.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Rose said she'd... oh, there she is," Rafe says.

We're standing right outside the massive boat, The Coastal Venture, that's taking us to this private island. Rafe apparently has to help the men on the dock with something, so he's sending me off inside with Rose.

"Hi, Juliet!" She reaches out to hug me. "Are you excited?"

I purse my lips, knowing that nothing I say would be able to distract from the obvious puffiness in my face and the dried tears on my cheeks.

"Yeah, she's just tired," Rafe answers for me. "I'll meet you inside in a few minutes, okay?"

I nod as he kisses my cheek before I follow Rose onto the boat.

After a few seconds, I quickly realize that the inside of this ship is fucking massive. It only takes a couple twists and turns before I've completely lost track of where I am.

Finally, though, Rose stops in front of a door at the end of a narrow hallway. "Here's where you guys will stay for the next few days," Rose says, smiling as she points through the doorway.

I walk inside to see a fairly large cabin space with a perfect view of the ocean. In one corner, there's cushioned benches creating an L-shape around a table that has two plates of breakfast on it, steam rising from the sausage and eggs.

"The cook already prepared breakfast, so, eat up if you're hungry," she says. "I'll be down the hall with Sarah, Wheezie, and..." She clears her throat. "Sarah and Wheezie."

"Okay, um... Sarah's here?"

"Mm-hmm! The whole family," she says with an expression I can't quite read.

I look around at the various cabinets and counters lining the walls. "Right," I reply as I sit down on one of the benches.

"Just come knock if you need anything, but Rafe shouldn't take long."

I nod with a smile. "Okay, thank you."

She closes the door before I hear her footsteps die out down the hall.

I can't read Sarah's mind, but she didn't seem like she wanted to leave the Pogues when I saw her yesterday, or last night for that matter. I can't imagine she changed her mind in just a few hours.

I want to go down the hall and ask Sarah what's going on, but Rose is in there with her, so she won't be able to tell me if something is wrong.

My stomach growling reminds me that I haven't eaten in a while, so I grab a fork and start eating the fresh scrambled eggs on the tray in front of me. My mind wanders back and forth between my family and the Pogues for a few minutes until I hear the door open.

Rafe walks in with his hands in fists, which I immediately recognize as a tell-tale sign that he's hiding something.

"Hey," I say quietly.

His eyes land on the counter for a few seconds before he wipes his hands on his pants and finally looks at me. "Hey."

I pat the empty space on the bench. "Come eat."

He slowly nods and walks closer, so I stand up to let him slide past me. He gently holds my back as he scoots down the bench, and once he sits down, I pile back in next to him.

His hand quickly finds my inner thigh, and after a few seconds of silently staring at the tray, he's instead leaning over to kiss my neck. I instinctively thread my fingers through his hair as he moves down to my collarbone.

Once he goes even lower, though, I remove my fingers and look down at him. "Your food's gonna get cold."

"I don't wanna eat," he mumbles lazily into my ear.

I hold onto his wrist and look into his eyes. "When was the last time you ate?"

He kisses my throat. "Doesn't matter."

"Can we talk, please?"

He sighs on my skin. "About what?"

"I thought you were excited to leave."

"I am," he insists, running his thumb in circles on my leg while avoiding eye contact.

"So why are you acting weird?" I ask.

"I'm not acting weird," he says, just barely above a whisper.

"You are. You seemed fine when we got here, and then somehow during the 10 minutes we were apart, something changed and now you're acting off."

He shakes his head for about 5 seconds straight. "I'm fine, Jules. Seriously."

I don't believe him. I know how he acts when something's wrong, and this is a classic example of that behavior that I've come to recognize.

"You're cute when you're worried, you know?" He tucks my hair behind my ear.

"Rafe."

"I'm about to live on a private island with my perfect angel of a girlfriend. I don't think you have to worry about if I'm okay or not."

Before I can respond, there's another knock at the door.

"Rafe? It's me, can I come in?"

The familiar voice of an older man has me widening my eyes at Rafe.

"I'll explain everything in a minute, I swear to god," he whispers before looking at the door. "Yeah!'

Nothing could've prepared me for Ward Cameron to walk through the door.

I don't even realize that he's speaking to me until Rafe starts to shake my leg.

"What?" I croak.

