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Annabelle stumbled out of the house, tears blurring her vision as she tapped her screen, searching through it for Rafe's name. She blinked them away, letting them spill down her cheeks and onto the display as she texted shortly.

"Please come pick me up"

She barley had time to send it before Rafe responded that he was on his way and Annabelle tried to anchor herself to the comfort that he was coming, but all she felt was hollow. Empty. She shoved her phone into her pocket, her hands shaking before turning the corner to where the hot tub was and she hurried past it as if it was brining back every bad memory of the night.

Turning the corner, she nearly collided with Kiara and Pope. She gasped, choking on a sob as she stumbled back.

"Gosh, Anna you scared me," Kiara placed her hand over her heart. "What are you doing here?"

Her question twisted something within Annabelle's chest. The question didn't roll of her tongue causally. Her question was laced with something else. She asked it like the Chateau wasn't her one place of comfort. Like it wasn't her whole childhood in one house. Like it didnt belong to her as much as it did them. As if she was just a stranger.

Annabelle just stared blankly at her for a moment before sniffling and inhaling deeply. "I don't know. It was a mistake." She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand before stepping away but was stopped by Pope's hand carefully grabbing her arm. She blinked away the tears in her eyes but the gloss lingered as she met his gaze.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his worried eyes locking on hers. The girl folded her arms over her chest and nodded briefly.

"It's... I'm fine," she breathed but the concern in his expression didn't waver.

Before either of them could say anything else, Kiara's gasp cut through. She took a step deeper into the backyard, her eyes sweeping the area- the lights, the scattered bottles and the lazily inflated pool decorations before finally latching onto the hot tub. "What the hell?"

Pope tore his gaze from Annabelle and followed Kiara, his lips parting at the sight before him.

The James girl huffed out a breath and watched them before clearing her throat. "Yeah... JJ spent it all on.. this." She explained and the duo spun around hastily, their faces is pure shock.

"All of it?" They gasped in union and Annabelle nodded.

"Go easy on him. His dad..." She swallowed but Kiara and Pope didn't need her to say much more than that. They had been friends with JJ long enough to know. "He's inside," She motioned toward the house. "He shouldn't be alone right now."

The two offered her a nod and she sent one back before turning away from them. Kiara placed a hand on Pope's arm and told him to go inside and that she'd be right there. The boy hesitated but nodded and walked to JJ.

"Anna!" Kiara called out and jogged after her.

The girl spun around and Kiara slowed down, stopping in front of her. "Look," she began. "I know you better than to believe that your'e okay." She gave a shaky laugh. "But I also know you're too stubborn to tell me what's really going on, so... whatever it is, I'm here, okay?"

Her words shot straight into Annabelle's chest, wrapping her heart into a sense of comfort, if even for just a moment. She smiled softly up at her, offering her a quick nod.

Kiara quickly pulled her closer, slithering her arms around her and burying her face in her hair. "I love you," She breathed and Annabelle felt the heavy knot in her chest loosen for a moment. Kiara pulled away, her hands on Annabelle's arms. "But I still think Rafe Cameron is the worst decision you've ever made."

And just like that, the knot was back at the mention of Rafe.

"I know. "She blinked and exhaled deeply, hesitating for a moment. "But he makes me happy, Kie. I mean... I love him with-"

"You love him?" Kiara cut her off.

Annabelle met her eyes and nodded, the sincerity in her voice making something in her best friend shift. "Yeah, Kie. I do."

The sound of the motorbike came distant at first and Kiara didn't even react but Annabelle knew exactly who it was. Only one person would be reckless enough to speed through neighborhoods like these, where children could come stumbling out.

The girl swallowed down the million other words she wanted to tell Kiara and simply just nodded. She breathed and wrapped her arms around her to hug her, quickly in and out of the embrace. But Kiara's arms tighter around her, squeezing her close and resting her chin against her upper arm.

Annabelle gave her a swift squeeze back, hoping to slide out of her embrace but it was already too late. The motorbike engine roared through the air before coming to a halt in front of the house. Annabelle stood with her back toward it, but she didnt need to look to know who had just joined the party. She could feel Kiara's hold on her tighten briefly before dropping from her completely. 

The James girl looked at her face as she pulled away, but Kiara's gaze was plastered on the bike behind Annabelle. She turned around, just as Rafe pulled his helmet off his head and swung his leg off it. He stood by his bike, hesitantly.

"Guess that's your cue." Kiara's tone lacked all the sweetness it had before and Annabelle swallowed hard.

