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𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙏 𝙊𝙁 Charlotte's day had felt off. 

Customers had been buzzing about something, and by eight o'clock, the restaurant was dead. She had sent all of the wait and kitchen staff home before texting Kiara again. She had texted her at least ten times, and had received no answer. 

The only answer she had received was right after she left the three of them earlier today. Kiara had told her that the gold was gone...the plane had taken off. That was the last she had heard from her sister. 

She figured that the four younger kids had gone to the Chateau to drown their sorrows, she just wished that at least one of them would text her and let her know that they were alright.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Charlotte re-pocketed her phone before finishing her closing duties. She was in the middle of ringing off when the door to The Wreck opened. 

"Sorry!" She called over her shoulder. "We're closed. Kitchen staff's gone home for the night."

"Lottie."

Turning, Charlotte came face-to-face with Rafe who was wearing a slightly worried expression. His hair was wet, as if he'd just gotten out of the shower, but even then, Charlotte could see how red his eyes were. He'd been upset about something. 

"Are you okay?" She questioned, setting down what she was doing before stepping out from around the bar. "Rafe, what's going on?"

"You've gotta come with me." He ordered, reaching over to grab her purse from behind the counter. "It's not safe for you to stay home alone tonight."

Charlotte stepped back, giving him a skeptical look. "How do you know I'm home alone?"

Rafe barely glanced at her as he began shutting off the lights around the restaurant. He had sat around while she closed numerous times over their four years together, he knew the routine almost as well as she did. "Your parents are at that conference, right?" He questioned. "They go every year."

She hated to admit it, but Charlotte's heart swelled slightly over the fact that he remembered. "Yeah." She answered, still not following what was happening. "But why won't I be safe home alone? I'm nineteen years old, Rafe, not twelve."

He finally stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. "You've just gotta trust me, okay? You're safest with me right now. I'll explain in the car."

"No." Charlotte argued. "You'll explain right now."

If there was any chance Charlotte was going home with Rafe, she needed to know why. 

Running a hand through his wet hair, Rafe let out a shuddered sigh. When he turned to face her, Charlotte's heart pounded against her chest. Something was wrong. 

"Sheriff Peterkin is dead." Rafe's voice was pained as he said it, his face twitching with something that Charlotte couldn't decipher. "She was murdered."

"What?" The words were like air leaving Charlotte's mouth. Her whole body seemed to buzz in shock as her chest constricted. "W-who─who killed her?" She whispered, terrified to hear the answer. 

Rafe's face softened as he lightly took a hold of her arm, leading her to one of the bar stools. "It was uh─it was John B."

The words left Charlotte's mouth before Rafe had finished speaking. "No." She argued, pulling out of his grasp. "No. John B wouldn't do that."

"I don't know if it was an accident or what happened...but it was him." Rafe assured, watching Charlotte as if she might break at any moment. "There's a warrant out for his arrest."

"No." Charlotte was adamant that her friend could not have done such a thing. "No." She repeated once again, pulling open her messages with Kiara. 

"That's Kiara isn't it." Rafe accused, taking the phone from Charlotte's hand. "Let me guess, she isn't responding."

Reaching out, Charlotte tried to grab her phone back. "Rafe, give it to me."

"They're gone, Lottie." He said softly. "They stole a boat and fled. She's not going to answer your texts any time soon."

No. No!

They wouldn't have just left without telling her. They couldn't have. 

This could not be happening.

"I don't believe you." She whispered, looking up at him with a wobbling lip. "I don't."

Rafe didn't look offended, in fact, it looked like he had been expecting that answer. "Fine. Then let me prove it to you. Let me prove it to you, and then you're coming home with me. The cops will be all over you if you go home, Lottie. I can keep you safe from them, okay?"

At this point, she didn't really have any other options. Until she heard from Kiara or one of the boys, Rafe's word was the only one she could depend on. 

"Okay." She finally whispered, allowing him to take ahold of her hand. 

Gently, Rafe led her out to Ward's truck that was sitting in the parking lot. She was glad she didn't have to ride on his death trap of a bike tonight. That was about the only thing she was glad for.

As they drove to the Carrera house, Charlotte felt like her whole world was crumbling around her. She never should have left today. If she didn't leave, then at least she'd still be with them wherever the hell they are. 

Rafe stole glances at her every few moments, eventually reaching out to take her hand in his. It's the same way they always drove when they were dating. One of his hands on the wheel, the other holding hers. 

"I'm sorry, Lottie." For once, he didn't make some dig at the Pogues. Instead, he recognized her pain. 

"You don't have to be sorry until we know for sure what happened." She rasped out, but yet, her hand still remained in his. 

When they pulled up to the house, it was dark, sending a jolt of devastation through Charlotte. She had rushed from the truck, throwing open the front door.

"KIARA?"

Nothing.

"JJ?"

Nothing. 

"POPE? JOHN B?"

Nothing. 

Rafe stood behind her, watching as she ran into every room, searching for any sign of her sister and friends. "Charlotte, they're not here."

She was in a crazed dazed as she brushed past him and marched right back to the truck. "We have to check John B's."

