A Chapter| Chapter Twenty-Four

"What's the plan? Broad strokes!" Kie yelled as the group jumped out of the car and ran toward the large gate.

"I don't think we got that far." John B said as Lila held onto the gate, squinting her eyes.

"They're loading up the gold." Pope said as he looked through his binoculars, which John B yanked from him.

"There's Ward." the curly haired boy said as he looked through.

"Maybe I could distract him, we're pretty friendly at this point." Lila offered as she pulled on Rafes ring around her finger, holding her throat.

"Lila... you okay?" Kie asked as she saw her.

"Fine, medicine just has been making me a little sick." the blonde answered as she looked through the fence again, her nerves getting the best of her but she didn't wanna say that out loud.

"What? What?" Kie yelled at John B now as she saw him lower the binoculars.

"It's Sarah." he said as Lilas eyes widened, looking out and trying to make out the figures.

"I've gotta get over there." Lila said as she looked for a way to get over.

"No, you're not." JJ said as he put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"He's hurting her!" John B said quickly as he held the binoculars up.

"I'll kill him." Lila said as she stared out.

"What?"

"What?"

"They're fighting."

"Holy shit."

"Hey! What are you doing!" Pope yelled as John B jumped into the van, starting it up.

"Hey!"

"John B!"

"Stop!"

the four all tried to yell for the boy but it was no use, he was to busy running the van through the fence, knocking it down and speeding toward the plane.

"He's gonna die, we're all gonna fucking die." Lila said as she ran a stressful hand through her hair, Kie grabbing onto her shoulders to try and calm her down.

"Guys I can't get arrested." Pope said as the sound of sirens got closer.

"I'm on probation." JJ said as Lila continued to pace around.

"Look, we're no good if we're all in jail." Kie spoke as she pulled Lila into the group as the blonde tapped her foot up and down.

"Come on, we need to leave." Lila said as the sirens got closer, the four taking off in a sprint through the forest.

Lila jumped as she,along with JJ and Kie, watched Pope hit things over and over again with a base ball bat. He was angry, more then angry... he was scared. Lila was too, she was beyond scared. She was scared for her sake along with her friends but more so John B and Sarah as she prayed over and over that the two were safe.

"Pope." Kie said sadly as she looked at the out of breath boy who collapsed.

"Yeah, dude, I was wondering when this was gonna happen. Here you go, chief." JJ said as he walked over, holding the small rolled joint toward Pope.

"JJ." Lila said, not sure if she should be telling him this wouldn't help Pope or if she should be praising him for thinking of the idea.

"You know he doesn't smoke." Kie said just as Pope pulled it from JJ's hands, holding it in his.

"Well, maybe not until today." JJ said as he fell down next to Pope, pulling out his lighter. Lila felt the ace in her back, the stitches starting to hurt because of her lack of medication. Pulling the bottle from her back pocket she found it empty.

"Damn it." Lila said as she ran another hand through her hair, causing it to become greasy as she walked away from the trio, rounding the corner as she bumped into someone. Looking up she gasped in shock.

"John B, oh my god!" she said while wrapping her arms around him tightly, holding him in place as he hugged her back.

"Who's blood is that?" Kie asked as she looked at the hand that was on Lilas back, covered in blood as John B seemed in shock, holding onto the blonde.

"You okay man?" JJ asked the boy as he stayed silent.

"Shit!" Pope said as the police car passed them, yanking the five into the storage building quickly.

"No, no way, no way did that happen." Lila said after John B told her what happened on the runway.

"Lila, i'm sorry." John B said as he watched the girl look at him in shock, tears running down her face.

"Rafe-Rafe wouldn't kill anyone." Lila sobbed as she tugged on her hair, crying in stress and panic.

"You don't believe that." Pope said as Kie gave him a look.

"Lila, hey, hey." JJ was the first to speak as he rose to his feet and walked toward the girl.

"No, no." she said while throwing her arms out to prevent anyone from grabbing her, "This is all fake, I don't believe this, I can't."

"We need to go to police." Kie spoke as Lila shook her head while JJ hugged her.

"Someone's needs to know what happened." John B agreed with Kie as he looked at her.

"I need to go to him." Lila said as she pulled away from JJ, "Like, right now."

"Woah, woah, stop." John B said as he grabbed her arm to pull her back.

"Let me go!" she yelled as he grabbed both her shoulders.

"He killed someone!" John B yelled at her, not being able to hold back his anger.

"Just let me talk to him and figure this out!" Lila yelled back, being blinded by her idea of Rafe, not being able to accept his other side.

"He pulled the trigger, who's to say he wouldn't do it again!" John B shouted back at her as Lilas lip quivered.

"John B!" JJ yelled at him, a knowing look on his face.

