𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 // 𝘫𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘣

𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢

All of a sudden, Affinity could feel her father's fingers slowly curl upward over her hand. Her eyes widened and shifted back to his face, not completely believing the scene that was unfolding before her.

"Dad? Oh my god, Dad, can you hear me?"

The gentle grip on her fingers tightened.

Her jaw dropped as she let out a chuckle of awe. "You really are relentless in every way possible, aren't you? Don't worry I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you."

His grasp suddenly lessened, it almost felt like he was trying to pull away but he was too weak to do so completely. Affinity furrowed her brows. "What is it?"

Maybe he was trying to tell her something without actually saying it?

"Do you want me to stay?"

No response.

She swallowed the lump in her throat before working up the courage to ask the next question.

"Do you...want me to go with him?"

And so his clutch on her fingers returned.

The tears began to well up in her eyes. She knew that no matter what decision she would make, she would have regrets, but this surely brought her one step closer to deciding what was the right thing. She knew that the Pogues would keep an eye on her dad if she chose to leave, but what if he woke up and she wasn't there? They would find each other again, right?

Affinity took a breath as she ran her fingers through her hair and slouched back in her seat. Her eye's traced the room, looking for any sign that might actually bring her to a decision. She didn't expect to find one but surprisingly enough...she did. She focused on the TV that was mounted on one of the walls across from her that were broadcasting news about the storm that was making her way to the Outer Banks. Affinity scrambled for the remote and unmuted the TV.

"...winds up to 65 miles an hour, causing the waves just off the shore of the island to be nothing short of treacherous. Please, we beg of you, stay inside and whatever you do, stay out of the water."

This was her deciding factor.

John B wasn't going alone.

Her teary green eyes fell upon her father as she stood to her feet. "I'm sorry," she muttered. Affinity leaned over and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you more than anything. I'll be back soon."

Affinity swung the door open and raced down the bright white halls. On her way out of the hospital, she found Connor at the front desk scanning through a stack of papers. Affinity jogged up to the boy and grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't let anything happen to him."

Connor, still surprised by her sudden appearance, nodded. "Of course, Miss McCormick."

With that reassurance, she left the building and sprinted out to her car. Affinity was in the vehicle and out of the parking lot in a matter of seconds. Her cold stare never left the road, her foot seldom leaving the accelerator. Getting to the boat ramp as fast as possible was the only thing that was on her mind, and there was no uncertainty this time...all she had to do was catch him before he left. Finally, Affinity rounded her last corner and swerved the car so it rode right next to the curb before she threw the car into park, ripped the keys out of the ignition, and stumbled out of the door.

She searched through the gaps between the leaves of the massive tree that blocked the ramp from her sight.

"John B!" She called out.

Affinity finally made it to the boat ramp but she did not find John B or the boat, only the remainder of the Pogues.

"Oh my God, Fin," Kiara muttered, then jogging up to the girl.