——

Pope is related to Denmark Tanny.

It brought an entire shock episode through the Pogues as they absorb this new information. It only meant the gold is under his name—and rightfully so. Emelina did not complain, happy as ever since he deserved every last drop.

She leaned against the railing of the Heyward residence, forcing the strap of her tank top back on her shoulder that seemed to fall every minute. Her smile never faded as everyone cheered about the news.

"I still can't believe that you're related to Denmark Tanny," John B said in disbelief, his shoes thudding against the wet wood floorboards, and quickly turns to Pope by his side with a quick gasp, "Are we in presence of a royal?"

"A king?" JJ asked, using his hands, one occupied by his trusty flask, and pretended to crown Pope. JJ switched to a terrible attempt at a British accent and said, "We shall crown him. All hail the lord of Tannyhill!"

Pope was shushing them when they started to bow and praise him beneath his feet. "We're not worthy!"

"Everybody relax," he told them, "Can we relax, please?"

Sarah took a sip from her can and looked at everyone for agreement at her next words, "Relocate to Cat's Ass, question mark?"

JJ was quick to nod, "I'm with that."

Pope sighed. "I just keep thinking about the letter, the one that Limbrey sent. It had the wheat symbol on it. Like, that must mean it has something to do with the Royal Merchant."

"Yeah. Something seems fishy." JJ said. Pope was more optimistic in his following words, "But if we find that cross, we can split it like we were gonna split the gold."

"Yeah. I'm with that. I got the world to see," JJ smirked and slung his arm around Emelina's shoulder, rubbing his knuckles into her hair.

"And live happily ever after?"

Limbrey appeared out of nowhere, her body leaning on forearm crutches to aid her walking abilities. The man next to her, who Emelina recognized to be the man that answered the door, held an umbrella to stop the sprinkling rain from touching them.

Anger rose from Pope the second his eyes landed on the two. "You assaulted my father," He stepped forward but the man pushed him back. Limbrey shook her head, "Oh, I didn't assault anybody."

Kiara, sitting on the stacked coolers, spoke, "He can identify the psycho from a mile away."

"Why would my employee a... a... assault your father?" She turned to the man and laughed, "That's absurd. Listen, we can keep on negotiating, but the fact is that I want the key."

Emelina looked up at JJ, watching him wink at John B as he slowly backed away from them. She suppressed a smile and thought about his grand plan that surprisingly was very smart.

Pope took an inch ahead, but the man pushed him back again, harshly this time. "And I won't stop until I have it. I don't have a choice, which means you don't either." she finished.

John B held a gold key up in the air and twirled it around his fingers. "It's Limbrey, right? Correct?" She turned around and lightly gasped at the sight, "Yes."

"Is this what you're looking for?"

"Yes, it is."

John B turned to the body of water far ahead, "Looking at the tide right now, I'd say it's about twenty feet deep out there. So, if I just threw it in the channel, the probability of you finding it again is slim to none. You wanna give it a shot? Let's see what happens," John B walked to the edge and pretends to throw the key, but stops mid-way when she protested.

Limbrey exhaled a breath. "Please don't do that."

John B pointed to the man, who was still oddly close to Pope, "Get him to back the hell up." He did at her request. Limbrey stepped closer to Pope, "As I have told you from the beginning, I am willing to be reasonable."

Pope glanced at John B. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll give you the key, but I want the tape," he said and she was quick to smile and agree. John B got in between them to get to him, "Pope. Hey, hey, hey, hey. You don't have to do this, okay?"

"No, it's okay," Pope whispered. "No, dude, this is your family." he reminded him. "Hey, it's fine. It's okay. It's about your dad," Pope held out his hand to retrieve the key from him, "It's way more important."

Emelina felt JJ nudge her side and she nudged him back, refusing to look in his eyes otherwise laughter will spill out of her.

"Oh, you're a good friend," Limbrey said and Pope asked for the tape. The man placed it in his hand while Pope exchanged the key in the other.

The second the cold key hit her fingertips, a sigh escaped her lips, "You know, I wish that you'd come to this decision earlier. We could have avoided all this unpleasantness." She was quick to turn around and leave, the man following shortly after.

Once they were out of eyesight, Emelina let out the biggest wave of air. "How long do you think we have until she realizes she has your father's old key?" JJ looked at John B.

"Ten minutes," he answered.

Pope whipped around in surprise. "Whose idea was the fake key?"

"Shockingly, not mine," Kiara said. John B wrapped one arm around JJ's shoulder and tapped his chest, "Hmm, I don't know. Should we tell him?"

"Wow. I'm impressed! Maybe you are good for something!" Kiara laughed.

Emelina placed a short kiss on his cheek and smiled when his cheeks tinted. "That was your best plan," she said and he nodded. "I told you!"

"Did hell freeze over?" Pope walked over to JJ and shook his shoulder happily. "Even a blind pig can find an acorn at times," JJ forced out while being squished between them all. "I actually don't know what that means, but I saw it on Reddit."

"We gotta take this tape to Shoupe." John B said and slithered away to the Twinkie. "Yes, sir. Ward Cameron, we're coming for you, big boy. Alright, shotgun!" JJ walked ahead with Pope by his side.

Emelina noticed the frown on Sarah's face, so she forced their arms in a loop, Kiara joined on the other side, and they followed after the boys. She could only imagine how hard it was for her. He is still her father, after all.

§

"You ready to head out?" Emelina asked Kiara, standing up from her very comfortable spot on the couch. The wooden floor creaked underneath her feet when she walked closer to the porch door, locking her phone and shoving it in her back pocket. "My mom wants to have dinner, apparently."

