𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦 ; 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

24

Chapter Twenty Four
Inner Turmoil

Riley locked eyes with the boy she loved as his face morphed from anger into worry. Glimpses of the boy she thought she knew flickered through her mind as she tried her best to push them back. As she stood in a world of her own she came to the realization that nothing, her life, her relationships, her own mind will ever be the same again, life couldn't seem to give her a second to breathe. Mainly she began to feel sorry for herself and she knew deep down that was selfish because she wasn't the one who had died, she wasn't the one who got shot but still her whole life managed to change in a completely different way, no matter how bad she felt about being upset, she had every right to allow herself to wallow in self pity because it was still her life that was crumbling down around her. The longer she stood there looking up at Rafe the more she felt sorry for the boy standing in front of her and not only did she believe that made her a horrible person she, more then anything wanted to see the good in him, footsteps moved down the hallway as she turned her attention to the bathroom door.

"You need to be quiet okay... I'm not playing around here Riley be quiet" Rafe told her as she took a step back.

"Rafe what's going on in there" Ward asked through the door.

"Nothing I just tried to close the window"

Riley studied his face as he spoke and it was then that she noticed how much anxiety he got by just speaking to his dad. It was as if she was staring at her younger self trying to speak to Big John.

"Get out here... I need to speak to you" Ward huffed as Rafe looked toward Riley.

"Stay here please" he mouthed while he opened the door half way and squeezed himself through it.

Worry clouded her judgement as she waited a moment until she followed his footsteps down the hallway before she finally reached Ward's office.

"What did you tell the cops... are they coming here" Rafe asked as Riley got as close to the door as she possibly could.

"I told them John B did it" Ward replied shortly while Riley stumbled slightly, regaining her balance silently.

"What about Ry... did you mention her" he worried selfishly.

"I told them that she was with him but she had no part in killing Peterkin" he explained as Rafe let out a breath of relief.

"That's good... yes that's good that could work"

"Rafe I need you to go to your room and take a shower... if anybody asks you, you were here all day, doing maintenance on the Druthers" Ward continued.

"No... Rose knows I wasn't here" Rafe stumbled over his words.

"I will talk to Rose okay... please just do as I say"

"Listen Sarah has a big mouth okay... she's the one we're going to have to worry about... you don't understand dad you didn't see her in the car she's flipping out right now"

"Rafe stop it I don't need your help right now... I didn't need it then and I don't need it now, I just need to think so please go and clean up" Ward shouted as he began to head for the door.

"You understand right... why I did it... you were in trouble and I was protecting you okay... me dad not Sarah okay it was me"