⸝⸝₊ ┊run for the hills
── messy ♰ ‧₊˚ ⋅⩩

────── ♰ ──────

⁰︎⁰︎ °. VOICEMAIL.

A scoff escaped past Barron Sterling's lips as he tapped the screen of his radio to dial his sister's number yet again. The running car had been parked outside Tannyhill for who knows how long at that point, it would've started becoming borderline stalkerish if Valentina didn't get her ass out there soon.

Ring. Ring. Ring —

"What?" Her voice cracked through the phone finally. Irritated, tired, groggy. All of the above.

"Fuckin' finally, jeez," he grumbled. "Can you get up already? Ford and I have been driving around here for an hour." He watched a lady walking her dog walk past. "Already had to convince Wheezie to not call the damn cops."

It was quiet on the other line for a few seconds. Barron would've started shouting if she fell asleep again.

"Get up for what?" She'd finally mumbled.

A roll of Barron's eye's followed before Ford shouted from his seat in the passenger spot.

"Dad's got lunch!"

Their monthly lunch with Keller. Somehow Valentina had forgotten about it, but most of the time she came up with an excuse that she couldn't make it. She'd missed the last few months already.

"Just tell him I'm sick," she complained. "I'm...pukey." To be fair, she was pukey. This hangover wasn't being nice to her. "Rafe's got me on lockdown."

"He's not your fuckin' owner," Barron scoffed, watching the front door as none other than Rafe Cameron walked out. He looked pissed, but granted, he always did. "And he just walked out the front door looking pissed."

There was a quiet groan on the other line from Valentina. A shuffle and a rustle of bed sheets followed.

"Give me five minutes." The line clicked off.

"She's grumpy," Ford complained.

"She's always grumpy," Barron grumbled.

He finally looked away from the house as the confirmation of Valentina coming out. Watching as Rafe pulled out of the driveway on his motorcycle before he was speeding past them, not a care in the world for any of the laws against driving.

It was still a few minutes before Val emerged — definitely more than 5 minutes later — but the second she had spotted Ford in the front seat, she was shaking her head shortly.

"Out," she opened the door, startling Ford suddenly.

"Jesus —" he jumped, eyeing his sister as she waited for him to get out.

"Move, Ford."

"Why? I called shotgun when we left."

"Doesn't work with the driver, idiot," her eyes narrowed. "It's my seat, so move."

"How's it your seat? Just cause your older doesn't mean —"

"Get in the back," that was the final time she was bitching to him.

Ford scoffed under his breath quickly, finally unbuckling himself and climbing over the seats to return to his normal spot.

"Dude, dude! The leather, c'mon man!" Barron started arguing. "Keep your nasty ass shoes off my seats!" Val started to climb into the car finally, pushing Ford's butt the rest of the way into the car as he collapsed onto the floor with an exaggerated thud. "You two are cleaning whatever mess you make."

"Whatever," Val grumbled, letting her seatbelt situate itself against her shoulder before rubbing at her forehead.

The car lurched forward as Barron pulled away from Tannyhill. Ford was still in the back trying to pull himself up into his seat before settling in the middle. If there was one thing the brothers knew how to do, it was annoy Valentina to no end. Hungover or not, she was bitchy with them 80% of the time.

There was still some quiet resentment hanging in the air as the car rolled down the streets easily.

Barron could almost smell it if he had tried enough – granted, that may have been the alcohol seeping from Valentina still, but it was enough to place the feeling. No one had said anything when she had gotten in the car, Ford mostly afraid that she would've yelled at him again, and there was no way Barron was dealing with her without their father there to back him up.

Valentina may have been Keller's favorite, but he listened to Barron.

"Are you still drunk?" Maybe it would be better to actually get an answer before she lied to their father's face about it.

"No," she snipped, adjusting the sunglasses that rested perfectly on the bridge of her nose.

A scoff escaped Barron before he could stop it, his attention turning back to the road and a hand still carefully driving the car all the way to the Country Club. If he had to take a guess, Valentina was on the verge of falling asleep in the passenger seat. Either that or throwing up.

"You throw up, you're cleaning it up," he reprimanded.

"When was the last time I threw up?" She questioned defensively. "When I was 5?"

"Your 16th birthday," Ford recalled from the back seat, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone and the dozens of videos his friends had sent him from the night before. "All over Ruthie."

"Yeah, well," she trailed off, resting her throbbing temple against her fist. "She deserved it."

Ruthie was a bitch. Simple as that.

Valentina had avoided the girl since that party and it was the last friend she had ever tried to make. She didn't need any if they were all as bitchy as her – the only bitch she had to deal with was Rafe after that.

