dirty little secrets → rc

64

The air was tense the second we walked through the doors. Ward was visually stressed as he paced back and forth across the room whilst Rafe and I took a sit on the couch.

"Is...she alive?" Rafe is the one to break the uncomfortable silence we'd been sitting in.

A shiver ran down my spine when the words left his mouth, an action that unfortunately didn't go unnoticed.

Rafe scooted his body closer to me on the couch and squeezed my hand giving me that extra reassurance he knew I needed.

Ward stayed stood in his position facing us with the same hard look on his face. He didn't reveal any emotions in the slightest.

"No?" Rafe asked again when met with silence. I looked away and stayed stared at the blank wall.

"No" Ward confirms what I knew was already true.

But to hear those words aloud made my heart sink further into my chest.

I watched Rafe drop our intertwined hands and lean back into the couch running his fingers through his hair.

"Okay" He breathes out before quickly looking in my direction and then back to his dad. "What did you... what did you tell the cops? Are they comin' here?"

"I told them John B did it" Ward announces calmly moving his eyes from his son onto me, I watched him narrow his eyes in my direction.

I quickly averted my gaze onto my feet and subconsciously shifted even closer to Rafe.

"Told them John B did it" Rafe slowly nods thinking about his father's words, "That's good. Yes, that could work"

"Rafe, Willow, I need you to go upstairs. I need you to clean up" I looked up as Ward gives us the instructions. "Take a shower, all right? Anybody asks you two, you were here, all day, doin' maintenance on the Druthers".

"No, Rose knows I wasn't here" Rafe tried to debate but was quickly cut off.

"- I will talk to Rose, okay? Please, just do what I say" Ward almost pleaded with his son.

"What about Sarah?" Rafe questioned.

"Okay, listen. Sarah..."

"Sarah has a big mouth, okay?" Rafe fired back standing up from the couch and moving across the room closing the distance between him and his father.

"Sarah's fine" Ward tried to reassure him. "She won't sell the family out."

"No. You don't understand" Rafe was getting visibly worked up trying to get his point across.

"Rafe" I break my silence. "Let's go clean up," I said sternly looking in his direction. My eyes connect with Ward as he silently thanks me by nodding his head.

I walk up to Rafe and grabbed his hand pulling him out of the room.

He walked in silence hand in hand towards the staircase until he suddenly halted and edged me closer to me. My back hit the wall and the serious expression stayed on my face. 

"You understand, right?" He said lowly untangling our hands and moving his up to cup my jaw. 

"You understand?" He repeated, "Why I did it." 

I stayed silent watching him. 

"You were in trouble, and I was protecting you".

"I know" I whispered. "I know why you did it"

I knew he thought I'd changed my mind because of his father's words.

"I love you" I reassured him. 

His mouth turns up into a small smile. He stroked my cheek with his thumb and bought his face closer to mine.