┗━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┛

Annabelle stayed and helped Rafe patch up and then he insisted on showing her the house next door where he so stubbornly wanted her to stay. They walked up the stone pathway, stopping in front of the oversized mansion. Without hesitation, Rafe bent down, lifted a plant by the door, and grabbed a hidden key. He shot her a smug glance as he unlocked the door,

The front door clicked open, and Rafe stepped aside, letting Annabelle enter first. She hesitated, her gaze flicking up to his. His hand on the small of her back gave a firm but careful nudge, guiding her inside. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of polished wood and something expensive, like fresh linen. Annabelle's eyes swept over the grand entryway—high ceilings, a sweeping staircase, gleaming floors that stretched into the open-concept living room. It was modern yet warm, the kind of house that belonged in a magazine.

"Wow," She breathed. "It's... kooky."

Rafe let out a breathy chuckle as he closed the door behind her. "It'll do."

Annabelle turned, raising an eyebrow. "It'll do? Rafe, this place is gorgeous." She wandered further inside, trailing her fingertips along the marble countertop in the kitchen. The place was spotless, every detail meticulous. "Your neighbors are loaded."

"Fairly." Rafe shrugged, moving past her and into the living room.

Annabelle followed him with her eyes trailing over every detail and up on the large chandelier in the room. It was quite the update from her previous living situation, that was for sure. However, she couldn't help but feel incredibly out of place in the large house. Almost as if her pouge socks were enough to mess up the spotless floors.

"How long will they be gone for?" She asked Rafe.

"They'll be gone all summer." The boy said, his eyes on her as she admired the house. "So you'll stay here until then."

Annabelle glanced up at him with a slight grin. "You make it sound like I don't have a say in this."

Rafe looked down on her, a smirk only briefly touching his lips. "What other options you got?"

The girl spun around, her gaze traveling around the house, taking it all in, still hesitant to touch anything. The walls were too white, too perfect. She exhaled sharply, shaking her head.

"It's safe, Bells," Rafe spoke up, his voice lower this time. "I need to know that you're safe. Plus, I'll be right next door."

Annabelle spun back around, greeted by Rafe holding his hand out for her. She intertwined hers with his, his fingers immediately tightening around hers as he pulled her in. She grinned at the simple move, her hand squeezing his gently. "Alright."

"Alright," Rafe repeated, his lips tugging up into a smile as his face hovered over hers. "I'll be over every morning. Some nights."

"It's like we're moving in together." Annabelle joked. "We should totally get a dog while we're at it."

Rafe raised his eyebrows, cocking his head to the side. "I'm not a huge fan of dogs."

"Everyone likes dogs." She shot him an offended look, a playful smirk inhabiting her face.

"Fine. But I'm naming it." He leaned down, placing a soft kiss on her lips. The girl melted into the kiss, her stomach fluttering. It was like everything he did made her feel like she was the only girl in the world, like nothing else existed.

The two pulled away, mirroring the warm smiles on their faces.

"Just so you know," Rafe murmured, brushing his thumb over her knuckles, "the maid comes by every Sunday, so you'll have to clear out for a few hours."

Annabelle's brows knitted together. "They have a maid come weekly even when they're on vacation? Why?"

Rafe let a shrug roll off his shoulders. "Kooks are a different breed, I swear." The girl said before rounding Rafe to stare out through the large window facing the ocean.

Rafe stood behind her, his eyes dancing over her figure. He secretly admired how surprised she was with the house, finding satisfaction in spoiling her. Annabelle barely registered him creeping up behind her until his arms wrapped around her waist, his chest pressing against her back.

The girl leaned her head back, sinking into his touch and letting her eyelids cover her sight as she quietly hummed, clearly enjoying the moment. She placed her hands over Rafes, which were resting on her waist and thigh. Annabelle's breath hitched, her fingers tightening over his hands as his touch slid lower, squeezing at the inside of her thigh. A grin tugged at her lips.

She turned in his arms, tilting her head up at him. Rafe exhaled, his grip firm on her waist as he pulled her even closer. His face hovered above hers, close enough for their noses to graze against one another's.

"Rafe, what are you doing?" Annabelle chuckled under her breath.