"No, no, i'm trying to protect her here! I don't want Lila, our friend, to get hurt! Why can't anyone see that?" John B said in stress as he let Lila go, "Why do all of you just let this happen over and over?"

"I can't just let him be alone! He killed someone, that can get in his mind and he could-" Lila began before she stopped talking, not wanting to finish the sentence, "He could hurt himself or someone else again."

"He's gonna hurt you." John B spoke down to her.

"I don't care!" Lila yelled as the four looked at her in silents, "I don't care if he hurts me! I just care about him and knowing he's safe and that he doesn't fucking overdose or hurt someone else in the process."

"Lila, this isn't a good idea." Kie said as she looked at Lila after a moment of silence.

"I love him, Kie." Lila said as her tears rolled down her rosy cheeks, "I know I sound like a fucking idiot but I don't know how to make anyone understand."

"I know." Kie said as she stared at her.

"But we love you." JJ added in as he looked at her, "And we care about you more then you'll ever be able to understand, okay? I care! We all care!"

"You can't go, you can't get hurt." Pope added in as he walked closer to the duo.

"It's too risky, i'd kill myself if anything happened to you." Kie said as she walked closer, joining the groups circle as they all now looked at John B.

"You mean so much to me." he began as he looked at her, keeping his distance, "I can't risk anything happening to you again."

"I love you guys." Lila sobbed as the group all hugged her tightly, "I really do."

John B's face was on a wanted post all over town by the time next morning came, the group all taking cover in the car as they hid. He was worth a lot of money, stressing the group out even more then they were before.

A kid, no over thirteen saw them in the car, telling his mom and giving away their cover. Pope took off in the car, speeding away as fast as he could down the roads as the group all panicked. With Pope being high off his ass, he hit signs and mail boxes, making the group all yell in panic and fear. John B hopped out of the car after the plan with JJ, taking off quickly into the forest to hide from the police.

"Lila, Lila, what are you doing?" JJ asked as the group all snuck up behind the Cameron's house, seeing Lila making her way toward the drive way.

"Give me a second, one second." she said while making her way toward the large driveway.

"Rafe?" Lila asked, her voice weak a she stared at Rafes back before he turned quickly, dropping his keys as she rushed toward her. Race hugged her tightly, her toes coming off the ground as he held onto her tightly.

"Are you okay? Look at me." Lila said as she pulled away to grab his face, looking at him with a quiver to her lips.

"I wanted you so bad, I needed you." Rafe said as he hugged her again, holding her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, i'm here now, i'm so sorry." Lila apologized over and over, holding him tightly, "What did you-"

"Do you know?" he asked her, his voice breaking as he put his head into her neck.

"I know." Lila said as he let out a sob, holding her as she held him back, rubbing a hand on her back, "Talk to me."

"I wanted him of know." Rafe cried as his voice was muffled into Lilas neck, "I wanted him to be proud of me."

"You don't need his approval, Rafe, killing people for him isn't right, you can't do it." Lila said as she grabbed his face, dark outside but the lights from the house lit them up just enough. She wanted to say more but was still shocked over the fact, "You're gonna have to live with that now. A innocent woman is dead."

Rafe whimpered in her hands as she held his face, "I just wanted him to see me."

"I see you." she said while holding him tightly again, the two crying.

"Let's go, okay? You can prove yourself, you can help me." Lila said, slowly trying to pull him to the good side, "We can get you a good lawyer, i'll be there the whole time."

"Where is he?"Rafe asked as she looked at her, watching her eyes dilate, "John B. Tell me."

"I don't know." Lila said, staring up at him as she watched the change of his personality switch.

"We're not on the same side, Lila." he said calmly as he looked down at her, his hands on her shoulders as she nodded.

"I know." she answered, holding onto his wrist as her greasy hair stuck to her forehead.

"You love me?" he asked her quietly, rubbing circles.

"More then anything." Lila said honestly as she looked at him, "Do you love me?"

"More then anything." he said much like she did, "More then anyone else."

"Then come with me.. please." Lila begged as she reach up to grab his face, "Be on my side, choose me over this."

"I do choose you." Rafe said while putting his forehead into hers, bumping his nose with hers, "But I don't choose him."

"Don't do this, please." Lila begged as he picked up his keys, Lila yanking on his body to keep him back.

"If anything happens to you i'll kill every single one of them." Rafe spoke as he grabbed her face, his keys pressing into her check as he kissed her, holding it for longer then they usually did.

"Don't leave me, come with me." Lila continued to beg as she squeezed his hands.

"I love you." was his final words as he pulled away from her, her arms falling from his body as he got into his car.

•••
this had me sobbing, y'all.

y'all... we have one ONE ONE episode left, one episode left of my baby.

i've honestly fallen in love with lila and have felt the pain of writings about their ups and downs, showing the aspects of their relationship how it's changed both of them... i'm not even ready to lay the unexpected on you guys.

see you soon x