─☼☼☼─

𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍 𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙄𝙀𝙍

"𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙎𝙐𝙍𝙀 we have to go to this thing?"

Turning from her mirror, Charlotte fixed her boyfriend with an unamused expression. "Yes, like I already told you a million other times. Come on, babe. It's our graduation night! Don't you wanna celebrate?"

Rafe raised his brows, rolling over in her bed so he was on his stomach. "I can think of plenty of ways that we can celebrate just the two of us."

Heat rose to Charlotte's cheeks as she turned back toward her vanity. No matter how long they had been together, he always knew how to make her blush. "My parents and sister are downstairs." She chastised, voice low. "Keep it in your pants."

"Hasn't stopped us before." Rafe argued, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Charlotte tried to fight the smile that was attempting to break through. "You're gross." She muttered, taking yet another bobby pin out of her curls. "But we're going to this party whether you want to or not...well at least I am."

High school graduation, the pinnacle of teenage-hood for almost everyone. Charlotte Carrera was no different.

She was thrilled to be moving onto the next chapter in life, but part of her was terrified. Things would be different...her and Rafe would be different. She wanted to celebrate together while they could.

Letting out a sigh, Rafe sat up in her bed, his eyes carefully watching as his girlfriend tried to dress herself down, her graduation ceremony look being deemed too much for the party they were about to go to. "You looked beautiful tonight." He commented, eyes not leaving her. "Like you always do."

With all the uncertainty that came with their future, one thing was for sure, Rafe Cameron loved Charlotte Carrera with all of his heart. Sometimes, it seemed to many that he loved her too much.

Smiling, Charlotte stood, making her way toward her bed where Rafe lay. Wordlessly, she flopped down beside him, letting out a content sigh. "You should be proud of yourself." She said softly, turning on her side to face her boyfriend. "I know how hard this year was on you."

Rafe gave her a small smile, one that didn't quite meet his eyes. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"Yes." She asserted, her tone taking on a more serious note. "You could have."

But that wasn't really the truth. The only reason Rafe Cameron had made it through his senior year was because of her.

He opened his mouth to speak again, to tell her how badly he wished they were going to the same college, that they never had to be apart. But the sound of Charlotte's ringtone beat him to the punch.

Tearing her eyes away from Rafe, Charlotte rolled onto her back, accepting the call.

Through the phone, she could hear the noise of the party in the background, and then a little bit louder was the sound of Kensington's voice.

"Char, you and Rafe have to get here, like, now! Nate Harrington just did a backflip on the roof!"

Grinning, Charlotte looked to Rafe as she assured her best friend that they were on their way.

"Guess we better get going." She pointed out, holding the phone up as if to justify her statement.

Rafe studied her for a moment before leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips, "Guess so." He stood, sticking his hand out for Charlotte to take. "I just have to make a stop first."

─☼☼☼─

"I don't think your sister's ever hated anyone as much as she hates me." Rafe declared, glancing over at Charlotte as he drove toward the Cut. "Did you see the look she gave me tonight?"

Charlotte stifled a smile as she shook her head. "She's just pissed that we're going out and she has to spend the night watching medical dramas with my mom."

Tonight was yet another night that Kiara had been grounded, forbidden to go out with the Pogues.

"And besides," Charlotte added, a grin coming to her face. "I'd say she hates your sister more than she hates you."

Rafe let out a snort as he turned further away from the main part of town. "That makes two of us."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte regretted ever bringing Sarah into this conversation. "You're too hard on her." She chastised, "She's your sister, Rafe."

"Can we just not talk about Sarah tonight, please?"

Hearing the true desperation in his voice, Charlotte let out a sigh before glancing out the truck window. "Where are we going anyway? There's drinks at the party, we don't need anything else."

Rafe cleared his throat, shifting slightly with discomfort. "I'm not getting drinks...something else."

It didn't take a genius to piece together his words. Like every other kid their age, Charlotte knew Rafe was fond of smoking pot. He'd started doing it in their junior year, but lately his habits had begun to worry her.

Remaining silent for a moment, Charlotte tried to figure out a way to best breach the topic at hand. "It's just—you're only smoking weed right...none of that other crazy shit?"

A laugh escaped Rafe's lips, one that almost sounded too forced. "Yes, babe. Only weed."

Charlotte nervously pulled at the frayed bottoms of her shorts. "Good. Because apparently Caden Coffer and some other kid were snorting cocaine at the last party—you know the one I missed because I was sick—and Cade got so cracked out he thought the US military was coming for him and locked himself in the laundry room for the entire night."

Rafe cracked an amused smile, but there was still something hidden within his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I was at that party, remember?"

Charlotte had told him to go to that party. He had tried to stay home with her, but she would have none of it. Just because she was missing out, didn't mean he had to.

"Right." She nodded, "So you saw him? Saw what those kind of drugs do to you. Cade and whoever the hell else he's doing that shit with are destroying the few brain cells they have left."

Rafe swallowed hard, looking over at Charlotte as he stopped at their destination, "Lottie, you're being paranoid."

"Sue me for caring about you, Rafe." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned away from him.

