bruises had healed, but they had left some brown marks.

I fold my arms, feeling a little self-conscious. I think back to my ring match with Rafe.

I shiver slightly as I see a flash of his dark blue eyes as he punches me. I tried to clear my mind of the thought. The rage in his eyes was lethal, and each punch to the gut was felt.

Last night, he saved my life.

I sigh and turn to look at Colton "Yeah, my opponents are now being replaced by more skilled women. The rules are starting to change."

Colton shakes his head in disbelief at the thought "You know, you can always speak up. Another thing you excel at."

Colton is aware that I box, but he is unaware of the underground boxing scene that exists beneath his feet. Every time we went to Byron's for a drink, I felt guilty for having a whole secret world beneath us that they had no idea about. I'm surprised we've kept it going for so long, given that it's literally at ground level, beneath a popular bar.

Laughter enters my ears, drawing our attention away from each other and toward the bar's entrance.

Rafe, Topper, Kelce, and a bunch of other Kooks walk in and order drinks from the bartender.

JJ mocks the Kooks, saying, "So that's where they go after filming."

JJ decided one day to call them the Powerpuff Girls.

I return my focus to the boys and take it all in. It's been a while since we've all gotten together. I smiled as I remembered Sarah trying to set up Colton and I, despite the fact that I had told her many times that we didn't like each other in that way.

~Flashback~

"So, what do you think of Colton?" Sarah asked, her gaze fixed on Colton.

I chuckle "Never. I don't like him like that "I say to Sarah, knowing she won't take no for an answer.

"Come on, I can tell by the way he looks at you. There must be something there ", Sarah says, jokingly nudging me.

I give her a funny look with my head tilted. "If you say that, JJ and Pope are literally right here." I say this while raising my hand in the air to demonstrate the line to her.

We laugh together. "I mean, you're not entirely wrong." Sarah says, and we burst out laughing once more.

"How are things going with John B?" I ask. I was curious about how they were doing, and seeing them together made me happy. They were similar in some ways, just different genders.

A slight flush appears on her cheeks, causing her to smile. "Yesterday, we declared our love for one another. JJ, on the other hand, walked in on us" Sarah rolls her eyes at JJ's poor timing.

I lift my beer in agreement. "JJ coming in hot. Always."

"I'm happy for you guys," I tell Sarah. Her phone rings, and she motions to it, and I nod, assuring her that she can take the call.

I sigh as I think about it again. Should I tell her? She was, after all, my best friend.

Everything would change if she found out. I don't believe things will return to normal. I'm not sure if she'll accept what happened.

I tried to look on the bright side of things. I mean, she found John B when they were both struggling. In my case, it is the same.

I wanted to let go of it. I wanted to suppress this thought because it had passed me by. It didn't mean anything to me before, so why should I care about it now? Why should I tell her when it doesn't matter to me?

We despised each other. We continue to do so. We were never friends. I was disgusted with his demeanor and the person he had become.

Keep lying to yourself.

I despised the way he spoke, the way he let his ego take over. I despised the way he mocked his own problems. I despised the manner in which he exited. I despised the way he didn't care and exacerbated the situation. He lacked a heart and a soul, and his entire being was dark. He lacked compassion.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

He shattered me from within, tearing everything apart.

Keep going, you're getting really good at lying.

You dont exist for me anymore.

You continue to deny it. It'll come out one day.

I hated him. That's why I'd never tell Sarah about what had happened between us.

Perhaps you kept it that way because the secret you shared with him was what kept you two together. It was what drew you in even more.

I clenched my teeth in annoyance. I could never get these voices out of my head.

~End of Flashback~

"Look who it is!" Kelce says in a mocking tone as he approaches us. "The beer on the cut is cheaper over there, so why waste gas driving over here?"

JJ puts his stick down and sizes up Kelce. Colton then takes a position close to JJ, preparing to break up a potential brawl.