And so they did. They made the drive to the Chateau, only to turn up the same results as the Carrera house. They were no where to be seen. 

Charlotte felt absolutely broken as they drove in silence back to Tannyhill. She texted each of them once more, just hoping that they might respond. None of them did. 

She wasn't sure if she was more upset that they had left, or the fact that they had done so without telling her. Immaturely, she was pretty sure it was the latter. 

"Come on." Rafe whispered softly, helping her out of the truck and grabbing her bag. "Let's get you inside."

She had yet to shed a single tear, but Charlotte could feel them gathering behind her eyes. When they started, she wasn't sure they'd end. 

As the front door creaked open, Ward Cameron was standing there waiting for them. The intelligent side of Charlotte's brain told her to get the hell out of there. She knew who Ward was, what he had done. He had stolen the gold, he had killed Big John, and he had tried to kill John B. 

The less logical side of her brain told her she was too exhausted to do so. And besides, everyone she cared about had disappeared. What did it matter at this point. 

"Rafe." He snapped. "Where the hell have you been?"

Subtly, but enough for Charlotte to notice, Rafe pushed her behind him, as if to shield her from his father. "I was picking up Charlotte. She shouldn't be alone tonight."

Charlotte's dull eyes dragged up to meet Ward's, who was giving her a gentle look. "Right." He sighed. "Charlotte, I'm sorry about your friends."

Biting her tongue, she resisted saying what she wanted to say to Ward Cameron. Instead, she gave him a sad smile. "Thank you, Mr. Cameron."

Rafe looked between the two of them, sensing Charlotte's discomfort and took her hand once again. "Come on, Lottie."

After a moment of hesitant, Ward stepped back and allowed the two of them to mount the stairs. When Charlotte looked over her shoulder, he was still watching them. 

"You can stay in my room tonight...if that's okay?" Rafe proposed, causing Charlotte to tear her eyes away from Ward. 

"Yeah." She answered truthfully. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep alone tonight anyway."

As they entered his bedroom, Charlotte slowly lowered herself onto his bed. She had been in here after Midsummers, but had been too distracted with Rafe's state to take a look around. 

Now, her eyes wandered the room, picking up on the traces of her that still remained. 

Pictures of them were set up on his dresser. The teddy bear she had given to him on Valentine's Day in tenth grade sat on the chair in the corner. Cards she had written for him on birthdays, Christmases and anniversaries hung on a bulletin board. They were all subtle traces, but were evident if you knew to look for them. He hadn't erased her...not yet. 

"Do you need anything?" Rafe wondered, still hovering in the doorway. "I can make you something to eat if you're hungry."

Charlotte wasn't hungry, but she decided in that moment that it was time to stop moping. "That would be great." She smiled, one that didn't fully meet her eyes. 

Rafe nodded, looking relieved that she was allowing him to help her. "I'll be right back."

He gave her one final careful look before disappearing into the hallway. She listened to his footsteps down the stairs before standing up. 

If she was going to stay in Tannyhill, Charlotte was going to get some answers. She was going to find out where the hell Ward was hiding the gold, and then she was going to find her friends. 

Laying in bed crying over their departure was no good for anyone-- especially not her. 

Tentatively, Charlotte pulled open his bedroom door and glanced into the hallway, ensuring it was empty. 

To her relief, it was. So, ever-so-quietly, Charlotte stepped into the hallway, looking around once more before tip-toeing toward Ward's office.

Slowly reaching out, she tried the handle...locked. As she suspected. 

Glancing over her shoulder, she bent down and pried open one of the loose floorboards. Rafe had showed her where the key was hidden years ago. She could only hope it was still there. 

When she pulled the floorboard back, she realized with defeat that Kiara had been right. Ward had moved the key. 

Getting into that office was one of the only ways Charlotte could get some answers. Answers she desperately needed. 

Standing back up, Charlotte tried the doors again as if they would open the second time. As she was jiggling the lock, a voice cut through the silence. 

"Charlotte?"

Her heart plummeted as she turned to face the source of the voice. 

When she fully turned, Ward Cameron was watching her with curiosity, suspicion creeping across his features. "Can I help you with something."

She had to think of a lie and she had to think of one quickly. "I was just─I was looking for Rafe." A sheepish smile had spread across her face as she spoke. "I went into the bathroom and when I came out he was gone."

Looking back toward the staircase for a moment, Ward gave a small nod. "He's in the kitchen making the snack you asked for."

"Oh." Charlotte's voice was breathy as she spoke. "I thought I heard him come back up here...I'm sorry." 

Ward regarded her for a moment before a gentle smile came to his face. "Listen, Charlotte, I truly am sorry about your sister and friends. It's a horrible pain when the people you love abandon you. I know how you're feeling."

His words stung, but what caught Charlotte's attention was his relation to her. "What do you mean?" she wondered, curiosity creeping in.

"Rafe didn't tell you?" Ward wondered as if it were obvious. When Charlotte didn't answer him, he continued. "Sarah's gone...she chose John B and left with him."