"I said, 'long time no see, huh?'" Ward repeats with his chilling smile.

I don't even think I could respond if I wanted to. It feels like the air has been sucked out of my lungs.

His eyebrows start to furrow as he looks over at Rafe. "Did you not..."

"I didn't tell her," Rafe says immediately.

He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Son, I thought we agreed that you would—"

"—Yeah, well, it's not exactly the easiest thing to bring up, Dad."

He sighs. "You're right."

When Rafe rubs his hand up and down my back, I don't feel safer. I feel scared. If I had known that Ward would be on the island with us, I don't know if I would've made the decision to come along.

"Juliet, I..." He chuckles. "I hope you'll forgive me for the disappearing act I pulled. I want you to know, though, that it was for my family."

I scoff. "For your family?"

Rafe squeezes my leg as a warning before looking toward his father. "Dad, we can talk later. I think she just needs a minute."

Acid churns in my stomach as I lock my eyes onto Rafe. "I think I need more than—"

My sentence cuts off as he squeezes my thigh even harder.

"Right, of course," Ward says with a nod. "I'm always here to answer any questions, alright, Juliet?"

"Perfect, because I have a lot," I snap quickly.

Rafe looks at him and nods toward the exit. "Dad."

"I'll leave you guys be. I'm gonna go talk to Sarah." He waves before leaving the room and closing the door.

"Are you fucking serious?" I say, my eyes piercing through Rafe.

"Baby, calm down." He tries to move my hair out of my face, but I instead wack his hand away and stand up.

I start to pace the room as Rafe gets up behind me. "Oh my god, this cannot be real," I say, my hands on top of my head.

Rafe's hand gently rests on my waist. "Here, Jules, just sit back down, let's—"

"—Stop!" I push his hands away and keep my back to him. "Stop acting like this is okay and that I'm the crazy one."

"I never said you were crazy."

I turn around. "You're telling me to calm down when your psychopathic father is now suddenly back from the dead. I'm gonna be stuck on an island with him for god knows how long, and you expect me to be okay with it?"

"I know it seems confusing, Jules, but I promise it will all work out for the better. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the people you love—"

"—Rafe, do you hear yourself? You sound brainwashed."

He purses his lips and shakes his head, taking a step toward me.

I step back. "He's brainwashing you."

"He's my father, Juliet," he says with a now angrier tone. "I didn't understand everything he did earlier, and even though he's done some fucked-up shit, I know he always prioritizes my family. And I know he views you as family now, too."

I shake my head. "I don't wanna be in his family."

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in through his nose. "Jules."

"Rafe, I'm scared," I admit with a shaky voice.

"You don't need to be."

"I'm so scared of your dad," I spit out in a tearful whisper.

A mix of betrayal and pity flashes across his eyes.

"I don't want..." I look toward the door, wanting so badly to wake up from this bad dream and be back in my bedroom. "I can't do this."

"We'll figure it out, Jules. I'm here. Sarah's here. Wheezie's here. You're safe, I promise."

I shake my head, my eyes now burning with tears as I think about my family and friends that I've mistakenly left behind.

"Do you wanna see Sarah? I can bring Sarah in here."

I nod now and wipe my nose with my sleeve.

Rafe walks toward the door but stops to wrap his arms around the back of my head, pulling me into a hug.

He kisses the top of my head before pulling back and cupping my jaw. "You're gonna be okay, I promise. I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you, okay?"

I close my eyes and sniffle.

"Okay? I'm not messing around. I'd do anything for you."

"Yeah, I know," I say, barely above a whisper.

"I love you."

I wipe my eye. "I love you."

"I'll get Sarah, okay? Just stay in here."

I nod and walk back over to the couch as I hear him close the door.

✧ ˚ 　· 　　 .

As I walk down the hall, I hear my father's voice fade in.

"...it was touch and go getting off. I almost didn't make it."

The moment I walk in, both my father and sister turn around to look at me. I notice that Wheezie and Rose are absent.

Sarah glares at me as my dad continues to explain his resurrection, and even though I already got this same story 10 minutes ago, I walk over to an empty bench and take a seat.

After a few more points, he apologizes to Sarah and explains that he had to make sure I got away.

"Thank you, Dad," I add in, keeping my eyes glued to the floor. "At least one of us is grateful."

