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You're on your own now, kid. 

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THE NIGHT WAS calm as we sailed back to the Outer Banks, the salty breeze carrying the faint rustle of waves against the boat. For the most part, JJ and Pope took turns steering while the rest of us took the time to rest.

I sat beside Cleo, the two of us leaning against the railing. Neither of us spoke for a long time. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't easy either. Cleo was still a mystery to me, and I probably was to her as well.

Eventually, Cleo broke the quiet. ''You're brave, you know. Pope told me about you and Rafe, what happened before. That can't be easy to live with.''

Her words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn't respond. Brave? Maybe. Or maybe I just didn't know how to let myself break.

I toyed with the idea of telling her what Rafe had said the last time we crossed paths—how he'd insisted he was trying to change, how he almost sounded sincere. But then I remembered what he has done to us and stoped myself from trying to defend him.

''Thanks,'' I murmured, managing a small smile.

Cleo tilted her head, studying me. ''For what it's worth, I think you've done pretty damn well for yourself. I mean, after all that, you're still here. That counts for something, yeah?''

''Yeah,'' I echoed softly, more to myself than to her.

The conversation shifted after that, lighter and easier. We talked about our lives before all of this—the hobbies that made us happy. Cleo mentioned her time on ships and how she was planning to stay with Pope once we reached the Outer Banks. I told her about surfing, the ocean being my escape, and we laughed over shared stories of salt water stinging our eyes and sand sticking to everything.

When we finally reached the Outer Banks, a flood of relief washed over all of us. The familiar sight of the docks felt like a promise.

''Welcome to the Outer Banks, Cleo,'' Pope announced with a grin as we walked along the dock.

Cleo smirked. ''You're crazy, Pope. Your parents aren't gonna appreciate me shacking up.''

Pope shrugged, brushing off her concerns. ''Of course they will. Are you kidding? Heyward might put you to work, but we could always use the help.''

Cleo glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. ''You sure about that?''

''Yeah, he might squawk a bit, but let me talk to him. We'll figure it out,'' Pope assured her.

The group started splitting up as we approached Kiara's house. She opened the gate, gesturing for us to follow. ''This is me. Home sweet home.''

Cleo whistled, taking in the massive house. ''Damn, Kiara. You live here? This is like the White House, man.''

Pope leaned against the gate, his brow furrowed. ''How bad do you think it's gonna be?''

Kiara let out a dramatic sigh, already bracing herself. ''Scale of one to ten? Twenty.''

Cleo frowned, glancing at her. ''Do you want us to hold up here?''

''No,'' Kiara said quickly. ''I... I gotta take this. Thanks for walking me.'' She hesitated at the base of the stairs, turning back to wave at us. ''Bye, guys. Plan my funeral.''

We all watched her go, her figure disappearing inside the grand house.

Pope and Cleo headed off together, leaving JJ and me standing at the edge of the dock. I offered to let him crash at my place, but he shook his head, mumbling something about needing to get back home.

I nodded, though I couldn't help feeling a pang of worry. We hugged tightly before he hopped on his bike and disappeared into the night.

When I stepped inside my house, the emptiness hit me like a cold wave. The air was heavy, still, and carried the faint smell of dust. The dim light from the moon filtered through the grimy windows, illuminating the cobwebs clinging to the corners.

I moved to the dining table, spotting a single envelope resting on its worn surface. My name was scrawled across it in my dad's unmistakable handwriting.

My heart sank as I picked it up, tearing it open with trembling fingers. The letter inside felt heavier than it should have, the words blurring as my eyes skimmed over them.

Mavis,

I've spent the last few months trying to figure out where I went wrong with you. I've tried to understand how you've become so consumed by this reckless obsession, chasing after something that only brings danger and destruction. It's like watching history repeat itself, and I can't stand by and let it happen again.

You're becoming your mother, Mavis. The same single-minded fixation that led her down that dark path, it's consuming you now. And just like her, I fear you'll end up lost, or worse.

I can't do this anymore. I can't keep waiting for a knock on the door, expecting to hear that you've gotten yourself killed. I've tried to warn you, tried to help you, but you refuse to listen. You're digging your own grave from now on.

So, I'm making a choice. I'm starting over. I've met someone, and I'm building a new life with her—a life that doesn't include the constant worry of what you're getting yourself into. A life that isn't overshadowed by the ghosts of your mother's mistakes.

This is the last time you'll hear from me. You're on your own now, kid. I can't save you from yourself, and I won't watch you destroy yourself over something that doesn't even exist.

Safe travels,

Dad

He was disowning me.

The paper slipped from my hands as I sank to my knees, clutching it to my chest. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

I WOKE UP to a soft knock at the door, my body heavy with exhaustion from the night before. I hadn't even bothered to change clothes when I got home, too emotionally wrecked to do much of anything except cry myself to sleep on the couch.