Seeing Colton, Kelce laughed. "What? You can't stand your ground?" he asked JJ.

Getting closer to Kelce, he asks, "Do you always need a group behind you to start talking?"

The bar is filled with "oohs" following JJ's comment towards Kelce. Kelce puffs his chest out to appear as if he hadn't been hit.

Topper steps in to try and stop Kelce. "Kelce, it's not worth it." he tells Kelce in an attempt to calm him down.

"Nah man, aren't these the people who took your girlfriend away from you?" Kelce asks Topper, using his hand to gesture at us.

"Kelce." Topper says again, trying to divert Kelce's attention. We lock eyes, and I spare him a sympathetic glance.

As Kelce looked at us, he said, "I'm not going to let them walk all over you. If Sarah had never joined them in the first place, she would not have been gone."

"Maybe if you guys didn't have your damn egos up your fucking asses she would still be here," JJ spits back at Kelce.

In an effort to keep JJ from lunging at Kelce, Colton places a hand on JJ's chest. The tension in the room was increasing, making me anxious for my fight in an hour.

"What did you just say, bitch?" Kelce asks as he begins to step forward and slip out of Topper's grasp.

"I can hear it. Longing to be released. Just like the little girl inside. Too insecure to come out." JJ says with a smirk forming on his face.

Kelce swings at JJ, missing his face. JJ retaliates by pushing Kelce forward.

I groaned internally, I was too tired to do anything, I was so fucking tired of the rivalry.

While I wanted to step in, I had to save my stamina for the fight tonight. Being in the midst of my period made me want to grab Kelce and JJ by their ears and boot them out of the bar.

As I watch the action unfold before my eyes, I pull out my pool stick and hit an 8 into the hole. Pope grabbed JJ's stick to play on his side.

Topper and Colton intervene by trying to prevent Kelce and JJ from fighting again by holding them by the collar.

I felt a hand placed on my hand guiding me to get a good angle for the last ball.

"I was not going to let Pope win this time." JJ says to me, referring to the gesture he made just now.

When it came to pool, Pope was the reigning champ. No one could beat him.

It wasn't hard for Pope to put his mind to anything. Whatever you put before him, he'd find a way and would slowly become the best at it.

The sports process takes a lot longer. But that's okay because I am not good at anything besides boxing. I try my hardest at school, at home, and everywhere else. But I can't seem to do it. Something always holds me back.

In many ways, Pope was exemplary in his unwillingness to quit. Heyward raised him well, and I envied the good life he led at home. Pope deserved it, as did JJ.

The sight of JJ at Pope's home warmed my heart. He deserved a second chance, so I watched from the sidelines. I wanted to see him with Pope's family, who welcomed him like their son. I didn't want to interfere with him feeling normal for once.

Rafe's POV:

I was perplexed by the girl in front of me; she pretended as if everything and everyone around her were fine. The fact that she didn't intervene in the fight to help JJ made me grip my beer bottle even tighter. She was sick of the banter playing out in front of us, but she also wanted it to stop.

I was irritated by how she sat back as if she had nothing to hide. Her friends had no idea who she was hiding from them. She put on a fake smile and did a good job of hiding it. That made me envious. When I had something going on, everyone knew it was fucked up. She did a good job of concealing it, but I couldn't.

She walked around as if her life wasn't in danger. She put it aside in order to look after her friends. She hid it so well that I was almost deceived by how effortlessly she didn't give a fuck, with a smile forming on her face.

I clench my teeth slightly; I couldn't take it anymore. She leaned against the wall, as if the world revolved around her.

Everything returns to normal after the fight ends. JJ returns to his pool table, while Kelce returns to the bar. Two different worlds in the same room were separated by an imaginary line. Kiara took a sip of her beer, holding it up to her lips. JJ's remark caused a smirk to appear on her face. That smirk on her face made me want to wipe it away.

I was so fucking irritated by the character she was attempting to portray.

