CHAPTER NINE.
do you feel held by him?

     THE EPIC SEARCH for the Royal Merchant didn't go as planned. Nova Van Kirk knew that much for sure. She was disappointed to say the least. For a split moment, whilst she was standing in that boat with the Pogues, rocking back and forth on the violent waves underneath a small storm, Nova believed she was doing the right thing and fulfilling Riley's destiny. She believed that maybe by finding the Royal Merchant and helping the Pogues secure the gold for themselves, then maybe, just maybe she would find closure.

Nova truly thought that Riley was telling her to find the Merchant and finish what he started before his untimely death. But now, she wasn't sure what to think about the mysterious letter left to her by her brother.

     Maybe it was still a warning that there was something, or someone dangerous lingering in the place she called home — someone with a lot of power and greed that burdened Riley with something that no young boy should be forced to carry in secret. Nova thought she was piecing together the puzzle, and connecting the dots surrounding the newfound mystery of Riley's overdose. However, after losing the last connection she had to her brother, that being the Merchant and the four hundred million worth of gold that came with its discovery, Riley's death and its connection to the famous shipwreck became severed in seconds.

     Would she figure out the truth? Someday, maybe. But, for now, Nova had to continue living her life without the closure she desperately needed in order to move on. Her only hope was that this gaping void imbedded in her chest was only temporary, and that soon it would become whole again.

Until then, Nova would try and continue having the best summer of her life without the aid of drugs and alcohol coursing through her veins. After the loss of the gold, Nova went back home and intended on staying there, because it was always easier to stay clean when there was nothing in the house to satisfy her craving for her next fix. Nova knew it wasn't ideal, but she knew if she left then she might just go to find Rafe to give her what she wanted, and if that failed, then she had plenty of money to give to Barry.

     However, it didn't take long for Nova to be lured out from the comfort of her home when she received a text from Juno O'Connell of all people, asking her if she wanted to go to the OBX Summer Movie Series and hang out. Nova was surprised to say the least, knowing a offer to hang out was the last thing she expected to receive from Juno, especially since earlier the same day, the girl adamant that Nova stayed the hell away from her. It made the girl wonder why her friend had a sudden change of heart.

Whatever it was, Nova Van Kirk was bound to find out, because it didn't take the girl long to show up to her destination. The girl looked around the open space, taking notice in the dozens of Kooks and Pogues alike finding a seat on the large patch of greenery, some talking amongst themselves, whilst others kept their head down and remained in content with only themselves and no one else. It was actually a nice sight to see. At least that was what Nova thought.

Maybe leaving the house wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

     Nova continued to think this way when she spotted Juno with the Pogues in the distance ( John B was absent from the group, but who cares about pesky details? ), causing for the girl to roll back her shoulders and plaster a smile across her pink lips, before she made her way over to where the others were. The first person to recognise Nova approaching them was Kiara, the girl smiling slightly at Nova in response.

     "You actually came!" Kiara exclaimed enthusiastically, ushering for the girl to come over.

     Nova stopped in her tracks when she joined the rest of the group, her sudden presence being enough to make JJ and Pope turn around to glance at her, both boys smiling at Nova. However, when Nova's eyes flickered over to Juno, she noticed her best friend stare back at her with a mix of confusion and irritation glimmering in her dark eyes, making Nova raise her brow. She wondered what she had done to get underneath her best friend's skin so easily. Didn't she invite her here after all?

     "What are you doing here?" Juno asked, clenching her jaw at the sight of Nova.

     "You invited me here." Nova stated. However, judging by the puzzled look glazed over Juno's eyes, it quickly became clear that maybe her best friend was just as clueless as she was. "Didn't you?"

     Juno shook her head. "Why would I invite you?" She retorted in a very passive agressive manner. It made Nova feel uncomfortable. She wasn't exactly used to Juno's cold and callous persona towards her, especially these last few days. But what else did Nova expect? Juno was still mad about what was said at Topper's party, and she still hasn't had the opportunity to apologise for it.