"Did that actually happen?" Barron looked away from the road for a few short seconds to look over at Valentina. Boy, were they full of questions today. She was busy rifling through his glove box for any sort of pain medication – anything to help the throbbing in her head or her achy bones. Or both. A curious glance was cast towards him for only a second before she continued her search.

"Did what happen?" Val questioned as she moved a few papers to the side.

"At the bonfire," he said again like that changed anything. Val made another face with a short shake of her head. "Topper actually almost kill that kid?"

Of course they found out about that already.

"I heard someone had a gun," Ford input from the back suddenly. Val looked back at Ford shortly, glancing at Barron again before rolling her eyes. "Was it the blonde one who's like lowkey obsessed with you —"

"I don't know who had it," Val cut him off, sitting back in her seat as the sound the glove box slamming shut followed, unsuccessful in her search. "And Topper should get charged for the shit he pulled. Maybe mom can actually get him to shut the hell up for once," the disdain in her voice was evident. "And he's not obsessed with me."

"Yeah, alright," Ford snorted to himself, ignoring the glare she gave him from the front seat as Barron chuckled to himself lightly.

"He's not," she shut down again.

"Alright, princess," he scoffed, amused in his sister's denial before he screamed when she had reached back to slap him.

"Alright!" Barron shouted, grabbing Val's arm to stop her. "Knock it off before we crash."

Valentina huffed a little harshly, sinking back into her seat with arms crossed as she turned her attention back towards the window. Barron couldn't help the roll of his eyes at her pouting, always the drama queen. Never happy unless she gets her way. Just like it had always been.

The rest of the ride was quiet, nothing more than the radio played softly while the Country Club came into view finally.

Keller was already inside when they got there, their reserved table in the corner always pristine and waiting for them by the time the three kids had finally strolled up. These lunches were nothing more than Keller and Barron talking about the family business, talking about the future and how Barron is gonna take over. The only reason that Valentina and ford got dragged along, was because Keller wanted to make them feel included. To make it seem like he was actually interested in them and not just worried about his business. He didn't even have anything to worry about, the business was fine and growing more than ever. So these were pointless.

Valentina was greeted when she sat down, which was new.

Mostly because it had been almost three months since she had shown up to one of these.

The only response she could muster up was a tight smile as she pulled her chair in. There was a few minutes before the waitress had made her way over, Keller ordering for himself before motioning to the rest of the table.

Mimosas it was for Valentina then.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. There had been a dozen messages when she'd woken up in Rafe's bed. Texts from Rafe. Ramblings about nothing, shit talking his dad like he always did. But the most recent one had caught her eye.

rc
11:52 am

i need to talk to you. now.

i'm busy

dont even start with me.
read

There was a quick roll of Valentina's eyes as she shoved her phone back into her pocket. If she ignored it, it would go away...at least that's how most of her problems went away.

"Valentina," her name was called with a short kick of her shin that followed, breaking her from whatever hungover haze she had gotten herself into. Keller was looking at her, a slight crease in his brow like he was worried. "You alright, sweetheart?" A nod followed his question.

"Yeah," another tight smile followed. She scratched at the nape of her neck, picking at an old scabbed over area before she let her hands fall down to her lap. "Weird weekend," she reasoned. Barron snorted around his own glass, shaking his head shortly before Val glared at him.

"Have you thought any more about what your mother said?"

Valentina froze a little at the question, her jaw gaping before a nervous glance was shot towards her brothers when they had looked towards her.

"It's, uh..." she cleared her throat softly, "I said I'd talk to her this week sometime."

"What's mom want?" Barron was the one who dared to ask.

"She wants Val to start an internship before school where she works," Keller had explained with ease as Val kept a tight smile on her face when Barron looked back at her. "It would give her a head start in her classes for the fall."

Barron hummed curiously, seemingly intrigued with it before a short nod followed. "Does Rafe know?"

"Does Rafe know what?" It was a little defensive, more than she would've liked to admit. But in her opinion, it had nothing to do with Rafe. Going to school and this internship...it honestly could've been her way out of the Outer Banks. Away from Rafe Cameron.

"That you're going away for school," Barron joked through a laugh. "You don't seriously think that's gonna go over well with him if he finds out the day you're leaving."

"We're not even —"

"It has nothing to do with Rafe," Keller said before she could finish. A short reminder to Valentina. "It's Valentina's decision and if he doesn't like it, then oh well."

The food arrived as he finished. Val muttering a quiet plea to the waitress to keep the mimosas coming as she drank half of the one in front of her before it had even been placed down.