He let his fingers move up her side. "Enjoying the sight of the house." He said, his voice low. He captured her lips in his, the kiss more desperate and passionate this time. One of his hands dipped to the small of her back, pushing her further against him as the other slid under her shirt, exploring the skin right under it.

Annabelle hummed against his lips, arms looping around his neck as he walked her backward, guiding her effortlessly until the girl's back met one of the doors. Without breaking the kiss, Rafe reached back, pushing it open. They stumbled inside, lips still locked. Annabelle barely registered the room—a guest bedroom, judging by the lack of personality.

In one swift move, Rafe lifted Annabelle off the floor, the girl wrapping her legs around his hips. He held her up with his hands on her ass, giving it a possessive squeeze before placing her on the bed with her legs still wrapped around him.

He reached down to fiddle with his belt before moving to the button of Annabelle's jean shorts.

"Rafe," She giggled. "We can't. We don't even live here."

"Sure we can." He breathed against her neck, the girl chuckling at the sensation. "The Gilssons are two old farts anyways. They're never gonna know." He kissed down her neck, moving to the straps of her crop top and sliding it down her shoulder.

"Rafe, you're crazy." Annabelle let out a breathy laugh as the boy pulled her shirt above her head.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

"I'm sorry, you're staying where?" Kiara asked, pausing mid-stride as she passed the counter where the group had gathered, with John B in focus. He had spent all of yesterday at the hospital and was now left with a cast on his arm but luckily without any major injuries.

"Tannyhill."

Annabelle choked on her drink the moment the word left his mouth. "You're living with the Camerons?" she coughed, barely able to get the words out.

John B dragged his face through his hands as he hurried to explain. "Okay, look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right?"

Annebelles brows knitted together. "Ward bailed you out?"

"Yeah, and it's way better than foster care, which, by the way, is where I was about to go if ward didn't-"

"Hey so do you have a membership to the clubs now?" Pope cut him off, him and JJ exchanging a teasing glance. Kiara sighed loudly, clearly not appreciating the banter.

"I don't know, Pope." John B shook his head.

"What about those little golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?" JJ asked, a grin tugging at his lips.          

"Does it come with a sweater vest or do you have to buy one your own?" Pope leaned back, hands clasped behind his head, fully enjoying the teasing.

John B shot them both a look but didn't bother responding.

"You promised," Kiara interjected, her voice cutting through the banter, her expression serious. "You said you weren't with her."John B shrugged quickly and JJ spoke up.

"Bro just own it. She got you."

"Look, if you wanna hang out with her, that's fine," Kiara said, the tone in her voice telling a whole different story. "But I'm letting you know now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah."

"Do you guys see her here?" John B glanced around his group of friends. "No, right. Okay, a little focus would be fantastic. We've got the map, right."

"It's out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it," JJ muttered, rolling out the old, yellowed map onto the counter.

"It's cause the coast has changed." Kiara corrected him.

"So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed," Pope said, leaning over the map.

"What about the old forts?" John B lit up like a lightbulb.

"Like battery Jasper." Kiara chimed in.

Annabelle hadn't said much, her mind still stuck on the fact that John B was living with Rafe now. Her days of sneaking around at his house were officially over. But then again, did it really matter anymore? She and Rafe basically had their own place now.

To her friends, though, she had carefully woven the lie that she was staying with Peterkin. It wasn't the worst lie. Peterkin had helped her a lot after her mom died and she had helped Annabelle get back on her feet after everything.

The group of friends hurried to John B's van and a few minutes later they stood on the hill where a few scattered blocks of stone were supposed to form some old landmark. Annabelle sat on the ruins of whatever had been there a hundred years ago, jawing and lazily chewing gum as her friends studied the dusty map. She and JJ seemed to share the same level of enthusiasm for the mission—JJ stood off to the side, absentmindedly gazing over the landscape instead of actually helping.

"What exactly are we looking for here?" Annabelle asked.

"If this is parcel nine," Pope pointed to somewhere on the map before looking up. "Then it's somewhere northeast of here."

"Over there?" JJ asked, following Pope's line of sight "Guys that's not Tannyhill that's a subdivision."

"Tannyhill Plantation was the entire island." John B explained. "It got sold into smaller pieces over time."

Pope traced a finger over the map. "So we're just looking for a..."