     "Actually...I invited her using your phone." Kiara quickly confessed, glancing back at Juno with a innocent grin forming across her lips. Juno made an attempt to protest, but Kiara's voice quickly filled the air again. "And the only reason why I did is because you two aren't talking, and it's been exhausting hearing you complain about her these last couple of days. So, I thought this might be a good way for you two to hang out and hopefully work through your differences."

     Juno stared back at Kiara for a short moment, a sharp glare glazed over her eyes, before she shook her head. "Screw this, I'm going home." She declared, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

     "Me too." Nova sighed, already making an attempt to leave.

     "No." Kiara snapped at them both, causing for Nova and Juno to stop in their tracks and turn back around to face Kiara, silence flooding the air for a moment, before Kiara parted her lips to speak again. "You're both going to sit down, watch the movie, and hang out because you two are best friends and it's painful seeing you act like this around each other. So, sit down or I'm going to make you sit down."

     Nova and Juno exchanged a few looks, before they took a seat next to each other. "You're responsible if I end up kicking her ass, Kie." Juno told her friend, who was already on her way to grab some drinks.

     "Now that's a fight I wouldn't mind seeing." JJ's familiar voice ripped through the air, causing for both Nova and Juno to stare back at the blond boy with irritated glances. JJ only had to take one look at the girls to realise he should have just kept his mouth shut, the boy looking down at the ground. "Yeah, I'll shut up now."

     "Just saw Rafe, and he said, and I quote..." Kiara's familiar voice broke through the silence, putting an end to the awkward tension. "Tell your boy that we know what he did." She quoted, the mere mention of her boyfriend's name being enough to send a chill up Nova's spine.

Both JJ and Pope stare back at the girl with worried looks in their eyes, but Nova could clearly see the panic expression washing over Pope's face, a shaky breath falling past his lips. "Where is he?" JJ questioned.

Kiara turned her head and nodded over to the back of the crowd where Rafe, Topper and Kelce were. Everyone who knew the group often called them the Kook trio, knowing that when there's one, you always get the reassurance that the other two will soon follow. Nova then turned around to see her boyfriend standing with Topper and Kelce, watching as they stared back with taunting smile tugging at their lips. Nova furrowed her brows in confusion, wondering why their sudden presence was troubling JJ and Pope, and why would the three boys be gunning for the Pogues in the first place.

"Great, the whole death squad." Pope spoke up, his voice dripping in sarcasm. But Nova could hear the panic laced in his tone too.

JJ quickly grabbed Pope by the back of his head and turned him back around. "Just warning you, bro. If they corner me, I'm coming out swinging, okay?" JJ begins to explain, causing for Nova to frown at the pair. Somehow everything they did resulted in a fight. "Slice and dicing. If that doesn't work, I got this right here."

Nova lowered her gaze and watched as JJ lifted his backpack, and the girl felt a lump form in the back of her throat, coming to the quick realisation to what JJ must have in the bag. The thought of it was enough to put Nova on edge, her entire body tensing and her eyes growing wide in surprise. She didn't want her suspicions to be right, and Nova wasn't the only one thinking it.

"I'm sorry, JJ. Please tell me that you did not bring a gun here." Kiara argued with a disapproving look in her eyes. "JJ, there are kids—"

"No! Kie, I didn't bring the gun. Everything's fine, okay?" JJ interjected, cutting Kiara off with a reassuring look in his eyes. But Nova knew the truth. She knew nothing about this situation was okay when Rafe, Topper and Kelce were after them and a gun could possibly get involved at any second. Nova really didn't want a repeat of what happened at the kegger.

Kiara scoffed at JJ words with a nod. "Wow, thank you. That's really convincing. I love that, JJ." Kiara replied in a sarcastic manner, pausing for a brief moment, before she parted her lips to speak once again. "Founding principle, you guys. No secrets amongst Pogues. What is Rafe talking about?"

Nova glanced over at JJ and Pope to see the duo exchanging a few looks for a moment, before Pope turned back around and leaned closer towards Kiara. "Kie, it might go down tonight." Pope informed her.

