A Chapter| Chapter Twenty Two

"Lila, could you hang back for a second?" Grace asked from the kitchen as Lila headed to the door, stopping as she looked at her moms in the kitchen.

"Everything okay? I took out the trash this morning." Lila said as she walked over, looking at the two at the table as they gave her a look.

"It's not about the trash, honey." Lacey said as Lila gave her a look before the indian woman put Lilas pill bottle on the table.

"I took them already, remember? Just a hour ago." Lila said as Lacey cleared her throat.

"We know, which is why we're confused on why five are missing." the blonde woman said as she raised her eyebrows at her daughter.

"Five pills are missing?" Lila asked in disbelief, grabbing the bottle and counting them, indeed five missing already.

"Lila, you know I struggled with a addiction once in my life too-" Grace began as Lila shook her head quickly.

"No, mom, i'm not addicted, I swear. I take two a day for the pain until my stitches heal, I swear on my life." Lila said as Lacey and Grace shared a look, knowing when Lila was lying and she wasn't this time.

"Listen, we told you we don't mind Rafe staying here every now and then but if he's taking pills from you then you need to tell us." Grace said to her sternly as Lila shook her head.

"Rafe hasn't stayed the night since I got out of the hospital." Lila spoke as she shook her head.

"What about JJ? He stayed the night the past two nights." Grace pointed out as Lila gave her a defensive look.

"Grace, JJ wouldn't do that. He loves Lila." Lacey pointed out as Lila nodded, "Rafe, maybe."

"Mom!" Lila said in disbelief as she gave her a hurt look, making the blonde put her hands up in surrender.

"Listen, they make me tired, I might have just dropped a few when I saw taking them.... let's not point fingers at my boyfriend and best friend please." Lila said the two woman sighed with a nod of her head.

"Let's just be more carful, okay? Their only gonna refill them once for you." Grace said as Lila nodded her head knowingly while she swallowed ... knowing damn well she didn't drop them anywhere.

"Hey." Lila said as she walked into the small house Rafe was staying at.

"Hey, babe, what are you doing here?" Rafe asked as he stood up quickly, Topper walking into the living room at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, Lila." he said, looking between the two, knowing Rafes anger was sky high after the encounter with John B and Sarah not too long ago.

"Hey." Lila said back to him with a small smile, looking back at Rafe.

"Get lost, Top." he said as the blonde hesitated before disappeared back toward one of the bedrooms.

"Everything okay? I thought we were gonna watch one of your ghost shows tonight?" Rafe asked as Lila nodded her head and rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah, yeah, we are but um, I just needed to- did you happen to take a couple of my pills from the hospital?" Lila asked as he raised a eyebrows, chuckling slightly.

"Are you serious? Cmon, Lila, no, I didn't take your pills." He said with another laugh like it was humorous she'd be accusing him, a former drug addict, of taking her medication.

"Okay, well five of them are missing and if I can't get them refilled by tomorrow i'm gonna be in massive pain." Lila said as Rafe blinked at her and shook his head.

"You really think i'd take your pills? You really think i'm gonna let you be in pain just for my own benefit?" he asked defensively as Lila sighed.

"That not what i'm saying." she said, knowing they'd been arguing way too much lately.

"Well that's exactly what it feels like right now." Rafe said back as he crossed his arms, Lila immediately putting her hands on him in hopes of calming him down, which it did.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean it that way." Lila said with a loud sigh, exhausted with the constant issues back and forth between the two.

"You can't get more?" he asked while grabbing her hand to hold as she shrugged.

"My moms gonna try, she said they maybe can get me a refill but we're not sure when. I only have three left and I have to take two a day, sometimes three, depending on the pain i'm in." Lila said with a shrug as Rafe gave her a sympathetic look and nodded knowingly.

"Hey, i'm sure they'll get you in, all right? If not we'll figure something out, you'll be okay." he said while rubbing her shoulders softly while Lila nodded her head.

"I was actually gonna talk to you about something tonight, but now that you're here.." Rafe trailed off as Lila nodded her head, waiting for him to go on.

"Barry stopped by the country club today, said something about Sarah and your friends robbing him. He had this massive gash on his face, beaten up pretty bad, said JJ did it." Rafe said as Lila blinked in shock, her mouth slightly gapped.

"JJ beat him up?" Lila asked him, wondering why the blonde wouldn't mention it over the past two days.

"It's what he said.... you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" he asked, his hands tightening around her hands as Lila shook her head.

"Rafe, i've been on bed rest for the past two days, I haven't gone anywhere." Lila said as Rafe nodded.

"Maybe not but you're friends have been around, haven't they?" Rafe questioned as Lila looked away.