"That's psychopathic," Sarah exclaims. "Both of you."

My father sits back. "I promised Rafe he wouldn't go to prison for helping me. I had to keep my promise."

I chuckle. "Not that you care."

"Did it look like I didn't care when I thought Dad was dead?" Sarah shouts at me.

"It actually looked like you cared about running off with some asshole—"

My dad turns around to look at me. "Rafe."

"—And it looked like all you cared about was the inheritance," Sarah hisses.

"Yes, you cared!" He looks to Sarah. "Anybody on the dock could see how much you cared."

I zone out as my father keeps trying to convince her that everything will be okay, which seems like a pattern between Cameron men that I hadn't realized I'd adopted. I only listen in again when my dad starts to fabricate a story about how he apparently decided to give John B the cross after realizing it belonged to Pope because "the most important thing to him is Sarah."

"And John B was okay with that?" she asks suspiciously.

"I had just given him a half-billion dollar artifact, so, yeah. He seemed pretty okay," my dad says proudly before looking toward the hall. "Rose, Wheezie, come on in!"

My younger sister and step-mother walk in together, Rose immediately going for Ward and Wheezie for Sarah.

"Isn't this awesome?" Wheezie exclaims excitedly as she sits down next to an extremely uninterested Sarah. "We are going to our very own private island."

After a bit of silence, my father smiles. "She's not feeling real well right now, sweetheart. But she will be."

I finally stand up from my spot in the corner. "Sarah, Juliet wants to see you. She's down the hall in my room."

My sister's eyes meet mine as she gets up and walks past me toward the door.

✧ ˚ 　· 　　 .
↴juliet's point of view

Just when I thought maybe Rafe wasn't going to get Sarah, I hear a soft knock at the door.

For some reason, the mere sight of her makes me want to cry all over again. I feel like we're similar in so many ways and I'm able to find solace in her.

"Is Rafe behind you?" I ask, and I'm not sure why.

"Hmm-mm." She shakes her head as she closes the door behind her.

I stand up from my spot. "Are you okay?"

She uses the sleeve of her sweater to collect tears in her eyes. "Not really," she replies truthfully.

I lower my voice. "Did they force you on the boat?"

She starts to cry and nod as she wipes her eye, which makes me immediately gather her up in my arms and hug her.

"I'm scared," she whispers into my shoulder.

"Me too," I reply immediately.

She sobs. "I should be with John B."

"I know." I hold her tighter. "I should be with my family."

She pulls back and wipes her eyes. "I didn't even think about that."

I shake my head. "It was a stupid decision. I thought it would work out until I found out that your dad was alive and coming with us."

She sits down on the bench near us. "I can't believe this is real."

"Do the Pogues know you're here?" I ask as I sit down next to her.

"No," she replies. "I don't know. Rose drugged me and by the time I woke up, I was in the car on the way to the boat."

"Oh my god, I'm sorry. That's so messed up."

She shrugs. "John B and JJ were banging on the car windows while Rose was trying to pull out of the driveway."

"Wait, that's good news. I bet they followed you."

"She might've been going too fast," she says with a defeated look. "I just don't know."

"We'll figure something out," I assure her, even though I'm not very sure myself.

She looks up at me with tear-stained eyes. "You don't want to stay?"

I let out a breath. "I don't know. I mean, I guess I want to stay. I could only really leave if Rafe did."

She thinks for a moment. "Even though he's obsessed with Ward, I'm willing to bet he loves you more. I think he'd leave for you."

I look at her. "Well... I think that's the million-dollar question. It's either me or Ward with him." I start to fidget with the cardigan I brought. "I honestly don't know who he'd pick."

"If I were you..." she says quietly. "I would be scared if he'd choose Ward."

I shudder. "Yeah."

"Are you mad at him?"

"At who?"

"Rafe."

My shoulders rise and fall. "Um, yeah, kinda. Obviously I wish he'd stop idolizing your dad."

She shakes her head. "It's like he's brainwashed."

"That's exactly what I told him 10 minutes ago."

Her eyes widen. "You actually said that to his face?"

"Yeah, he knows how I feel," I reply. "Should I not have said that?"

"No, no, I'm glad you said it. He just doesn't normally react well to the truth."

"Well, he didn't necessarily react well. He just kept defending Ward."

