𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

three.

But she couldn't pretend forever. She couldn't pretend that her heart hadn't broken in half that day she ended things. 

The two of them hadn't spoke since. Not a single word. Maybe that was for the best. 

The front door opening and closing caused Charlotte to lift her head slightly. Looking over to the broken picture frame, she contemplated picking it up, but ultimately decided she simply didn't want to. 

"Char!" Kiara called, bolting up the stairs and into her older sister's room without so much as a pause. "Char, get up."

Charlotte rolled onto her back, glancing at her sister. "What do you want, Kie? I'm busy."

Kiara regarded Charlotte's room with a skeptical look. "Well, whatever the hell it is that you are doing can wait. I have something to tell you."

This piqued the eldest Carrera girl's interest. "You guys found something at the wreck?"

"Yeah." Kiara answered with an eager nod.  "A compass."

"A compass?" Charlotte echoed, her eyes narrowing slightly. 

"It was John B's dad's." Kiara further explained. "He thinks it's some kind of clue. And, and─" She rushed out before Charlotte could cut her off. "There were these two guys, and they chased after us. They freaking shot at us, Char!"

Charlotte sat up, her face falling. "Kiara, what the hell?"

"I know." Her sister responded, pacing back and forth. "I seriously thought we were going to die."

"Jesus." Charlotte muttered. "What could they possibly want from you guys?"

Kiara shook her head. "I don't know. But I have a feeling us digging around in the wreck had something to do with it."

"So what's next?" Charlotte wondered. "You have Big John's compass...is that the mystery solved?"

"No." Kiara answered as she finally stopped pacing. "Not even close. John B won't give it up that easily."

"I don't blame him." Charlotte mumbled, her heart hearting for John B and everything he had gone through. 

Kiara looked down at the broken picture frame for a moment, but neglected to say anything about it. "We're figuring this out tomorrow. And you're coming this time."

"Fine." Charlotte agreed, knowing she needed to get out of the house and a mystery needing solved was a good way to keep herself preoccupied.

"Kie?" She wondered, looking around at her mess of a room. "Wanna have a sleepover tonight?" She cracked a small grin, remembering the tradition the two sisters used to share. 

Kiara nodded as a matching grin covered her face. "Yeah. I do."

Charlotte took another look at her disaster of a room. "We should probably do it in your room."

"Yeah. I think that's probably a good idea."

─☼☼☼─

By lunch the next day, Charlotte was seated on the porch of the Chateau as JJ recounted the rather eventful morning that he and John B had just endured at Lana Grubbs' place.