Part of Charlotte, the largest part, was relieved to hear that Sarah had made the right decision in the end. The other part of her was discouraged to hear that every single one of her friends was gone. She was the only one left in Kildare County as far as she could tell. 

"I'm sorry." She lied. She wasn't sorry. "She'll come back...I'm sure she will."

Ward smiled a smile that wasn't really one. "She was brainwashed...I'm sure you know the feeling."

Instantly, Charlotte's brows furrowed. "Excuse me?"

His mouth was open to defend himself, a small, but taunting smile playing at his lips, when Ward was cut off by Rafe. "Everything okay up here?"

He was holding a glass of water and two pieces of toast with peanut butter, Charlotte's favourite snack. With eyes darting between his ex-girlfriend and father, Rafe looked uneased. 

"Yes." Ward finally answered after staring down Charlotte for a moment. "I was just telling Charlotte about your sister."

Rafe's eyes darted toward Charlotte for a moment. "Right." He muttered, something hidden within his features. Before the conversation could go any further, he nodded toward his bedroom. "Come on, Lottie."

Charlotte was grateful to get away from Ward. With one final glance in his direction, she stepped passed him to follow Rafe into his room. 

The minute the door was closed, Rafe set the glass of water and food down on his dresser, turning to face Charlotte with concern. "You okay? My dad wasn't bothering you, was he?"

Silent for a moment, Charlotte sat down on the bed, dropping her face into her hands. 

"No he wasn't bothering me." She finally answered, unwilling to discuss the nature of her conversation with Ward. 

When she looked up at him, the tears that she had been holding back were brimming her eyes. "I just─they're all gone. They left me all alone here." She wasn't talking about Ward anymore, that much was obvious. 

Rafe's face fell as he hurried toward her. "Hey." he soothed, sitting on the bed next to her. "Don't say that, Lottie. You're not alone, okay? I'm here, and I've got you no matter what. I'm going to protect you."

He resisted reaching out to touch her, as if he were afraid to make things worse. At one point he lifted his hand to wipe away a tear that had slipped from her eye, but decided against it. 

So it was Charlotte who leaned toward him first. She dropped her head onto his shoulder, melting into him. "Thank you, Rafe." She whispered, her heart bubbling with affection toward him. 

For the first time in months, Rafe's presence provided her more comfort than it did unease. All she wanted was to be near him. 

Tentatively, Rafe wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as Charlotte's arms snaked around his torso, bringing them even closer together. 

They sat in silence like that for a few moments before Charlotte finally spoke again, voice hoarse. Her mind was racing with so many thoughts, most of them involved Rafe. It seemed to her, that if she didn't think about what had happened today, maybe it wasn't real. "Have you ever done something that you regret so badly it hurts you every day?" She wondered, her big brown eyes flicking up to meet his blue ones. 

Rafe faltered for a moment, his Adam's Apple bobbing before he finally nodded slightly. A series of emotions had flooded his face at the question. "Yeah."

Charlotte regarded him for a moment, studying his every feature as she pulled away slightly so she could get a better look at him. Gently, she reached up and brushed a piece of hair from his face. "I shouldn't have broken up with you." She finally whispered, her words giving way to the thoughts assaulting her mind. 

It seemed that the events of the last few hours had broken down the barrier that she had put up that day the two of them ended things. The feeling of losing her sister and friends ruined all that Charlotte had worked to prevent. 

All summer Charlotte had convinced herself, and others, that she hated Rafe Cameron. That she was going to have nothing to do with him unless he got clean. But the naked truth was that Charlotte's love for him burned so strongly, it couldn't be put out no matter how much she tried. 

Her avoidance of the Figure Eight had been to avoid her feelings for him. If she didn't see him, she could hide how much she loved him.

But here they were. Once again, the two had been drawn back to each other. 

And maybe it was because she was vulnerable from the more than chaotic night, or maybe it was because she was laying in his bed, with his hands on her body, but Charlotte's love for Rafe Cameron burned in her chest more than it had in months. 

Rafe's eyes flickered between her eyes and her mouth, burning with so much intensity Charlotte almost backed away. His voice was low when he spoke, one that sent shivers up Charlotte's spine. "My biggest regret is letting you go."

Both of them knew what was going to come next, but neither had any inclination to stop it. Rafe made the first move, pulling Charlotte toward him as their lips found each other's. 

He yanked her body into his own, it was as if they could not get close enough to each other. Quite frankly, that was the truth. They had gone so long without each other, it was like every second counted. 

Charlotte pushed him down onto the bed, barely breaking the kiss as he pulled her toward him once again. 

Rafe hungrily held her close to him, his hands tight on her hips as hers ran through his hair. 

Finally, Charlotte had a moment of hesitation. Pulling away, she brushed her hair from her face, slightly out of breath. "We shouldn't do this." She whispered, but her words held no true intention.

His blue eyes bore into hers. "I know."

A few seconds passed before Charlotte let out a breathy sigh. "Fuck it."

And then, Charlotte Carrera did the thing she swore she wouldn't do...she slept with Rafe Cameron. 

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