𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑
"Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Kiara asks me in concern as we exit my bedroom and I take a hold of her hand with a reassuring smile.
"This has been coming for a long time. I'm ready" I assure her and she nods with a proud smile.
We both enter the kitchen where we're met with my family, all three of them turning to look at us when they notice we're here. My mother and father are sat at the dinner table with a magazine or newspaper in each of their hand and my brother is leant against the counter with a bowl of cereal in his own hands.
"Good morning, girls" Thomas winks at us cheekily and I playfully glare at the boy as my parents jump to their feet.
"Good morning, Thomas" Kiara chirps, walking over to grab an orange from the fruit bowl.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" My dad asks me as my mom fusses with my hair, her eyes glazed over with unshed tears that break my heart to see.
"I'm much better" I assure them, giving them a happy smile.
"Oh, we were so worried about you" Mom chokes out, covering her mouth and my dad wraps his arm around her for comfort.
"I'm okay now. I promise" I tell them, lurching forward to let them, both wrap me up in their arms.
The pain is only dull due to the strong painkillers I'm on and it allows me to hug my parents tightly, both of them pressing a kiss to my head before letting me go.
"Do you girls have big plans today?" Thomas speaks up and my parents reluctantly go back to their seats, still stealing glances at my bruised sundress clad body.
"Nothing huge. Just hanging out" Kiara shrugs nonchalantly from her place stood beside my brother.
"Can you do me a favour, Kiara?" My mom asks and the girl perks up.
"Of course. Anything, Mrs Blake" Kiara nods enthusiastically and my mom chuckles in amusement.
"Just call me Eliza. None of that Mrs Blake nonsense" Mom waves off the formality and I smile at the happiness clear on Kiara's face "Look after my baby for me?"
"Mom" I groan and Kiara laughs as she walks over to me, looking at my mother.
"I'll keep a close eye on her. Don't worry, Eliza" Kiara assures her.
"Thank you, honey" Mom grins in satisfaction, looking back at her magazine.
"We're leaving now!" I declare, grabbing Kiara's wrist and pulling her to the front door.
"Be careful!" My dad warns us.
"We will!" Kiara calls out in reassurance.
I grab my bike from the backyard and jump onto it, turning back to Kiara who is glancing at the Twinkie that is now approaching us. JJ is sat in the driver seat and Makoa is in the passenger seat, both of them waving at us. I wave back with a giggle and Kiara rolls her eyes, pressing a kiss to my lips as the van comes to a stop.
"I'll see you at the chateau, sunshine" She tells me with a warm smile.
"See you there" I grin happily.
She presses another quick kiss to my lips and the boys both wolf whistle from the van, making us laugh as she jogs over to it and I begin to cycle away. The van turns and heads in the other direction that it came from while I cycle over to the residence near by that I know Rafe has been staying.
Once I arrive at the summer home, I drop my bike onto the grass and I pluck up all the courage I have in my whole body, striding towards the door. I slip inside the home with little noise and close the door behind me, tiptoeing through out the house to find Rafe.
As I near the master bedroom I start to hear the sounds of grunting and moaning, my brows furrowing in confusion as I near the door. I take a deep breath and push the door open to see what's behind it.
I'm met with the sight of a brunette haired girl being railed viciously by Rafe while she screams his name and arches her back like a porn star. I stumble a little in pure shock and I knock into a table, sending the contents flying onto the ground.
"Holy shit!" The girl shrieks, grabbing the sheet with cover herself.
"What the fuck?" Rafe curses, jumping up from the bed and pulling up his underwear.
My chest hurts a little at the full realisation that Rafe truly has never cared about me or my feelings ever in our whole lives, but a weight is also lifted off my shoulders at the same time. Seeing him here with another girl is more than enough to dissolve all feelings I ever had for him and it feels so good.
"Allison, I can explain!" Rafe yells out as he yanks on his shorts.
"Save it, Rafe. I was coming over here to break up with you anyway. It's over" I state with no fear at all and I let out a small laugh "Wow, that was freeing"
"Alli, wait!" Rafe pleads, chasing after me as I exit the room and head for the front door.
"We're done!" I call back, not looking at him.
"You can't fucking do this to me!" He shouts angrily.
"Watch me!" I retort, slamming the front door in his face.
Rafe doesn't open the door again to follow me as I head down the lawn, picking up my bike and hopping onto it. I make my way to the cut feeling lighter than i've ever felt in my whole life and I smile the whole way.
I drop my bike onto the grass at the chateau and then I spot Kiara down on the dock with Makoa, JJ and John B. Racing down the pier, I gain the Pogue's attentions and the grin on my face is clearly telling.
"You did it?" Makoa questions with a hopeful expression on his face.
"I did it" I confirm with a gleeful nod.
"Oh my God" He gasps, jumping to his feet and sweeping me off mine to spin me around "I'm so proud of you"
"Yeah, we're really proud, blondie" John B smiles up at me from his spot on the ground and I smile back at him.
"You fucking star" JJ whoops, stealing me from Makoa's arms to crush me in a hug and he smirks at Kiara "You got the girl, Carrera!"
"I got the girl" Kiara beams happily.
Makoa tears JJ away from me to allow Kiara to steal me and I smile at the boy gratefully, leaning back into the girl's hold. From Kiara's place sat on the railing she wraps her arms around me and lays her chin on my shoulder as I hold her hands in my own, intertwining our fingers.
"You okay, John?" I ask the sullen looking brunette boy.
"Ward stole the gold" He declares and my eyes widen in surprise.
"What?" I gasp.
"You sure he got everything?" Kiara asks and I frown deeply.
"Every bar. The whole enchilada" John B mumbles defeatedly.
The brunette then pulls his cast off with a grunt and throws it away.
"Look, it's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit" He mutters.
"John B" Kiara speaks up and I look at his cast in concern.
"What, Kie? It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?" John B snaps.
"You should care" She retorts.
"You should be careful with any fracture, John" I tell him and he rolls his eyes.
"It's fine. See?" He states, holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers.
"Guys! Guys!" I hear Pope scream and I turn my head to see him sprinting towards us.
"Oh! Oh, God. I ran all the way here" The Heyward boy pants as he reaches us.
"You all right?" John B asks curiously.
"How was the interview, Pope?" JJ asks.
"Don't ask" Pope breathes out, hands still on his knees as he catches his breath.
"Awesome" John B scoffs.
"JB...Look, I'm sorry, dude. About everything" Pope apologises.
"It's fine" John B sighs.
"But- but I don't have a lot of time, and- and I have information that is tactically relevant. So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's pig plane. Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, I'm there sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, 'Hm. Why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?'" Pope rants wildly, using hand actions and different tones of voice.
We all perk up, looking at each other with realisation and hope fills my chest once again.
"Gold" JJ answers.
"That's right" John B nods.
"Exactly!" Pope gasps out, pointing at JJ dramatically.
"Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go" Pope tells us.
"Guys, we can't give up now" Kiara grins, hopping off the railing.
"Kie's right" Makoa agrees.
"What's the plan, big man?" JJ asks John B.
"We're gonna steal that shit back" John B declares, a smile forming on all our faces.
"Yeah, we are" I grin.
"Come on, guys!" Kiara cheers as we race down the pier towards the chateau.