"Right," a clear of her throat to prepare herself as she turned back to her father. "But..."

"But what?" Keller cut her off, clearly not amused with what she was about to say.

"I think I have a right to include who I want in my life, dad," she reasoned carefully. Maybe Rafe wasn't the one to include in that dream, mostly because it was slowly turning into hell, but she liked to have the choice. "And Rafe is still a part of —"

"No," the dismissal was short. "We've talked about this. The more you include him into your shit, the less it becomes yours and the more it becomes his. You're not gonna have him forever."

"So, everything I'm doing is shit now?" She shrugged. "And what right do you have to decide what goes on in my life or who I include in it? Rafe is a part of my life, whether you like him or not — and he has been for years. You can't just expect me to drop him because of school —"

"Yes, actually," he nodded. He was still oddly calm, it was a little offsetting that neither of the boys had tried to defend any side of the arguments. "That's exactly what I want you to do."

She laughed shortly, staring at her father in disbelief before she shook her head.

"No."

She wanted Rafe out of her life, but she wanted it done on her own terms. No one else was allowed to tell her what to do with her crumbling relationship because it was hers. If you could even call it a relationship at that point.

"Valentina —"

"No," she cut him off. "Are you kidding?" A short laugh escaped her again. "I thought we were done with everyone trying to control my life?" Her mimosa was drained as she muttered the end of her sentence angrily. Her hangover was leaving — or the alcohol was drowning it out. Either way...the throbbing had dissipated. Now she was annoyed again.

"I can have control of your life as long as your living under my roof."

"Well, if everything I'm doing is such shit to you then, maybe I'll just leave," she threatened shortly, her chair scraping as she got up to leave.

"And do what? Live off your boyfriend the rest of you life? You can't do that, Val. Not with a Cameron." That was all Keller left her with, a short — disappointed — shake of his head around the rim of his glass before she was retreating off to the bathroom. "He'll ruin you before you get the chance."

Val ran into the waitress on the way to the bathroom, stopping her only for a second to grab the mimosa she was graciously bringing back to the table before she weaved through the never ending tables.

Her phone had buzzed again, a faint feeling inside her pocket, but she had felt it through her bubbling anger.

No matter how many time she had the same argument over and over again with her parents, the outcome was always the same. Val would do what they wanted in the way they had planned for her, or she would get out of the house.

The picture perfect family wasn't so perfect after all. How shocking.

There was a lingering phone call from Rafe waiting to be answered as she stepped foot inside the bathroom. Ignored. No way was she talking to him over the phone right now just so he could bitch at her too.

It seemed to be a never ending cycle in her life. Either she was being bitched at or she was bitching to someone. All because no one could never get on the same page, so the only solution was to fight about it.

Misunderstandings. Fights. Alcohol.

That was usually how Valentina's weeks planned out.

Granted, the argument just then shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did. It would've have to be some alternate reality where Valentina flipped her life around for a boyfriend — if she even dared to call him that. This was just...they'd always seen Valentina and Rafe as a pair. There wasn't one if there wasn't the other. If Valentina had left, Rafe would just follow behind. But he couldn't, not with him trying to prove to his father that he was worth something these days. Valentina would've had to stay there with Rafe if they wanted to keep what they had. She'd have to be the one to give everything up.

That just wasn't something she could do. Not for Rafe Cameron of all people.

rc
12:21 pm

fine. pick me up.
back door country club

Stupid idea to text him back. She knew that.

Unfortunately for her, he was the only one who would listen.

♰

If Keller's argument had been how Valentina was starting her day, she's not entirely sure why she thought Rafe would make it any better. Because he definitely didn't.

The ride on his motorcycle was every sort of unpleasant. Uncomfortable, loud, and all around just not a good time. Val hated that stupid bike — he was spending his money on stupid shit he didn't need. It's why he always came to her begging for money when the time came for it. Just like now.

The begs had fallen from his lips like the prayer he had always spewed to her. A promise to pay her back that she knew he could never fulfill.

Her feet had carried her through the doors of Tannyhill with ease. Ignorant to Rafe behind her asking question after question that she couldn't be bothered to answer. It was cut off when the fridge had slammed shut, the silence almost deafening as Val slowly turned towards Rafe as he leaned against his countertops.

"Where'd the money go your dad gave you?" Now there was a question that he couldn't answer. It had the breath catching in his throat a little longer than it should've. "For the backup generators? Or you waste that on something pointless too?"

"They're on back order," he snipped shortly, letting his hands rest against the counter in an effort to hold himself up. Half truth-half lie. Val narrowed her eyes at him dangerously, moving over just about every place they could reach as he kept his lasered to the counter. He was off. Something was off.