"What does that mean?" Kiara interrogated further with her brows furrowing in confusion. "'Might go down tonight.' What did y'all do?"

And when Kiara didn't get a response out of the boys, she quickly shifted her attention over towards Nova with a suspicious look burning in her dark eyes, her lips parting to speak. "Do you know anything about this?" Kiara asked the blonde.

Nova stared back at Kiara with a surprised look, shaking her head. "What makes you think I would know?" She inquired.

"Because that's your boyfriend over there." Juno piped up, shooting Nova an irritated glance.

     Nova could tell she was still angry at her. Nova wanted to bite back and snap at the girl for being so passive aggressive with her ( it was completely unnecessary by the way ) and she even wanted to just go home and avoid all the drama for once in her life. However, Nova was invited by Kiara Carrera of all people, and she wasn't going to pass the opportunity to distant herself from the bad people in her life, and hopefully make room for the good people instead.

Besides, she wasn't going to let Juno O'Connell bully her into leaving.

So, Nova inhaled sharply and glanced back over at Juno, forcing a fake smile. "Well, I don't have a clue why he's taunting the guys. I haven't spoke to him since yesterday." She informed the girls.

Juno made an attempt to protest against Nova's words. But before she had the chance, the first movie of the day commenced, the crowd growing quiet as the movie displayed on the large screen played. Nova spared her friend one last glance, her smile faltering at the sight of Juno glaring back at her, before Nova turned her attention to the movie, deciding to tune out the drama circulating through the air on this hot summer day.

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It was dark by the time Nova had finally settled, the girl sitting back and watching the movie playing on the screen. Even though it was old and boring, it provided a little entertainment to take Nova's mind off of her obvious problem. That problem happened to be her ongoing battle with sobriety. The cravings had kicked in about an hour after she got comfortable watching the first movie, and she instantly became restless, but as the hours passed and the simmering day turned into a dark and harrowing night, she slowly became distracted enough that the cravings faded not long after.

     It did help that she had JJ seated beside her. As much as she hated to admit it, since that night he rescued her from being hit by an incoming vehicle and gave her the huge wake up call that she desperately needed, he had become her moral compass through the good, the bad, and even the ugly. Having him around helped her in more ways than one, and she was grateful that he stayed despite the many times she tried to push him away.

Nova yawned quietly to herself whilst she slouched in her seat, whilst she continued to watch the film playing in front of her. She was exhausted and on the verge of sleep at this point. Having a good nights sleep without the help of alcohol to make her body feel heavy was almost foreign to the blonde. These past few days she's had to try and get back to a sense of normality — to attempt to go back in time to her old life before the drugs and alcohol became her only form of life source.

     Without it she felt like a walking corpse, moving day to day without a real purpose. So, returning back to normal without the toxins swirling around in her bloodstream was going to be one long road she had to be willing to take.

     Long story short: recovery's a bitch.

All of a sudden, from the corner of her eye, Nova noticed both JJ and Pope stand up from where they were sitting, causing for Nova, Kiara and Juno to lift to glance at the pair with a puzzled look burning in each of their eyes. "Where are you two going?" Juno whispered to them, being the first to speak up, whilst her brows kitted together in confusion.

JJ turned back to glance at the girls, his eyes flickering between Nova, Juno and Kiara with a shrug from his shoulders. "We gotta wring it out." He answered, and Pope nodded his head in agreement with the blond.

Kiara scrunched her face in disgust as the two girls watch them begin to walk away. "You gonna hold it for each other?" She questioned and Nova pulled a face, watching as the two disappeared into the crowd of people.

Nova rolled her eyes in response and looked over her shoulder to see Rafe, Topper and Kelce standing up from where they were previously sitting, before they began to follow JJ and Pope. That was more than enough to raise the girl's suspicions again, causing for Nova to glance over at Kiara and Juno. "Hey, I'll be right back." She informed them both.

     Neither Kiara and Juno said anything in response. That gave Nova the response she needed in order to stand up and vacate towards the back of the crowd scattered across the large patch of greenery, before she quickly caught up to Rafe. When Nova was close enough, she wrapped her hand around his wrist, securing her grip before she tugged him back. The sudden motion was enough to make Rafe stop in his tracks, before he turned around to face her with a frown plastered across her face.

