Crystal's POV

Noah had screamed and then dropped to the ground behind me. He was staring in shock at the cliff ledge that Jackson and Kurt had gone over. There were tears in his eyes and he seemed to be choking on words. His mouth opening and closing like he wanted to say something but couldn't get the words out.

I looked away from him and back to the ledge and then down to the gun in my hand. I tucked it into the back of my jeans and turned back to Noah, walking up to him.

He seemed to stare right through me, didn't look up at me from his place on the ground, and just stared at the cliff's edge.

"Why?" He whispered and his voice broke. "Why would you-"

"Are you seriously going to ask me that?" I questioned.

He finally looked up at me, a hatred burning in his eyes. "I hate you," He spit out at me.

I shrugged. "I'll live," I said as I grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him forcefully to his feet and after me as I continued walking away.

"Let go of me," Noah said as he tried to pull himself free but since he was the equivalent of a human twig, it wasn't that hard to hold on to him.

I continued to pull him after me as I walked down a cobblestone path and then down a long set of wooden stairs built into the side of the cliff, leading down to the water below as well as a very, very small "beach" which was really more of a just a pile of sand big enough for three beach towels.

We stepped down onto the sand, with me still continuing to drag Noah behind me, just as a figure emerged from the water and walked toward us. He stopped when he was in knee-deep water, crossed his arms over his chest, and narrowed his eyes at me.

Noah let out a gasp from behind me before going silent, likely processing everything in his usual way.

"Tell me," Jackson said as continued to stand in the knee-deep water, his suit soaking wet and clinging to his body, his hair lying flat on his head and continuously dripping water down his face. "Were you aware that I would not hit the rocks?" He asked me.

I mirrored his movements and crossed my arms over my chest, even though the movement brought me pain. I stared right back at him blankly and shrugged.

His eyes narrowed further and he let out a breath of annoyance.

I looked between him and Noah. "Good day to the two of you. Now get off my property," I said before turning on my heels and beginning to walk away.

"Wait Crystal," Jackson called out and I stopped in my tracks, looking back over my shoulder at him as he trudged through the water until he was standing on the shore.

I turned around completely to face him. "Give me one good reason."

"Give you one good reason to what?"

"To wait," I said. "To listen. To spend any more time in your presence. To pretend I give a damn about anything you have to say."

Jackson pointed up to the side of the cliff he'd fallen from. "I think you made your point," He said.

I shook my head. "No, I really don't think I did."

He glared at me. "I disagree. You made your feelings toward me quite clear when you allowed me to take a plummet off that cliffside without knowing for sure whether or not I'd make it."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "You mean, I had no way of knowing that the cliff in which I used to go diving off of ever since moving here, had one very particular spot-just one mind you-and if you were standing between the two markers I'd left upon the cliff when you fell then you'd just hit the water and swim to shore? Oh no," I said. "That would be completely crazy. Why would I know that?"

"Now how would I know that you knew that?" He questioned angrily.

I shrugged. "You wouldn't. That was the beauty of it."

Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh. He shook his head and stared down at the sand for a moment. "Thank you," He finally said when he looked back at me.

"I'm surprised that phrase is in your vocabulary."

"Would you just stop!" Jackson suddenly shouted.

Noah, who I had completely forgotten was still there let out a nervous laugh. "You know," He said quietly. "I think I'm just going to-uh-well the yacht needs refueling-I'm just going to go." He turned and practically ran back up the wooden steps.

"I get it," Jackson said. "I know I'm not a good person and you know what? I don't care. I don't care that you're pissed off that I used you. I don't care that you think I'm bad the guy. I am. And you made your point when you let me fall off that cliff. You wish me dead, I get it. Well, get in line."

I shook my head. He was unbelievable. And still so wrong.

"And you clearly don't get it," I told him.

He frowned at me.

I shook my head again. "Let me simplify it for you." I took a step toward him so we were only a foot apart. "I was trying to make a point when I let you tumble off that cliff, knowing you'd survive. And here it is," I said. "why should I care about you when you've made it clear you don't and won't ever care about me?"

He grew silent. Didn't saying anything else and just stared at me.

I didn't need an answer. I wasn't exactly looking for one. I knew what I wanted him to say and I also knew he never would. And I was oddly okay with that. I wasn't looking for him to confess his love for me. Whatever we felt for each other wasn't love. Maybe one day it could be, but I wasn't holding out hope.

"You're trying to back me into a corner," He suddenly said.

I shrugged. "Yeah," I said. "I am. You used me Jackson, but I don't care about that, because I used you too. Look," I continued. "you care about me. You'll never admit it but you do. But you don't want to. You're angry that you care for whatever reason and you're taking it out on me." I locked eyes with him. "I didn't do anything Jackson."

Jackson clenched his teeth together and turned away from me. "You're right," He finally said, still making a point of not looking at me. "Although I did show up to save you. You'd think that would earn me some points."

"Who really saved who?" I questioned with a glare.