"I've always liked your mom's cooking," Kiara moved to join her on the floor. Emelina shrugged, "Yeah. The kitchen is her safe space."

JJ had three cans of soda when he enter the porch and frowned upon seeing their bags in their arms. "You leaving?"

"Mother calls," she informed him and asked him, after a mere few hesitant seconds, if he would like to come. He declined, mumbling how he plans on listening to the tape with the boys before they send it off to Shoupe in the morning.

Kiara told him he will be missing out and he shrugged, kissing Emelina goodbye after telling their friend to turn around before going back inside to the loud whooping boys. And Sarah.

She had a feeling he refused to go to avoid a storm brewing in her house. And she hated that it was this way. If only JJ could waltz in her home and have her mother happily greet him—it was a dream. A dream she wished to obtain.

The drive back went by quicker than expected and was welcomed to the dining table being occupied by four plates.

Kiara's stay at the household was accepted by her mother, not surprisingly, as she adores her. Emelina assumed it was because she was a Kook just like her—although her mother has recently expressed discouragement about Kiara introducing her to the boys.

"Looks like her lover will be eating with us," Emelina whispered, and speaking of the devil, Charles stepped in with a smile that only made her stomach feel sick. She felt stiff in his arms when he pulled her in for a hug and then introduced himself to Kiara.

He is a sweet man, a complete contrast to her mother, but her stubbornness could never let him in. Even the hug felt like he was overstepping boundaries, but she said nothing except give Kiara a look.

They all ate at the dinner table the minute her mother walked in with an apron tied around her waist. She hadn't seen her wear that in a long time and it made her almost feel like old times. Almost. Maybe Charles was doing her justice. At least she hoped.

She picked at her salmon topped off with her mother's famous chimichurri sauce. Kiara was by her side, quickly complimenting the taste and savory. Emelina said nothing, her mind reminding her that there should be five plates, not four.

It was almost like the table was reading her mind because Charles was the first to bring him up. "So, I hear you're dating that Maybank kid."

Once again, overstepping the boundaries.

"Yup," she replied. It came out harsh and cold due to the unexpected question. Kiara took a sip of her sparkling water before speaking, "They're great together. I haven't seen Lina this happy in so long."

Emelina kicked her leg under the table, scrunching her nose while trying to hide her reddening cheeks. Oh how badly she wished this conversation would end.

"He is treating you well?" Eleanor asked, fingers grabbing her glass filled with red wine. Emelina nodded, leaving no details so the topic would die down.

It did until he was brought up again in the kitchen as she was helping her mother load the dishwasher. Kiara offered to help but was shot down so she waited in the guest bedroom. Charles was outside, probably smoking a cigar.

"I want you to stop seeing that Maybank boy. His father is not a good man—and I can only assume the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

She wished, wished that God would work in her favor and let her relationship be at peace. Nothing ever seemed to go her way, at least that is what she learned.

"No."

"No?" Eleanor was surprised by her tone. "That's not up for debate, Emelina. You will end it with him. That's final."

"He is nothing like his father. Not even a little." Her eyes stuck out to the last piece of silverware. It pained her knowing that JJ gets a bad name because of that man. Even after everything he went through.

"Really? Because I overheard from Susan that her daughter sprinted away from a party because he was shooting bullets in the air a few months ago."

Stupid Grace. Always running her mouth. Emelina placed the fork in the slot while her mind tried to come up with an idea to counter that, but her mother continued. "He's dangerous, honey. I'm just looking out for you. Can't you see that?"

"No, you're looking out for my reputation. It's always been like that even when you forced me to be with Topper." Emelina said, still avoiding eye contact as she put detergent in and started the dishwasher.

"Well, as far as I am concerned, you loved Topper."

It was dead silent for a moment. Wasn't it obvious that she was playing along in her mother's perfect dollhouse? Emelina turned, "What I felt with Topper is nothing compared to how I feel with JJ."

Eleanor scoffed. "You can't possibly love that boy, do you?"

"I do."

It spilled out of her mouth without thinking, completely catching herself off guard. As expected, Eleanor was very unpleased with that answer and left the kitchen. Claiming she could not look at her right now.

Emelina's shaky hand opened the guest bedroom door where Kiara laid on the bed applying product to her wet hair from the shower. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

She closed the door behind her and swallowed thickly. "Kie."

"What? Did she say something regrettable again? I have three charities we could—"

"I think I'm falling in love with him," Emelina cut her off and fell back on the bed, eyes staring at the ceiling.

Kiara seemed unfazed, "I know, but I thought y'all already said it by now."

"No," she whispered and fluttered her eyes shut.

"Okay," Kiara fell back on the bed as well and turned her head to the side, "are you going to tell him?"

Emelina sat up and gazed upon the wall ahead of her. "Eventually, yes."

Bedtime rolled around before she knew it. She laid in her empty bed, looking at the moon from her window. Scenarios played in her head how she planned on telling him and prayed he wouldn't push her away when she did.

The angels above must be playing tricks with her because a figure was at her locked window, tapping lightly on the glass. Emelina smiled, sliding it open and welcoming him inside.

"I didn't think you'd come," she said as he slipped his boots off. "And miss the opportunity to sleep on your bed? I can practically feel the springs on John B's pullout couch," he told her, a teasing smile on his face.

She rolled her eyes and tossed him a pair of clean sweatpants his way. A few pairs of his clothing ended up in her room, already piling on from the days he snuck in. His shorts were replaced and his shirt was on the floor by the time he crawled into bed with her.

His arms wrapped around her body, pulling her closer to his warm chest. Her fingers ran through his hair and he muttered lowly in her collarbone, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too, JJ," she replied, although her brain was begging her to replace that word with another one.