     "What the hell are you doing?" Nova asked him in a hushed voice.

     Rafe shrugged his shoulders. "We're repaying the Pogues for sinking Topper's boat. They can't get away with shit like that." He answered, his words being enough to make Nova stare back at her boyfriend with an unimpressed look.

     "Maybe they wouldn't have sunk Topper's boat if you didn't beat the crap out of Pope." Nova deadpanned, earning a scoff from Rafe in response. "That was a dick move, Rafe, and you know it. So if you want to blame someone for sinking Topper's boat, then blame yourself." She elaborated further, her mind flashing back to yesterday when she witnessed Rafe beat the hell out of Pope unprovoked. It was frankly a day she would rather forget.

Rafe stared down at Nova for a moment, before he released a bitter chuckle past her lips. "Since when did you pick the Pogues side over mine? Was it before or after you fucked JJ Maybank?" He interrogated her, his words catching Nova off guard for a moment.

Nova couldn't help but blink back in surprise to Rafe's sudden accusation against her, a thick lump forming in the back of her throat, a feeling of overwhelming nerves crackling like thunderstorms in her veins. Nova knew Rafe had been suspicious of them for a while. Ever since she came back from her trip, her and JJ's dirty little secret had gotten harder to keep buried. But she was shocked to learn that Rafe had figured it out, leaving Nova with no other choice but to confront him about it once and for all.

"How did you find out?" Nova inquired, her voice shaky whilst she spoke.

"Well, you're not exactly discreet." Rafe replied, pausing for a moment whilst he ran his hand through his hair in a frustrating manner. "I mean, how long were you going to keep it a secret from me, huh? Because it took me catching that Pogue leaving your house for me to figure it out."

Nova furrowed her brows together, a puzzled look burning in her bright blue orbs. "You were at my house?" She asked.

"I came to apologise for upsetting you at the country club, but you obviously had someone else keeping you company." Rafe paused, laughing again. "So, come on. How long has it been going on for? How long have you been screwing that dirty Pogue—"

"First of all, JJ was only at my place yesterday to thank me for helping out his friend after you beat the crap out of him. We talked and then he left." Nova retorted, irritation laced in her frustrated tone. "Second of all, what happened between me and JJ was a one time thing. We were both drunk at a party, and before you go accusing me of shit that I didn't even do...no. I didn't cheat on you. You and I were taking a break at the time. It was something I regret, so why are you making a big deal out of something that doesn't even concern you?"

All of a sudden, Rafe shook a quick step towards Nova, causing for the girl to back away in fear, scared of what he would do. The last thing she wanted was for this to get out of control. Rafe then glanced down at the girl, shaking his head. "I'm not going to let some lowlife get away with taking things that don't belong to him," was all Rafe said before he left Nova alone.

Nova reached out for Rafe, but her boyfriend was already long gone. This caused for Nova to curse underneath her breath, before she looked around and moved her way through the crowd of people again, making her way back to Kiara and Juno. "Hey, you guys." She whispered, gaining their attention.

"What is it?" Kiara asked curiously.

"Rafe, Topper and Kelce are going after JJ and Pope for something so stupid, and I have no idea where to look. So I'm going to need some help." Nova briefly explained, sparing Kiara and Juno the pesky details. They weren't important right now.

Kiara and Juno stared at Nova for a swift moment, before the two girls glanced at one another, the pair exchanging a few looks, before Juno sighed in annoyance. "These boys are going to be the death of me. I swear." Juno muttered underneath her breath.

   Suddenly, the two girls stand up and together, they join Nova in the search for Pope and JJ, hoping to find them before Rafe and the others started something that would only end in chaos. Nova began to make her way through the crowd of people paying close attention to the film playing on the large screen, both Nova, Juno and Kiara going into the same direction where JJ and Pope had gone. Nova only hoped they could catch up with the boys before another big fight broke out, the girl groaning in frustration.