"Figures."

I wait a beat before looking back at her. "Sarah, honestly... I'm surprised that you're still talking to me," I admit. "That you still like me. With everything your brother has done, you have every right to hate me."

She laughs. "I hate him, but I love you. And I can't help but feel bad for him, which I know I shouldn't, but I guess that's where I mess up a lot. I have empathy for people I shouldn't have empathy for."

"I think I have that problem, too."

She leans back and looks up at the ceiling. "You know, sometimes I think you're the perfect person that Rafe needs in his life. But then I remember about how unhealthy that is for you. You shouldn't have that weight over your head of, I don't know... taking care of him."

I fidget with my necklace. "I know. I just feel bad about everything with his mom— your mom. But you went through the same thing, so it's not really an excuse for him."

"It's not. But he took my mom's death really hard," she admits. "I mean, we all did. But it just... did something to him that it didn't do to me or my sister."

Her soft smile makes my stomach sink.

"I was such a daddy's girl growing up. My dad used to try and teach me how to surf out in the sand. When I fell, he picked me up, but when I finally found my balance, he'd lift me into the air and spin me in circles until I got too dizzy."

Her voice catches in her throat, so I grab her hand.

"But Rafe... it was always Rafe and Mom. They'd read The Jungle Book together every single night before bed."

"She'd write notes in it, right?" I ask.

Sarah nods. "Tons of notes. Little drawings and doodles, too. I mean, Rafe literally could not fall asleep if Mom wasn't there to tuck him in and read their book."

My heart breaks for little Rafe, and I don't notice I'm crying until Sarah squeezes my hand.

"They did their routine every single night, without fail." Her sad smile falls. "When she passed, Rafe put the book in Dad's office and never touched it again."

My eyes fall to my lap as utter sadness takes over me. "God, it's not fair. For any of you. I'm so sorry."

After a moment of silence, she starts to mess with the fabric of her shorts. "You must mean a lot to him if he let you see the book."

I nod. "We read it together in his bed one night."

She pauses. "Can I ask you something?"

I wipe a tear away. "Yeah, sure."

"Tell me if I'm over-stepping or crossing any lines."

"Okay."

"Have you and Rafe..." She backtracks. "You were a virgin when you met him, right?"

"Mmm-hm."

"Did he take your virginity?"

I bite my lip, not knowing what type of response she'll have to my answer. "Um, yes. He did."

She lets out a long breath. "John B took mine."

I can't help but smile. "I miss being able to talk about stuff like this with you."

She giggles. "I missed it so much."

"Was it like you imagined?"

"Better," she says with a bright smile that overpowers her dried tears. "It was so much better. What about you?"

"Oh my god, it was..." I shake my head as I try to bite back a laugh. "I know you're his sister, so I'll spare you the details, but it was perfect."

You would think she just bit into a lemon by the face she makes as she vehemently shakes her head. "I don't wanna picture it."

We both laugh before she sighs.

"I am happy for you, though," she says, to which I nod in reply. "I'm glad you're here, Juli. I don't know what I would do if you weren't."

I hug her again. "Same here."

Without a knock, the door gently opens to reveal Rafe standing in its frame.

Sarah tenses and almost immediately stands up at the sight of her brother. They look at each other in an inexplainable way as she walks to the door.

"I'll see you soon, Juli, okay?" she says.

I nod happily. "Of course."

With that, Rafe steps aside to let her pass before closing the door behind her. I look away from him as I shift positions, now reclining against the armrest at the end of the bench.

"Do you feel better?" he asks with his back to me, messing with something on the counter.

"Yeah, I do."

"Good."

I only decide to speak again once he finally turns around. "Rafe."

"Mmm-hm?" he replies with his back resting against the edge of the counter.

"Come here," I say gently.

He cautiously walks over to me. I lift my legs to let him sit in their place before I rest them on his lap.

"Why didn't you tell me about the book?" I ask.

"What book?"

"The Jungle Book."

He narrows his eyes. "I did."

"You didn't tell me that reading it with me was the first time you had touched it in 10 years."

His Adam's Apple bobs as he swallows. "That's what you guys talked about?"

"I wish you'd told me."

He shrugs. "What else did Sarah say?"

"Rafe, stop changing the conversation."

He feigns confusion. "There's nothing else