Chapter Text
The tamac was bathed in the flashing lights of cop cars: red, blue, violet. Rafe’s breathing was shallow and unstable, head reeling from his father’s words, hands caked in his father’s blood.
Shoupe approached Rafe, who’s eyes never left the jet, as it took off.
“It looks like you’ve got a story to tell.”
***
Not for the first time, Rafe was at the police station. That idiot on the kayak opened his big mouth; Shoupe knew Ward was alive.
“I didn’t know he was alive until a couple hours ago, okay? I got a text saying meet me on the old dock, so I checked it out. When I got there, low and behold my dad, bleeding out, some rando collapsed on the floor next to him. He was going on about some private jet taking off from Myrtle row, so I obviously took him there-”
“Obviously?” Shoupe narrowed his eyes, lips twitching. He’d never liked Rafe, and he knew the kid was lying through his teeth right now. But he got nothing on him. “Why didn’t you notify authorities straight away instead? They could’ve helped him.”
“Help him? Sure Shoupe, they would’ve helped him,” Rafe laughed a mirthless laugh. “Besides, I’m not gonna stop to make a phone call when my dad’s there, about to die,” Rafe leaned forward in the chair, hands gesturing towards his chest. “I had’ta think fast, I had to help him.”
“Why did he go off in that jet? Who was piloting? Was anyone else on the plane? You know son, there’s a whole lotta missing pieces to this story, and I’m gonna find them and put it together, so you better start telling the truth or-“
“Or what? You’re going to arrest me again?” Rafe sneered.
Stop it. What are you saying right now? He thought. If he was being honest, he was completely on edge right now.
“I love you son.”
Ward had said.
Rafe felt guilt clawing at his throat. Grinding his teeth, he took a subtle, trembling breath, squeezing his eyes shut as if to shut off the resounding throb echoing in his skull.
“Look shoupe-“ Rafe began, trying to get out of this situation without making things worse.
“You know what, I’m detaining you, on grounds of suspicion.” Shoupe got up, reaching for his handcuffs.
“What?! You can’t do that!” Rafe Scrambled up out of the chair, squaring up to Shoupe.
The sheriff patted Rafe down, stopping when he felt the gun.
“Oh look, a weapon,” Shoupe removed the gun from Rafe’s waistband. “I have grounds for arrest. You wanna spend time in a cell again? Be my guest, now put your hands on your head.”
Rafe flared with anger, wanting to throw a punch at Shoupe’s smug little face, he licked his lips and tensed every muscle in his body to refrain.
“Bail is 5k, I suggest you call a very generous friend of yours, or get ready to spend the night in jail.”
***
Shoupe handed him the phone, Rafe only had one number memorized: his ex dealer’s.
He shot the sheriff one final glacial glower, before turning his back on him and waiting for Barry to pick up.
The ringback tone exacerbated his raging headache. He rubbed his temple, his father’s wan face and melancholic eyes burned into his mind. His sister’s eyes brimmed with antipathy and face contorted with disgust came in flashes.
“You’re a good boy…You’re the man now”
He wasn’t a good boy, he wasn’t the man now. He was a person who felt like he was slowly deteriorating, a black hole consuming him from the inside out.
As the ringing droned on, his mind wandered to Sofia. Bubbly, sweet. She was only meant to be a one off thing, but he kept coming back to her, her presence was calming, drug-like.
She had been the one to stave the ravenous black hole.
“You’re different.”
She was the one who led him to save his dad.
“Do the thing you’ll least regret.”
She was the one who finally made him feel okay.
“Hey? You okay?”
Her being a pogue was the only bad thing about her.
The ringtones stopped, Barry finally picked up the damn phone.
“Barry?” Rafe said, voice scratchy and low.
“Country club? Why am I getting a call from the Sheriff county office? You fucked up and want me to bail you?” He spoke with a mocking tone, Rafe could tell he was smirking.
“5k.”
Barry laughed, for a good couple seconds, before sighing contentedly.
“Nah, I ain’t stepping foot in that place Rafe, sort your own shit out.”
“Barry, Barry man look I’ll- I’ll pay you back.”
“Ohh shit, now you startin’ to sound a lot like your old self, remember? When you used to love that candy. Never loved paying me back though.”
“I swear Barry-“
“No good swearin’ and shit, I ain’t gonna come.”
Rafe was on the verge of smashing the phone against the concrete wall.
“Gotta rely on someone else now Rafe, can’t be babysitting you no more.”
“Wait Barry wait don’t hang up.”
“Still here country club, don’t be wettin’ yourself just yet.”
“Can you find Sofia and tell her to ring the Sheriff's office and ask for me, give her the money to make bail.”
“The chick you were with?”
“Yeah her. She’s probably working down at the club, just go there and ask for her and give her the money.”
Barry snickered. “What makes you think a girl you barely know will agree to that? Don’t think she’ll be finding you thrown in jail attractive.”
Rafe ran a hand over his face, his other arm holding him up against the wall. He didn’t want to drag Sofia into his shit, he didn’t want her image of him tarnished. Barry was right, she had no reason to help him. But Rafe had no one else, no friends, no family. He was only friends with Topper cause he was always around Sarah, and Kelce was more Topper’s friend than his. And Rafe knew that they all didn’t really like him, only putting up with him because he was a Cameron. Rafe doubted Sofia even knew about the social currency being a Cameron bought you, she mentioned moving from Mexico to the Obx only a couple months ago.
“Please Barry, if she says forget it I won’t blame her, but can you at least try.”
“Whatever country club, got me running around figure eight like your errand boy.” He muttered.
“So you’ll do it?” Rage perked up.
“Yeah yeah, don’t start singing, you owe me Rafe.”
“I think it’s fair seeing that it’s your fault this is my second time in this place.”
Barry chucked again, “Nah I don’t remember that, don’t put all your crap on me man.”
Shoupe knocked against the bars. “Rafe times up.”
“Barry, be quick about it ok?”
He ended the call and handed the phone back to Shoupe. Rafe slumped onto the hard mattress, head in hands. All his life he yearned for his father’s approval and now that he’d finally got it, Rafe felt untethered. What did he now want? Money? Power? Control? Right now he just wanted out of here. Tapping his foot restlessly and pressing crescents into his palms, Rafe’s gaze stuck on the iron bars, eyes glassy and unfocused. He watched the shadows from the trees dance, feeling a million miles away.