"My god, they have to be around here somewhere." Nova spoke up, whilst the girls vacate from the crowd of people and hurry their way further around the back of the screen where JJ and Pope had disappeared too.

Right on cue, Nova hears a series of groans and the sound of fists hitting bone, almost like their was a struggle happening close by from behind the large screen. This caused for Nova to pick up the pace, following close behind Kiara as they both made their way around the screen, and Nova was left in a state of shock at the sight displayed in front of her eyes. Topper was choking the life out of Pope, and Kelce was restraining JJ, whilst Rafe was throwing multiple, violent punches at the blond boy.

Kiara ran towards Topper and begins to hit the boy with the bag in her hand. "Let go of him, Topper! Fascist asshole!" Kiara yelled, continuing to hit him repeatedly with JJ's backpack.

Juno was quick to follow after Kiara, the girl doing her best to free JJ from the evil clutches of Rafe and Kelce. She tried pushing Rafe away, but when she did, Rafe shoved Juno backwards, the girl falling into the dirt. Nova eyes widened, before she rushed over to her friend's side and helped her sit upright, her worried and frantic gaze cascading down Juno's body to reassure herself that there were no visible injuries. Rafe threw the girl down hard with zero remorse. Nova had to be sure her friend was fine.

"Are you okay?" Nova asked, her voice shaky whilst she spoke.

Juno cleared her throat and nodded her head. "I'm fine." She reassured the blonde, whilst Nova helped her back up onto her feet.

Juno then turned around to see Topper throw Kiara down to the ground after she had jumped on his back. This caused for Juno to stare down at the girl with a worried look of her own, a strange urgency erupting in the pit of her stomach that told her to go and help Kiara. This was also something Nova quickly noticed, the sight of her friend's worried eyes on the Pogue girl raising suspicion, a spark of curiosity igniting in her veins. It was clear Juno cared deeply for the Carrera girl. Nova just didn't know the reason why.

     Nova noticed Juno turn back around to face her, nodding her head. "I'm going to help Kiara and Pope. Can you please control Rafe for once?" She asked, causing for Nova to nod her head in response, before Juno left her to help Kiara and Pope.

Nova's eyes then flickered back over to the sight of Rafe beating the living shit out of JJ, her blood running cold at the sight of the boy slowly grappling onto consciousness. So without any further hesitation, Nova rushed towards Rafe and begins to shove him back with all the strength she had in her arms, wanting nothing more than to prevent JJ from getting hurt anymore. The boy didn't deserve to get beaten to a bloody pulp just because they got drunk and hooked up one time.

"Leave him alone!" Nova shouted and shoved Rafe back once again, determination burning in her crystal, blue eyes, mixed with a scolding fury like never before.

Rafe turned to the girl with amusement in his eyes, before he reaches out and grabbed Nova by both of her wrists, pulling her close to him with a taunting look in his eyes. "Stay out of this." He sneered, his grip tightening around her arms, before he shoves Nova roughly, the girl falling to the ground with a thump following soon after.

Nova winced at the impact of her body hitting the hard ground and turned over to see Rafe's knuckles coming in contact with JJ's face, her eyes beginning to burn with fear. She was worried Rafe was going to kill him.

     "You come over to our side of the island..." Rafe seethed through gritted teeth, throwing another hard punch at JJ's face. "You steal my girl." He then accused, hitting him again.

The girl slowly pushed herself off the ground and back to her feet. She wasn't going to let one blow get her down, causing for Nova to rush towards the ongoing fight once again, before she pushed Rafe away again, her eyes narrowing into a sharp glare, but there was no denying the fear she still felt. She had seen Rafe angry, but never this angry, and the thought of what he was capable of doing to her still haunted Nova in the far back of her mind.

However, Nova was quick to squash that fear into a small ball and toss it aside, and when she saw Rafe go for JJ again, Nova's instincts kicked in and forced her to push Rafe away again. "I said leave him alone!" Nova snapped, before she raised her hand and slapped Rafe across the face, her hand coming in contact with his cheek with a tremendous amount of force and making his whole face move to one side.