"Yeah," She huffed. She stalled for a moment before breathing out. "Look out for him for me." She nodded her head toward the house, where JJ was currently inside. Kiara met her gaze and confirmed with a nod. Annabelle sent one back before turning around and approaching Rafe with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her head low.

Without a word, he stepped away from the bike and walked toward her. His jacket was already in his hands. He didn't ask questions. Just draped it over her shoulders and pulled it closed in front of her chest with steady hands.

"You're freezing," he muttered, brushing a damp strand of hair away from her cheek with his knuckles. He had only briefly acknowledged Kiara, standing by the house with her eyes narrowed at them but he didn't care. His focus was solely on the girl in front of him.

"I'm okay," she lied, her voice cracking around the edges.

"No, you're not." He tilted his head down, forcing her eyes up to his. They were hooded with concern and something else, something that was too typical Rafe. "It was JJ, wasn't it?"

The girl blinked up at him. How did he know everything? "Yeah,"

"I figured, only he owns a piece of crap bike like tha-" He stopped himself, trying to hold back the Kook in him as he glanced up at JJ's bike, rusty, worn and dirty. He breathed out and looked back down at her, his hand sliding down her arm. "Did he say something to you?"

"Not really." Annabelle shook her head, gazing back at the chatau but quickly looked away, noticing that Kiara lingered by the doors, staring at them.

"Did he touch you?"

"Rafe..." She huffed out and shook her head again.

The boy instantly noticed the way she avoided an answer. The way her expression tried to shift it to him being the one who's the problem, too protective, too possessive. "That's not an answer."

The girl flapped her eyes lashes, slick from her tears and looked up at him. She breathed out, her throat already raw from the lie that was crawling up it. "No," The word slipped from her lips firmly. Those lips who had just had the softness of JJ's presses against them. In that moment she felt utterly disgusted by her own lips and mind, the way she had- for a moment- let it wander to what could happen if she didn't pull away.

The lie stung on her tongue. She hated having to lie to him. But she couldn't tell him. Escpecially not somewhere where Rafe was within reach of JJ, close enough to be able to storm inside the house and knock him senseless.

Relif painted over Rafe's features and he breathed out. Not that he had excepted her to say anything else but the way she had withered out of his question had worried something in him. "Good," He said, his eyes never leaving hers. His hand came up to her cheek, carefully brushing away the wetness that her tears had left behind. "You shouldn't have been here. You know how I feel about him."

Annabelle bit back a defensive response, defending JJ and sighed. "I didn't know he was going to be here." She muttered. "I mean, he was hurt. I couldn't just leave him."

"You should have." He told her and she glared up at him. He didn't let her hard expression go unnoticed. He pinched the edge of his nose as if trying to stay composed. "I mean, look at you. You're a mess. Because of him. Again."

Annabelle breathed in shakily, her stomach twisting into tight and aching nots knowing that both times it was all her fault. But she didn't let her guilt show and simply brushed it off with a quick nod.

He let out a breath, seeing her surrender to the understanding that JJ was the problem. He swallowed down whatever hate he had toward JJ and gently brushed his hand down her arm again, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and tugging her closer carefully. "I've got you," He pressed his lips against her forehead, inhaling her scent.

The girl closer her eyes, allowing the lingering kiss to wrap her in a sense of safety.

Rafe pulled away, gently cupping her face as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. He felt something tug at his heartstrings as he watched her face, wrecked, broken, damp and tear streaked. He couldnt stand the sight of her hurt. His Annabelle. Hurt.

"Let's get you out of here." He said.

He guided her to his bike with his hand resting calmly on the small of her back. He brushed her hair back before placing his helmet on her head, allowing the sides of his mouth tug up into a smirk at the sight of her in his slightly too big helmet. He placed a quick kiss on the top of it before getting on his bike. Once her arms were securely wrapped around his waist he started the engine, the roar echoing down the street, like a warning directed into the people in the chatau. He turned the handles one too many times too much, making sure his presence was known before driving off.

Annabelle's cheek rested against Rafes back, his body leaned forward slightly as he sped down the roads, his anger sinking into every revving, every sharp turn and every mile he oversped the limit.

𝟏𝟖𝟖𝟏 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
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𝐀/𝐍
do we want some tension and break between the pouges and Annabelle or would y'all kill me??? I have something's planned and trust it'll get juicy but good in the end💌

also the thing Rafe did w the bike, to make sure JJ knew he was there.... was hot sorry not sorry.