He turned away from me once more and looked back out at the cliff, at the rocks beneath it. And I knew he was thinking of Kurt. I knew he was replaying what happened. I felt like I was intruding on something. Some private moment. I noticed he was fiddling something around his neck and I didn't have to guess what it was, I knew.

I ran a hand through my hair and then turned toward him even though his back was to me. It felt awkward, me being there.

I let out a sigh and walked up to stand next to him. "Sorry," I said.

He turned to look at me silently. Like he wasn't really paying all that much attention. Either he was lost in his own little world (which was likely the case) or he really was just not understanding what I was apologizing for (which was just as likely).

I gestured with my hand out at the cliff ledge. "Pretty sure you wanted to kill him," I said.

He looked back up at the cliff and then shrugged, seemingly still stuck in his head. "He's dead. Finally. That's all that matters. I suppose."

"How are you doing?" I asked him.

He shrugged again. "Still replaying it all. Though," He said and he finally turned and looked at me once again. "I suppose I should be asking you that question since you were the one who killed him."

I looked up at the cliff. Replayed it all in my head and then shrugged but said nothing. Yes, I'd killed a man, and if he'd been innocent, I'd likely be feeling horrible. Seeing as he'd tried to kill me, Noah, and Jackson, I didn't really care that he was dead, let alone that I was the one to kill him. Maybe I had a little more of my father in me after all.

"You never did tell me why it was so important that you got Kurt," I spoke up. "I can guess. I'm not sure I'm right, but I can guess."

"You didn't need to know. You still don't."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You're unbelievable. You know that? This whole time I've been with you you've been telling me to trust you and I have. Time and time again. And yet you still refuse to tell me what I risked my life for."

"Does it really matter now?"

I looked out at the open ocean. "No," I said as I thought about everything that had happened. "I suppose it doesn't."

And when I thought about it, it really didn't matter anymore. We were about to go our separate ways. I knew it and he knew it. Even if neither one of us was going to say it. Jackson and Noah would leave and do . . . whatever it was they decided. And I would go back to my life for a very brief while before disappearing into the world. Because even though my father would be answering for his crimes, that didn't mean that he wouldn't still be able to send people after me. And now, to him, I was the enemy. The person responsible for his downfall. Someone who needed to be eliminated.

I shook my head. "No," I repeated. "It doesn't matter." I turned and locked eyes with him. "But it would have been nice to know that you actually trusted me enough to tell me."

"I do trust you."

"No, Jackson. You don't. This entire time we've been together you've been preaching to me about trusting you and I did . . . and look where it got me. The same place it got me in the beginning."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" I asked while he remained silent. "Look, I don't care. I really don't. I just don't understand, after everything I've done, after everything I've helped you do, why you just won't tell me."

"It really isn't any of your business," He muttered.

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess not." I turned and began to walk away once more.

"Where will you go?" Jackson called out to me. "What will you do from here?"

I shrugged even though his back was to me and he couldn't see it. "I don't know," I replied. "But then, it really isn't any of your business."

This time he turned to face me with a glare. "That's not fair," He said.

I shrugged again. "No? It's the truth. You want me to trust you, to care about you, but you won't do the same in return."

He turned his back to me and I could see he was tense. Could see the muscles in his back bulging from the way his soaking wet suit clung to him.

There was a silence that surrounded us. Full of all the things we'd left unsaid. Full of everything that we wanted to saw. And I could tell that Jackson did have something he wanted to say, but I also knew, that he wouldn't say it. Not to me, and not to anyone. I wasn't sure that there was a soul alive that Jackson would ever trust. Let alone me. Now maybe that should have upset me, but honestly, that was just the way that Jackson was. And sure, it hurt a little that he didn't trust me, but there was nothing I could do about it, so why dwell on it?

"Trust goes both ways, Jackson. And you've never trusted me," I said as I turned and walked away. He stopped me once more when he spoke.

"I was always good at it," Jackson suddenly said.

I turned to look at him, frowning at his words. "Good at what?"

"Conning people. Talking myself out of things . . . or into them." He shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked out over the ocean. "Manipulating people. I figured out early on how to get away with things and get what I wanted." He shook his head. "I don't care who gets hurt in the way of something I want . . . to an extent."

He grew quiet again and I noticed he seemed to be making a point of not looking at me. There was more he wanted to say, but he seemed to be searching for the words . . . either that or he was thinking that he shouldn't tell me.

He let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "But it wasn't always like that." He turned to look at me, his expression without his usual smugness. His usual wicked looks. Instead, he just looked tired. Exhausted really.

I didn't say anything, just watched him. He turned and looked back over the water, his eyes staring far off into the distance, as if watching something else play out before him. I looked away from him and out at the water as well, listening to the sounds of the ocean and the birds overhead. Until Jackson broke the silence once again.

"You're right. Trust goes both ways." He didn't say anything else after that, but I could tell he wanted to say more. There was something he wanted to tell me. Something he wanted to share.

So I walked up and stood beside him, waited silently, and after a long while I thought he'd decided against it. Thought that he'd clammed up again. Until he spoke once more and what he said left me speechless.

"I was a cop."

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