Shutting the truck off, Rafe reached out and tucked his finger under Charlotte's chin, directing her face back toward his. "I love that you're worried about me...but you don't have to be, alright?"

Pursing her lips, Charlotte stared at him through a glare, trying to decipher whether or not she believed him. After four years together, she knew she didn't have much of a choice but to. "Okay." She finally conceded, voice coming out in a whisper.

"Good." Rafe rasped out, leaning forward to press his lips to hers. "Now stay here, I'll be right back." He pressed another kiss to her forehead, brushing a stray curl from her eyes.

Charlotte cringed, seeming to just realize where exactly they were. Turning toward the run-down trailer in front of them, she sighed. "Can't you buy your drugs from somewhere else?" She wondered, a certain disgust covering her face.

Rafe smirked as he opened his car door, "Careful Lottie, your Kook is showing."

"Fuck off." She grumbled, hiding her grin as he shot her a wink before jogging toward the front— the only—door.

Charlotte watched as the door opened and Rafe slipped inside. Watched as there was movement by one of the windows. And then waited...waited...and waited.

After five minutes she was getting antsy. It didn't take that long to buy a couple grams of weed. Even Charlotte knew that.

She tried to distract herself by watching the dozens of Snap Chats that had been sent to her from the party, but that only made her more anxious to get there. And if Rafe didn't hurry the hell up, they were going to be even more late than they already were.

Letting out a string of quiet curses, Charlotte opened the car door, pulling herself out of the truck and making her way across the overgrown yard toward the trailer.

A shiver ran through her body as she approached, not because it was cold outside, but because of how uneasy she was.

Tentatively, Charlotte took a couple of steps up the rickety wooden steps that led to the front door. But before knocking, she paused, voices melting out from within the trailer. They were slightly muffled, but not enough so that Charlotte couldn't understand them.

One was Rafe's, and the other was Barry Valdez, renowned drug dealer, and sleezeball of the OBX.
It was Rafe's voice that Charlotte heard first, the one that caused her to take pause. "How much for somethin' a bit stronger?"

A pause sounded before Barry let out a laugh. "What you talking about, Country Club? I thought you said last time was the last time?"

Something had gripped onto Charlotte's lungs it felt. She could breathe as she stood still, listening to what was happening inside.

Silence again for a moment, and Charlotte could picture Rafe running a hand over his mouth in frustration. "It's grad party tonight, alright? I just need something a bit stronger."

Anger flooded through Charlotte, her face burning as she willed herself not to barge in there and drag Rafe out by his ears. There was a time to cause a scene, and this was not it. Not tonight.

From inside, Barry barked out a laugh. "Oh, well, I wouldn't want to ruin your little graduation night, now would I?"

"Come on, man." Rafe begged, the desperation in his voice scaring Charlotte. "My girlfriend's waiting in the car. Are you going to give it to me or not?"

"You brought little miss Country Clubette? Why didn't you bring her in?" Barry mocked, his tone causing Charlotte to clench her fists at her sides.

Rafe was silent for a moment, and Charlotte could only imagine the expression on his face. "Are you going to sell to me or not?"

That was enough for Charlotte.

With anger seeping through her, she turned and stomped back to the truck, slamming the door behind her with a bit too much force.

She couldn't believe Rafe had lied to her face. Point-blank.

The two of them always told each other everything...or at least they used to.

Willing herself not to let angry tears escape her eyes, Charlotte squeezed them shut, talking herself through the breakdown she wanted to have.

But she knew she had to hold it together, at least for the night. She wasn't going to let this ruin her graduation party.

Rafe exited the trailer moments later, smiling at Charlotte as he slipped into the passenger seat.

He must have noticed the look hidden deep within her eyes, because his smile downturned slightly, "You okay, babe?"

It took everything in her for Charlotte not to give him the tongue-lashing she desperately wanted to. "Yeah." She lied in a breathy tone. "But we should get going, we're already late."

─☼☼☼─

The party should have been fun.

To anyone else not seething over their boyfriend's lies, it probably was fun.

But Charlotte Carrera was a bit distracted. She did her best to try and forget about what she heard.

She played flip cup with a group of their friends, took shots with Willa and Kensington, jumped in the pool, hot tub and sauna. But every time she looked over at Rafe, that anger flared again.

He had stayed with her most of the night. His hands absentmindedly on her at all times. It was how he always was. Always wanting to be touching her in some capacity. But for the first time in four years, Charlotte hated his touch more than she welcomed it.

It was a couple of hours into the night by the time he disappeared to the washroom, Cade Coffer followed after him a few minutes later.

Charlotte almost laughed. Rafe honestly didn't think she was this dumb, did he?

"Char!" Willa called from the drink table. "Come do another shot! You're not having enough fun yet!"

Raising her red solo cup, Charlotte gave her best friend a forced smile. "Be right there, Wills! I just have to go to the bathroom."

Kensington let out a snort from next to her, fake gagging. "Ugh, could you and Rafe be anymore obvious?"