"No, they haven't actually." she said, the slight burn in her heart that four didn't come by to see her after the accident, "Just JJ and he didn't say anything about beating up anyone or robbing."

"All right, you'd tell me if you knew anything though, wouldn't you?" he asked as Lila nodded her head, lying to him but lying felt like something they did regularly now.

"Why are you talking to him anyways? He sliced me open." Lila said, trying not to show her slightest bit of hurt.

"I know he did, but he showed up out of no where, okay? It wasn't my doing, and I talked to him about that, okay? I'm not gonna buy from him anymore." Rafe asked as he grabbed her arms slowly as Lila nodded.

"Okay." she said with a shrug, not sure if she should believe him.

"Okay?" he asked her with a nod while grabbing her face to kiss her as Lila nodded.

"Yeah, i'm gonna head off, i'll see you tonight." she said, a sigh leaving her lips as she gave him a tight lipped smile.

"Lila." Rafe said as he noticed the look on her face, realizing she didn't believe a word coming from his mouth, "I love you."

Lila sighed as she slowly turned back around and gave him a nod and a small smile, "I love you too."

Leaving the small house, she headed down the stairs before she heard the door open and foot steps running around her, turning she saw Topper jogging down the steps to catch her before she felt.

"Lila." he said while holding out the bag, five blue pills, the same five blue pills she was missing in a plastic bag before her.

"You took them?" Lila asked him with sad eyes, not expecting it while taking the bag, Topper shook his his.

"No, I didn't." he said and that was all it took for Lila to conclude that Rafe did take her pills, and that he lied to her.

"He-he can't help it, you know that, don't you? He's a addict, he can't help it." Lila defended him immediately, something she caught her doing way too much recently. She pushed the bag of pills back into Toppers hands, "If he finds out one of us took them he's gonna be mad, so just put them back."

"Neither can you." Topper said to her with a small sigh as he turned and walked back inside. Lila didn't understand what he meant, not yet anyways.

Lila made her way to the Chateau later on that evening, hating having to walk so far but beyond pissed. She was ready to bite his head off for not once checking on her, ready to get emotional, John B being the first person she was ready to yell at.

"John B! Dude, if you and Sarah are macking on each other right now I hope you wrap it up soon because i'm so pissed at you! Two days, man, two days did no one besides JJ check on me. Hello!" Lila said loudly as she made her way through the four walls, looking into the two rooms, finding no one.

"John B? Sarah?" she called out while walking out of the rooms, hearing talking from outside. Opening up the back door she could see the back of Kie and Popes bodies, JJ in the hot tub before them.

"Are you kidding me? You could have paid for restitution!" Pope yelled at him annoyed.

"Or literally given it to any charity!" Kie shouted at him as Lila decided to make herself known now.

"Leave him alone, Kiara. Not everyone has a shit ton of money to get whatever they want in life and then give some to charity." Lila stood up for the blonde as the three looked over as she walked out of the Chateua, "I like the hot tub, JJ."

"See! You see, guys! Lila gets it, she always does!" JJ yelled back at them, clearly drunk and emotional but Lila couldn't figure out why.

"You could have helped us buy supplies to get the rest of the gold out of the well!" Pope yelled, ignoring Lila as he looked at JJ in disbelief.

"Okay, well you know what? I didn't do that!" JJ yelled as he stood up, a silent gasp leaving Lilas mouth as she looked at the multiple, large bruises across his abdomen, "I got a hot tub! For my friends. I got a hot tub for my friends. You know what? No, you know what? Screw friends. I got a hot tub for my family!"

"JJ, what the hell?" Kie asked through shaky breaths.

"I got this for you. Guys, look what I did for you! All right? Look at this! Look at this!" JJ yelled over and over as Lila took a step forward, watching his emotional break down happen infront of her eyes.

"JJ." Kie said again like saying his name over and over was gonna make him clam down.

"No, you stop being emotional. It's fine, okay? I mean it's sweet right-" JJ began as Kie looked back at Lila as the blonde walked over, cutting him off.

"It's sweet, JJ, it's really sweet." Lila reassured him as she swung her legs over the side of the hot tub, wrapping her arms around him immediately as he squeezed her tightly, starting to cry.

"I just couldn't do it. I can't take him anymore! I was gonna kill him." JJ sobbed in Lilas arms as she shhed him softly, holding his body to hers while trying to stay strong for his sake. She felt arms wrapped around the two, Kie and Pope joining in on the hug in hopes of making JJ feel as loved as he was.

•••••••

that scene hurt me bro, i was super pissed and pope and kie though ngl.

i've got a surprise for you guys coming up!! it's gonna be a good one too!