"A stone wall," Annabelle spoke up and the boy nodded proudly.

Back in the van, the five of them drove along a small gravel path Pope had navigated them too. "Okay, so the road should split up here." He instructed from the passenger seat, with his nose buried in the map. "Take a left."

Following Pope's directions, they turned the corner before slowing down in front of the stone wall they were looking for.

"That looks like a stone wall to me," JJ said.

"This is it," Pope confirmed, his eyes drifting to the Crain house just beyond it.

Even in broad daylight, the house sent a shiver down Annabelle's spine. It loomed over them, its frame stretching unnaturally high, the entire structure tangled in overgrown vegetation. A lump formed in her throat. She hadn't set foot near this place in years, but the fear had never left her. When she was a child she used to be beyond petrified of the house and the stories surrounding it. The fear must've stuck with her and everyone else in that van because the air thickened around them as they stalled for a moment.

"Not the Crain house." Annabelle groaned, unwillingly opening the van door.

"Are you kidding me?" Kiara marched out of the car, her lips parted as she stared at the building before her.

"Why'd it have to be here of all places...." Pope muttered.

"I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property." JJ turned to face the two girls on his right, the two of them sharing the same unimpressed expression.

John B exhaled deeply, grabbing the straps of his backpack. "Let's go."

"Hey, maybe I should stay back," JJ said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, like a lookout or something—"

Annabelle raised an eyebrow, scoffing in his face. "If I'm dying in there, then so are you." She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. "Come on, scaredy-cat."

They circled the property, finding a torn section of fence.

"I'm not going first," Annabelle quickly announced. Kiara, Pope, and John B all took a step back, effectively leaving JJ in the lead.

JJ rolled his eyes. "Alright. If you guys wanna be pussies, fine by me, but just know—" He grabbed the fence, throwing his legs over it when a crack erupted through the thick air. The fence broke, making JJ collapse to the ground along with it. He was quick on his feet, looking around to make sure Mrs. Crain wasn't charging at him with an axe.

The rest of the group erupted into laughter before stepping over the now-crushed fence.

"If Mrs. Crain finds us, I'll make sure to tell her you broke her fence," Annabelle teased, patting JJ's shoulder as she passed. They moved cautiously into the overgrown yard, stepping over broken statues and rusted tools scattered through the weeds. Annabelle watched her footing, wary of hidden traps—or worse.

"Look, you guys know whose house this is, right?" Kiara asked

"Oh, yeah. No, I do." JJ said, brushing some dirt off his arm from the fall.

"Honestly," John B spoke up. "I don't believe the stories of this place."

JJ hurried to catch up with Annabelle and Kiara, sticking his head through the slot between them. "Which stories did you guys hear?"

Annabelle turned, walking backward so she could face him. "The one where she killed her husband with an axe and has been holed up ever since."

"And on certain nights, when the moon is full..." Kiara added, wiggling her fingers dramatically in front of JJ's face. "You can see her in the window!" His muscles tightened at her story.

"No, it's not funny, 'cause it's all true," JJ said and Annabelle giggled at his reaction.  "I swear to God, guys. This is all real. I knew Hollis." He turned for support from the two boys walking behind him before spinning back around, jumping at the sight of a statue almost right in front of him. "Jeez!"

"Wait, you knew Hollis Crain?" Pope questioned and JJ nodded. "How?"

"She was my babysitter, man. She told me all about it. Told me the truth... about her mother and what happened in this house." JJ's words only made Annabelle feel more uneasy about the whole situation, her eyes flickering up at the house. "So as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and she was a murderer and all. Hollis didn't believe it.... until that night."

"What night?" Annabelle huffed, his story only straining her chest.

JJ looked up at her with two serious eyes. "It all came back to her." He turned around, looking at the house. "When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs. So she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in the sink... full of blood."

"JJ, stop it." Annabelle wrapped her arms in front of her chest for a sense of comfort.

But JJ didn't listen. "Her mother just says that she cut her finger. The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But then Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags."

Annabelle glanced over her shoulder, with a hair rising feeling that someone was watching her.

"Weeks pass," JJ continued. "and Hollies decides to use the outhouse. And as she's using it, she looks down, and there in the outhouse... is her father's head, looking straight back at her."