The knock came again, louder this time. I groaned and shuffled to the door, cracking it open just enough to see JJ standing there, his hair a messy halo around his face, a backpack slung over one shoulder.

''Mavie,'' he blurted, his eyes scanning my face. ''Have you been crying? Your eyes are like all red and puffy.''

I opened the door wider, leaning against the frame and crossing my arms. ''Yeah, possibly,'' I muttered, my voice hoarse. ''My dad disowned me, so yeah, I'm crying. Thanks for pointing it out.''

His face fell, his usual cocky smirk replaced with genuine concern. ''Oh my God, Mave, I didn't know.'' Without hesitation, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me. It was comforting, familiar, but I pulled away after a few seconds, brushing the back of my hand under my nose.

''It's fine,'' I forced a laugh, the sound hollow in my ears. ''I think he took my joke I made in Pougelandia a little too seriously. He's got a chick now, so... guess I've been replaced.'' I tried to make the words sound lighter than they felt, but the weight in my chest didn't budge.

JJ just stared at me, his lips parted like he wanted to say something but didn't know how.

''Don't stare,'' I told him, waving him off. ''I'll be fine. I'm better off without him anyway.''

He shifted on his feet, his brows furrowed. ''Mavie, we're family. You're not alone, okay? You've got us.''

''Thank you,'' I murmured, my voice softening. ''But I know that. Really.''

He tilted his head, his lips quirking into a small, knowing smile. ''Alright, well... do I start with the bad news or the good news?''

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. ''I don't give a shit, just say it.''

JJ's grin widened slightly, but his tone was serious as he continued. ''John B's with his dad.''

The words hit me like a brick, and I blinked at him, trying to process. ''Wait, what?''

''And,'' he added, ''Rafe is back on the island.''

That one hit harder. I felt my stomach twist, the room seeming to tilt for a moment. ''Rafe?''

''Yep,'' JJ confirmed, his expression grim. ''And also, you're the last one to find out because you didn't pick up your phone. I mean, how many times did we call you, Mav?''

I shook my head, rubbing my temples as I tried to absorb everything. ''Excuse me, big John is alive?''

JJ ignored my question and pressed on. ''Back to the point and back to Rafe. Sarah saw him when she went back home to grab some stuff. But, uh... she overheard him saying that the cross is being moved to Wilmington tomorrow night. We think he's trying to sell it.''

The mention of the cross snapped me back to reality. ''Have you guys told Pope?'' I asked quickly, my thoughts immediately going to him.

''Sarah's with him now,'' JJ replied. ''He's on lockdown.''

I nodded, but my mind was already racing, piecing things together. The cross. Wilmington. Rafe. And John B... with his dad? Too much was happening at once, but I could feel the gears in my brain grinding to catch up.

''Alright,'' I muttered, mostly to myself. ''What's the plan?''

''Pretty simple, we go get Kie and figure it out from there.'' JJ replies before going back to his bike montioning for me to follow.

JJ revved the engine as we sped along the winding dirt road, his bike kicking up a cloud of dust that clung to the sticky air. I adjusted the helmet he'd tossed me earlier—it was slightly too big and smelled faintly of saltwater and motor oil.

We pulled up to the shack, JJ killed the engine and hopped off the bike. I handed him the helmet, brushing off some dirt from my jeans as Kiara stepped out from the shade, waving casually.

''What up?'' Kiara greeted, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

JJ didn't waste a second. ''Um, Rafe's what's up.'' He spat the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

I followed his lead. ''In better words, Rafe's back on the island.'' I felt my jaw tighten just saying it. 

Kiara rolled her eyes, a hint of exasperation flashing across her face. ''Oh yeah, trust me, I'm aware. Sarah saw him. That jerk wants to sell the cross.''

''Yeah, we're also aware,'' JJ shot back, pacing a little. ''I was just stating how fucked we are.''

I smirked. ''JJ, you stole my line!''

''Well, it was a good one,'' he retorted with a lopsided grin.

Kiara stepped forward and handed me a piece of paper, her brows furrowed. ''You probably already know this from J, but John B and his dad went and got the Twinkie.'' She gestured towards the note. ''They're off to God knows where.''

I scanned the note quickly, my stomach sinking. God knows where wasn't exactly comforting when your best friend was involved in this kind of mess. ''Perfect,'' I muttered under my breath, shoving the note into my back pocket.

JJ's face lit up with a spark. ''Wait,'' he said, holding up a finger like the idea had just hit him. ''Hold on, though. We know where the cross is gonna be. That means it's still on the field. So we can come in and swoop. We're still in this, ladies.'' He jammed his hat back onto his head with a flourish and turned around back to his bike. ''We gotta get everybody together, then we'll come up with a plan. Get to Wilmington—''

I couldn't resist ribbing him a bit. ''Every time you come up with a plan, there's always kidnapping in it. What happened?'' I teased.

JJ turned slightly, giving me a mock-offended look before shrugging with a smirk. ''I guess I grew out of it,'' he replied.

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