"Yeah, obviously there on fuckin' back order, Rafe," the glare from her had disappeared with a roll of her eyes before she had moved for the cabinets lining the back wall. "That's why you got that new bike out there, isn't it?" It was an aimless question that she already knew the answer too. It was the generator money he had picked her up on. "I told you, the bike was a stupid idea —"

"I got it, alright?" He cut her off. "I already got dad on my ass about the generators, I don't need you coming after me too."

Valentina mustered up a dry scoff.

One day Rafe would figure it out. The world could be about the possessions he owned — but he couldn't do that if he got himself kicked out of his damn family.

"You just don't get it, do you?" The question came out as a laugh. A condescending one at that, one that made his blood boil because that was the same laugh his father had always used towards him.

"Get what?" His voice was low, the bite threatening to break through as Val turned towards him when she leaned against the counter.

"Your dad's gonna cut you out of all of this sooner or later. And at this rate — he'd be smart to do it sooner."

Val was still on edge from her fight with her dad. Maybe it was a selfish threat. If Rafe had gotten kicked out, there was no way in hell he would be inheriting the Cameron business. That they would be inheriting the business. There was no way that Val could live the life he had promised.

"Didn't I tell you not to start with me?

"Oh, give me a break," she crossed her arms over her chest. "How do you expect to get anywhere in your life if you get kicked out? No more fancy cars, no more motorcycles, no more running around on a big ole island for shits and giggles," his jaw clenched.

He didn't argue, though. It set Val on edge. She knew something was wrong, she just couldn't place it. He just seemed so...out of it. Like he was on something.

"I didn't pull you from the Club so you could sit here and bitch at me," he grumbled quietly.

"But didn't you?" She tilted her head a little. "I told you I was busy."

"At lunch with your dad," he scoffed that time, finally looking up at her. "Another lunch of him handing you his credit card to run free, I'm guessing?"

"No, asshole," she shot back. "I actually have my own life outside of hanging off your arm like a piece of meat."

"As if you don't like it."

"In your fucking dreams, Cameron." The words cut straight through him, sending a shiver right through to the tips of his toes. But it did nothing to cool the never ending anger that was bubbling in his chest. "No amount of alcohol or money could make me like you as much as you think I do."

His face twisted a little. Hurt? Anger? She honestly couldn't tell.

"You're good in bed, and you're nice to look at. Is that what you wanted to hear?" She pushed herself away from the counter as her arms dropped. Attempting to leave before Rafe was moving quickly and grabbing her arm.

"Don't."

"Don't what, Rafe?" She carefully let her eyes trial over to his. The glare that met her own was on fire, sizzling behind the assortment of substances he was surely on. It still wasn't enough to melt the icy glare she had shot towards him. "You gonna tell me that you love me now too?"

"You're just a stone cold bitch who goes after the one with the most money, you know that?"

"I'm aware," she spit shortly, ripping her arm from his before his grip tightened. "Not the first time someone has said that to my face, sweetheart. Find something original next time."

"I do everything for us, Val," Rafe had finally started to talk since they had stepped into the house. "So that we can have a future together."

"That picture perfect life that you promised me?" She asked bitterly. "Well, you can shove it —"

"I'm doing this for us!" The shout had broken whatever tension was still up in the air. His grip on her arm had become impossibly tight as her brows had pinched together carefully. "Why can't you see that? Hasn't that always been the reason we do anything? For the both of us?!"

Valentina could only keep her breathing steady. The muscles in his face twitched, his eyes holding such a hunger, she hadn't ever recognized that before.

"Oooh, that's it," she chuckled lowly to herself, a sickly smile creeping onto her face before she was finally able to get her arm free when he had faltered.

His face scrunched in confusion that time, watching her feet as she took half a step back to look over his face.

"I'm gonna ask you this once," she started slowly. He dared to look up at her, eyes evading her again like an abused animal who wanted nothing more than to get away from everything. "And I need you to be honest with me. Yeah?" It wasn't a request, but he had stayed silent when she had gotten closer to him. "What are you on right now?" He paled a little. "Yeah, I know you're still fucking around with Barry. So, what'd he give you?"

"Nothing," he backed off a little. She could see him swallow, avoiding the question just like he avoided her eyes so successfully.

"I'll believe it when I see it. You want that perfect life so bad," her voice was low, it barely reached his ears. "You have got to knock it off."

────── ♰ ──────

gracie's getaway //
oooooooo boy

damn they angsty asf
(my bad it's my lifeline)

— gracie xx