Annabelle exhaled deeply. "Okay, JJ enough." She rounded him, about to continue deeper into the garden along with John B, despite every bone in her body telling her not to.

"Hey, wait!" JJ stepped in front of her and John B. "You sure you wanna do this?"

Annabelle rolled her eyes which didn't go unnoticed by JJ. "Look, she's an axe murderer. John B's got a cast on," the blonde argued.

"J, I don't give a shit If she's an axe murderer, okay? We've got nothing to lose, right?" The brunette boy spoke up. "You coming or what?"

He and Annabelle stepped past JJ, slowly traveling deeper between the large bushes.

"So, what's the plan?" Kiara asked, coming up behind them.

"We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter." John B informed.

"Okay, like what kind of water? Like a pond of water?" Pope questioned.

"Bongwater?" JJ smirked earning glances from the group.

"No, it's- it just said look for water, okay?" John B said, his voice laced with annoyance.

"That's the shittiest secret message ever." Annabelle groaned and stepped away from the group. "I'll look over here, or whatever."

The leaves and sticks crumbled under her as she walked through the garden, on constant alert. Her fingers picked with the sleeve of her shirt as her eyes flicked over her shoulder every few seconds. The statues scattered throughout the overgrown space loomed over her, their faceless features eerily resembling mythical creatures—watching, waiting, ready to lunge at any moment.

The garden had plants and bushes growing tall over her, overgrown and tangled, like nature had been left to reclaim what was once carefully manicured. A chill ran through her as she took in the suffocating stillness. The air was dead silent. A gust of wind stirred the ivy clinging to the thick bushes, the leaves whispering against each other like hushed voices. Her steps slowed.

The crunch of a leaf around the corner of one of the bushes made her blood run cold, her hand gripping the biggest rock that she saw on the ground. With her makeshift weapon in hand, she held her breath for the figure to appear.

"Whoa, woah!" His familiar voice stopped her, right before she flung the rock at him.

"Gosh, JJ!" Annabelle clutched her chest, sucking in a sharp breath. "You scared the life out of me!"

"I scared the life out of you? You scared me!" JJ cocked his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Did you just—were you about to stone me?"

Annabelle tossed the rock aside. "I thought you were Mrs Crain."

JJ chuckled under his breath and glanced down at himself. "I'd like to think I'm a little more in shape than her." He joked, nudging his head back, telling Annabelle to walk with him. "Found anything yet?"

"Nothing but a bunch of awful statues," Annabelle flinched seeing one of them staring down at her. "You?"

"No luck." JJ shook his head.

A moment of silence lingered over them, JJ shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked, glancing over at Annabelle every now and then. After a moment, he huffed, hesitating before finally blurting out the words weighing on his tongue.

"How are you, after... everything?" He asked awkwardly.

Annabelle didn't meet his gaze. "I'm dealing with it, I guess. I got in contact with CPS, I will get to see her in two days." The girl smiled.

JJ couldn't help but mirror her expression, an excited chuckle leaving his lips. "That's great." The pair walked deeper between the bushes, almost barely paying any attention to looking for whatever they were supposed to be looking for "How is living at Peterkin's?"

Annabelle stiffened slightly at the question. She cleared her throat before replying. "It's awesome. She's really sweet."

JJ hummed in response. He kicked a stray pebble, debating his next words. "Hey, I'm really sorry about what happened and that you had to go thro—"

"Hey! Psst!" John Bs voice cut through the air, capturing everyone's attention. JJ and Annabelle quickly marched through the garden to where the boy sat crouched down by the side of the house. He gestured toward a small, dark opening leading to the basement.

"It's the only place we haven't looked."

Annabelle's stomach twisted the second she laid eyes on it. "Nuh-uh. No way."

"Four hundred mil, Annabelle." John B reminded her as he handed a flashlight to the girl.

The girl swallowed hard, her face twisting as she stepped closer to the opening. "I hate you guys."

𝟑𝟑𝟗𝟎 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
┗━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┛

𝐀/𝐍
Rafe and Annabelle are actually cuties!

honest opinions what do we think of this book. Its my first not oc x oc that I've written and actually liked so id love to know what you think, if you think its unrealistic, out of character, moving too fast. Anything really id love to know