Whilst Rafe recuperated from the harsh slap from his girlfriend, Nova was quick to turn around and shove Kelce away from JJ, loosening the grip he had around JJ's neck. Nova didn't like Kelce, but she knew he was different compared to Rafe and Topper. He had a little more compassion than the others. "Kelce, get off of JJ." She commanded and shoved him back again, and this time, Kelce let him go as Nova instructed.

The girl then grabbed JJ's hand and laced her fingers with his own, before she backed away with the blond standing close behind her, her eyes fixated on Rafe who flexes his jaw and chuckled bitterly whilst he stands beside Kelce. Rafe then turned his head back around to face Nova. She could see he was pissed in the way he stared back at her with eyes like daggers, but she wasn't going to let that intimidate her. Sure, she was petrified more than ever, but Rafe didn't need to know that.

"Listen to me, you little bitch!" Rafe snapped and begins to approach Nova. She could see he wanted to move her out the way so he could give JJ another beating.

However, Nova didn't let his angered voice and aggressive tone scare her either, the girl swallowing the lump forming in the back of her throat in the process. She decided to stand her ground, her hand remaining intwined with JJ's, knowing that after all the times he's defended her, it was her turn to protect him. And whilst Rafe continued to approach them both, Nova knew she was prepared to fight him with all the strength she had left in her.

But before Rafe could do anything, the screen behind them was suddenly engulfed in flames, the screen beginning to burn into nothing but ash, whilst the crowd disburse from the field in a frenzy. Rafe then turned back around, his eyes locking with Nova's and his jaw clenching. "You can't protect him forever." He grimaced, the sound of his low and intimidating voice making Nova's skin crawl.

"Just leave him alone." Nova sighed, her voice cracking in the process, continuing to glare at Rafe from where she stood.

Rafe took another step closer towards Nova, their chests almost touching whilst Rafe towered over the girl like a looming shadow. "This isn't over." He warned her, making an attempt to walk away, but quickly stops in his tracks and turns around to face Nova again. "Come on, let's get out of here." He said to her.

Nova turned her attention back over to JJ, who stared back at her with a sheepish grin whilst a sigh filled with exasperation left his lips. He was silent the entire time. However, the look in his eyes spoke a thousand words all at once. He was giving her the opportunity to finally make a choice. That choice being whether she should stay with him, or leave with her boyfriend, and whatever choice she made tonight would seal her further for good. She could leave with Rafe now and repeat the same cycle that they've gone through one too many time before, or she could stay true to her promise and be a better person — be better than Rafe ever was.

     There was even a moment when Nova wanted to follow after Rafe. But she quickly froze into place when she thought back to her's and JJ's conversation earlier the same day, his familiar words echoing in the back of her mind.

He's a bad guy who would rather see you fall apart than get better.

Nova never really understood the importance of those words until now. Before she believed Rafe was never the problem and that she was. She was the addict, and it was her choice to poison her body with toxins, so why should Rafe be at fault for her reckless actions?

Maybe some of that was true, but so were JJ's words towards her that same day. Sure, Rafe never held a gun to her head and made her snort the white powder up her nose. It was always out of free will and he never forced it upon her. However, Rafe was her boyfriend and he was meant to love her, and help when she was falling apart. He never did any of those things after Riley died. Instead, he helped her chase those highs. Their entire relationship became built on drugs, sex and breaking up time and time again until Nova needed more drugs, and Rafe needed more sex.

Nova didn't understand before. But she does now.

"Nova, I haven't got all night." Rafe's voice ripped through her thoughts again, snapping the blonde back to reality. "Let's get out of here."

A shaky breath left Nova's lips, whilst the girl kept her eyes on JJ and only him, her heart thumping hard against her chest, fear and overwhelming nerves seeping through her every pore, before she parted her lips to speak. "I'm not going." She spoke up, loud enough for Rafe to hear.