Truthfully, Charlotte wished she was going after her boyfriend to hook up with him, not to try and catch him snorting cocaine red handed. She had wanted to wait to do this, but she wasn't going to sit back while Rafe so obviously snorted up.

"Sorry Ken." Charlotte played into the lie. "But did you see how good he looked tonight?"

Kensington rolled her eyes as she downed the rest of her drink. "You two are so in love it makes me physically sick."

The fake smile remained on Charlotte's face until she made it into the house. At that point, it faded completely, her head pounding from the loud music outside, heart pounding from the fear of what she was about to find.

The house was practically empty save for a few couples hooking up in random corners. Most everyone was outside, which came as a relief to Charlotte. At least everyone wouldn't hear her lose her mind on Rafe if it came to that.

The party was at the Gibson family house. Despite the fact that he wasn't part of the graduating class, Beckett Gibson refused to miss the opportunity to throw a end of school party.

This was the house where Charlotte and Rafe had first developed their relationship. Where they had gone from enemies to something else. This was the house where it all started, Charlotte really hoped it wasn't the house where it all ended.

As she escaped down one of the hallways, she felt the anxiety begin to claw up her throat, her vision becoming blurry for a moment as he ears seemed to ring. She really didn't want to do this.

Her and Rafe had always been so in sync. Sure, they had their disagreements, mostly revolving around Charlotte friends over on the Cut, but they had never been so misaligned as they were now.

Charlotte wasn't sure if she was more angry or hurt over what Rafe was doing. It seemed a lot like the latter to be honest.

Stopping in front of the bathroom door, she listened for a moment, hearing nothing but the noise from outside.

Everything in her hoped that she was wrong. That she would knock on the door and it wouldn't be Rafe in there. Maybe it would only be Cade and Rafe would already be outside waiting for her, nothing but weed and alcohol running through his blood.

But as she let out a shaky sigh and raised her fist to knock on the door, the voice that answered was unmistakably his. "Just a minute!"

A lumped lodged itself in Charlotte's throat as she knocked again, her stomach clenching, eyes stinging.

"Someone's in here!" Rafe yelled back, the agitation breaking through his voice.

Charlotte's hand felt like it was disconnected from her body as she pounded on the door again.

Finally, it flew open. "Holy fuck, did you not hear—"

Rafe cut himself off, face paling as he red-rimmed eyes landed on the face of his girlfriend. "Hey, baby. What are you— what's up?"

He sniffed, wiping his hand across his nose as he gave her a shaky smile.

He was so fucking obvious it hurt.

"What are you doing, Rafe?" Charlotte had meant for her words to be harsh, angry, but instead her voice sounded absolutely broken.

He glanced over his shoulder, to where Charlotte assumed Cade was hiding behind the door. "Nothing. I was just on my way out. I was gonna grab you another drink."

"Drinks are outside." Charlotte broke down his lie, her face wavering.

"I—yeah, I was just—"

Rafe's words fell silent as Charlotte took a step forward, making to shove past him into the room.

"Babe, what are you doing?" Rafe demanded, catching her by the waist before she could make it any further.

Shoving him off of her, she burst into the washroom, eyes instantly landing on Cade who was standing like a deer caught in headlights. "Caden, get the fuck out." Charlotte demanded, leaving no room for discussion.

It was almost comical the way he scurried from the bathroom, terror of ensuing her wrath.

Rafe wasn't so lucky as to escape.

Surveying the scene, Charlotte noted the bag of coke, the rolled up bill of money, the way Rafe couldn't stand still.

"You lied to me." She whispered, eyes stinging harder as she willed herself to keep from crying. "You looked me in the fucking eye two hours ago and you lied to me, Rafe."

Rafe ran a hand through his hair, his own eyes glossing over, and not from the drugs. "Lottie, I'm sorry. I—I don't know why I did it." At least he wasn't denying it. 

"You were the other idiot with Cade getting high at the last party, right? The one I was talking about tonight when you told me I was being paranoid?" Charlotte felt more stupid than she did angry at this point. How could she have been so oblivious.

Rafe didn't answer her in words, but his expression was enough to say it all.

Biting the inside of her cheeks, Charlotte shoved past him, back into the hallway without saying a word.

"Where are you going?" Rafe wondered, his voice wobbling as he followed after her. "Lottie!"

Spinning on him with ferocity, Charlotte let out a deep breath, trying to suppress her emotions. "I'm going back out to enjoy my graduation night. I'll deal with you later."

And that's exactly what she did.

She put on the fake smile. She let Rafe hold her hand and kiss her in front of everyone as if they weren't on the brink of disaster.

She got so drunk she forgot about the fact that her boyfriend was a coke head and a liar.

But the next morning she had to face the music.

The next morning, she woke up in Rafe's bed and remember everything that had happened.

They had their first big blowout that morning in Tannyhill, so loud Rafe had to beg her to be quiet so his dad didn't find out what he was doing.

It had ended in tears from both of them. Rafe begging her to forgive him, to love him despite his flaws.

Obviously, Charlotte gave in under the impression that he was done with the drugs.

That was the start of their problems...but as we know, it certainly wasn't the end of them.

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