The mask would eventually fall off, revealing her true identity.

I could understand her anguish and the predicament she was in as a result of her father's actions. She had caused a commotion among her peers ever since she moved here, and she was attempting to start over.

Everyone had shit in their lives, and everyone was either trying to flee or run into the storm.

Kiara was doing both of these things at the same time. And I despised the way she juggled it on both hands while entertaining a new situation.

Emotions began to build up inside of me, causing me to clench my fists in order to keep them from bursting out.

"I'm surprised Kiara didn't step in this time to save her boyfriend's ass," Kelce says as he looks over at Kiara, shaking his head and chuckling.

Kelce's voice was drowned out by my indifference to his observations. I approach the group of friends with a single goal in mind. I was planning to help her, to lighten the load of lies on her shoulders, and to assist her in cleaning the window that peered into who was truly behind all that dust.

"Those are some nasty scars you have there, Kiara," I tell her. My brain wasn't thinking, but my mouth was just speaking.

An unreadable expression flashes through her eyes, leaving me unsatisfied. She folded her arms, guarding herself, and it only encouraged me to keep going.

There are times in my life when I'm not sure if I'm in control or not. Like when a nightmare becomes so real that you begin to doubt it.

The words slipped from my mouth and I couldn't stop them. My thoughts were racing in circles as I tried to grasp something to stop the world from spinning around me.

I take another sip of beer and wipe my mouth.

"Is it too dangerous for you to live the Pogue life?" I ask, tilting my head to the side, waiting for her reaction.

Her eyes narrowed and she squinted slightly as she tried to read me. She didn't take me seriously, and that was what drove me insane.

As I watched her hold herself back, the tension in the room began to rise. She was determined to break me. That was what she thrived in. I wasn't going to let her get away with it, again.

"If it was too dangerous for me, I wouldn't be standing here," Kiara says as she surveys me.

I laugh at her pitiful response. I had her exactly where I wanted her, right where she had trapped me, and I was able to get out.

She was going to lose this time. She would experience the vulnerability of being broken. Kiara Carrera was my target.

"You're only standing here because you have people to hide behind. Or, more accurately, you're using them as a shield to make your life easier. But we all know you're hiding something", I say to her as I take a step closer to her, utilizing my height to my advantage. I towered over her, relishing the power I had over her; this time, I was in command, not her.

Kiara's chuckle at my remark irritated me even more.

She took a step forward,

"Rafe Cameron. Your kingdom is the Outer Banks. You walk around with your dick in your hands, your ego swollen, a fucking pussy. Too afraid to face the truth. You aren't shit. You don't have control over anyone. You can't even keep yourself together. When daddy is gone, you won't have anyone to turn to because everyone in your life has fled the big bad wolf who thought he had the world in his fucking hands. I'm sorry to break it to you, but you're fucked. There's no way out because you've permanently covered the light."

There it was. The presence of someone who tore me apart and tried to put me back together. Even though we were so close, the silence in the room was so deafening that I could barely hear our breathing.

Kiara's POV:

His eyes darted between mine, as if he was trying to keep himself together, but I wasn't going to give him a chance.

He was on the verge of breaking, and if I made the wrong move, it would be game over. His world would collapse like dominoes with even the slightest movement.

His fiery blue eyes burn holes into me as he leans in closer, attempting to lock me in.

"Fuck you, Kiara," Rafe says, his voice filled with hatred.

Because of the height difference, I lean in slightly, my mouth aligned with his ear above me.

"You already have," I say quietly, only for him to hear.

I walk away from him, running into him on purpose, brushing my shoulder against his to taunt him even more.

I walk away from the scene, biting my lower lip and suppressing my grin.

I own you now,

Rafe mother fucking Cameron.

.
.
.
.
.
.

A/N: AHHHHHHHHHHH 15!!! Have you guys seen the show "Maid"? ITS SO GOOD HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I hope you had an amazing weekend 💗