     Rafe was surprised to say the least, the boy staring back at Nova with a stunned look burning in his eyes whilst he watched Nova step back from JJ and turn around to stare back at him. Rafe then laughed obnoxiously. "That's real cute, you know that, right? Now stop being stubborn and lets get out of here." He told her, a twinkle of amusement evident in his eyes for a moment.

     "I mean it, Rafe." Nova called out to him, swallowing thickly in the process. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

     Rafe took a step closer towards Nova, licking his lips whilst he chuckled bitterly. "I expect this shit from Juno, but not you. Come on, picking the Pogues over me? All that coke is clearly screwing with your head because why else would you acting this way?" He explained, his voice laced in disbelief.

     "Actually..." Nova trailed off, rolling back her shoulders and keeping her head held high. "My mind has never been more clear. It took me a while to realise it, but I finally get that you're no good for me." She elaborated, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Nova knew she shouldn't be crying over Rafe freaking Cameron of all people, but believe it or not, there was once a time when she was madly in love with him. There was a moment in the early stages of their relationship when she once believed they would be the perfect couple and live the life of a Princess and her Prince Charming. She thought that her life with Rafe would be like a fairytale with a happy ending. So, to see her perfect fairytale slowly fall apart around her felt like someone had plunged a dagger into her heart, plucking it out like it was nothing.

Rafe began biting down on the inside of his cheek, frustration igniting in his veins whilst his eyes flickered over towards JJ. "What the fuck did you say to her, Pogue? What words did you put in her head—"

"He didn't have to say anything." Nova interjected harshly, causing for Rafe's attention to fall back onto her. "I figured this out all on my own. Rafe, we're not good for each other — you're not good for me. I want to get better, but I can't do that with you still in my life."

Shortly after hearing those words leave Nova's lips, Rafe clicked his tongue against the top of his mouth. "So, what? We're just breaking up now? I don't know how to break it to you, Nova, but we've been here before, and it always ends the same. We break up, and then you'll run back to me, or I'll run back to you because we need something from each other. How long until you come crawling back this time? A day? maybe two if you're lucky." He explained to the girl.

"This is different, Rafe." Nova corrected him, shaking her head. "We're done for good this time. I can't do this anymore." Nova then made an attempt to walk away from Rafe, the girl turning around to see Juno, Kiara and Pope were watching from afar whilst the scene unfolded in front of them. Nova made an attempt to join them.

However, Nova didn't get very far because it didn't take long for Rafe to snake his hand around the blonde's wrist, his grip tightening whilst he turned the girl back around to face him. "We're not done here." He told her sternly, a look filled with desperation glimmering in his eyes.

Before Nova could respond, JJ was quick to jump in between the now former couple, nodding his head towards Rafe in a disapproving manner. "Hey, man, just let her go. It's over—"

"Fuck off, Pogue!" Rafe spat in JJ's direction.

"Rafe, just stop, okay?" Nova exclaimed, before she built up enough strength to tear her wrist out of Rafe's grip. "We're done. I don't want anything to do with you anymore, so just leave me the hell alone." She told him as clearly as possible, trying to make sure the words drilled into the boy's skull. Maybe then he would let go of their broken relationship.

Rafe backed away from Nova, his gaze shifting suspiciously between her and JJ, before he let out a scoff. "You'll come crawling back. You always do." He retorted, sparing Nova one last haunting glance, before he turned around and left to catch up with Topper and Kelce. As for that suffocating feeling that Nova previously felt wrapped tightly around her neck, it had faded away, a sense of freedom washing over her in the process.

"Hey, are you okay?" JJ's familiar voice dragged Nova out of her thoughts, causing for the girl to sigh and nod her head in response.

"I'm fine." Nova answered, and this time it was the truth, a small smile filled with relief ghosting across her lips.

     She was finally free.

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authors note.
NOVA AND RAFE FINALLY BROKE UP LETS MAKE SOME NOISE!!

Yes, it's official, no more Nova and Rafe. Obviously they'll still have an interesting dynamic throughout this story, and you'll see more of them soon, but their relationship is six feet under. And I can finally start to build up Nova's relationship with JJ, which will undergo some more development at Midsummers ahhh!!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon.