─☼☼☼─

𝙒𝙄𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝙊𝙋𝙀𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙃𝙀𝙍 eyes, Charlotte could tell she was not where she was supposed to be. 

This wasn't her bed that she was tucked into, nor was it Rafe's. 

She couldn't remember falling asleep, hell, she could barely remember the events of the past twenty four hours at first. Everything felt fragmented, as if she was in some kind of dream.

Fearful of what she might see when she did, Charlotte did not want to open her eyes right away. She remained still, her chest tight as she laid in wait, trying to listen to the noises around her. 

After a few painstaking moments, something caught her ear...waves, seagulls...she was by the water. 

The noise was faint, but it was there. 

Slowly, and hesitantly, Charlotte opened her eyes. 

The brightness from the room caused her to wince for a moment, slamming her eyelids shut. A hand flew to her head, feeling the pounding from behind her eyes. 

Right. She thought with an internal groan. I have a fucking concussion. 

Knowing she had no other choice, her eyelids opened once again, the light not feeling as harsh the second time around. 

As they adjusted to the brightness, the room in front of her came into focus. 

It was a small room, full of outdated furniture, ugly carpets and boring paint accompanied by wood panelling. 

If she didn't know about better, she'd say it look like a─the thought plunged into her brain with abrupt panic as she slowly pieced her senses together. 

The waves, the birds, the room...she was on a ship. 

A million thoughts raced through Charlotte's mind as she pulled herself from the small bed she had been placed in. Her head screamed in protest, willing her to lay back down. But there was no way she was doing that. 

Her hand darted to the pocket of her joggers, hoping to find her phone─nothing. 

She scanned the room once again, trying to take in any detail that she could. 

A tray of food had been left on the small wooden table, a bathroom was to her right. A bag of luggage sat at the end of the bed. Tearing it open, she looked at the clothes that sat in it. Some were hers, articles of clothing that she had left at Tannyhill and had never bothered to get back. Some looked like Sarah's, some were Rafe's. 

Bile rose in Charlotte's throat as she slowly came to terms with what had happened.

Kiara...her parents. 

They didn't know where she was, what had happened to her. She needed them to know she didn't abandon them. 

Clambering onto the bed, Charlotte hoisted herself up to look out of the small port window. Maybe they were still docked, maybe she could get out of here. 

You know that moment in a game when you know there's no coming back...that you're destined to lose? That's how Charlotte felt right now, but multiplied by a million. 

There was nothing for miles except the sea. No sign of land. No sign of escape. 

Tears sprung to her eyes as she collapsed back onto the bed in frustration. 

She was devastated that Rafe had done this to her...mostly because he had given her no choice. 

Deep within her, Charlotte knew that if he had offered her the choice to join him on wherever the hell they were headed, she might have said yes. She might have said yes if she was given the choice, if she could have said goodbye to her parents and sister, said goodbye to her friends. But all of that was ripped from her. 

Footsteps sounded from outside of the door, causing Charlotte to sit up, on high alert. 

Quietly, she leaned forward, grabbing the knife from her breakfast tray and shoving it under her pillow just as the door slowly opened. 

As Rafe stepped into the room, Charlotte couldn't help but let her face crumple in defeat. The betrayal she was feeling icing through every inch of her bones. 

Rafe quickly noted her tear streaked cheeks, the way her lip quivered slightly as she regarded him. Tentatively, he took a few steps toward her, crouching down so they were at eye level. 

"Lottie─"

The sound of her hand coming into contact with his face sounded off through the room. 

Charlotte's hand stung as she retracted it, staring back at Rafe with intensity. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She gritted out, attempting to keep her emotions at bay. "Why did you do this?"

She thought they were doing better...that he was doing better, and then, then he went and did something like this. 

With his cheek reddening from Charlotte's hit, Rafe remained calm, still crouched in front of her. "I had to." He defended, begging for her to understand. "We needed to go, and I knew─I knew you wouldn't be able to leave right away, that you would have felt bad leaving your parents and sister. So I had to make the decision for you. I had to do this so we could be together. Don't you see that?"

"You could have given me a choice, Rafe." Charlotte's voice broke as she spoke. "There was a good chance I would have chosen to come with you...but I needed to be able to make my own decision. I'm not some toy that you can drag along behind you. I'm a person with my own damn life."

Rafe nodded, dropping his head slightly. "I know." He whispered, regret and guilt dripping from his words. Charlotte couldn't tell if they were authentic emotions, or if he was trying to guilt her into forgiving him. "I'm sorry."

Charlotte didn't acknowledge his apology. "I need to call my sister."

"You can when we get to the island." Rafe answered, giving her a small smile. "You're going to love it there, Lottie."

Six months ago, this would have been Charlotte's dream. Her and Rafe, somewhere far away from Kildare Island. No worries, no responsibilities...just them.

But this wasn't six months ago. This was now. 

Now, she had had no choice in the matter. Now, she was cut off from her family and friends, her only known individuals being that of her ex-boyfriend and his family. 

Perhaps one day she could learn to accept what Rafe had done, but today was not that day. 

When Charlotte didn't say anything else, Rafe extended his hand. "Come on." He whispered softly. "There's someone I want you to see."

Staring at his hand for a moment, Charlotte thought about her options.

Her best bet now was to do whatever Rafe wanted. There was no getting off of this ship, might as well make it as least miserable as possible. 

But she didn't slip her hand into his. Instead, she rose to her feet on her own. 

The room swayed around her for a moment, and Rafe was forced to catch her in his arms. "Your head still hurt?" He wondered, studying her with a worried expression. 

Charlotte pushed away from him slightly. "What do you think?"

Rafe let out a breathy laugh, raising his hands in surrender. "You know what, I deserved that."

Glaring at him for a moment, Charlotte motioned toward the door. "Lead the way."

The room they were headed to was only a few doors down from where Charlotte had woken up. As they approached, voices could be heard quietly from within. 

Subconsciously, Charlotte moved closer to Rafe. As much as she hated to admit it, he was her safety, no matter what he did. She always knew he would protect her. 

As they stepped into the room, Charlotte feared for a moment that she had had a more severe brain injury than she had expected, because sitting right in front of her was none other than Ward Cameron. 

He glanced up at her, a small smile coming to his face at the expression she wore. "Charlotte...nice to see you again."

Turning to Rafe, Charlotte willed him to tell her that this was real, that she wasn't losing her mind. 

He read the look on her face, giving her a small nod as his hand rested on her lower back in a form of comfort. 

"How?" Charlotte wondered, her voice coming out ragged. "I watched you─you died."

Ward nodded, setting down the book that was in front of him, "It's a long story." One he didn't want to tell her...he didn't trust Charlotte, not yet. 

Stepping away from Rafe slightly, Charlotte surveyed the rest of the room, her eyes landing on Rose, Wheezie, and Sarah. 

The middle Cameron child looked miserable, her face revealing something as she looked to her friend...they were in this together. Sarah wanted to be here as much as Charlotte did. 

Standing up, Ward looked between the four girls. "I'm looking forward to this." He announced, even meeting Charlotte's gaze with a smile. "All of us...together."

Nausea washed over Charlotte at the prospect. 

It was bad enough before she knew Ward was still alive...now she was slightly terrified for what was to come. 

He knew where he loyalties lay, and she wasn't his blood. There was no telling what he would do to her. 

Rafe couldn't always be there to protect her. 

As if reading Charlotte's uncertainty, Ward nodded toward his son. "Rafe, come with me. We have some things to deal with. Girls, why don't you wait in here? I'll have someone bring you something to eat."

Charlotte and Sarah shared a look, meanwhile Wheezie beamed with excitement. "Sounds good, dad. Ask them if they have any cinnamon buns."

"Hey," Rafe whispered, lightly pulled Charlotte back toward him. "You okay?"

She glanced at Ward for a moment, noting the way he watched the two of them. "Yeah." She answered, refocusing her attention on Rafe. "Go."

He gave her a quick smile, looking as if he wanted to kiss her. 

Charlotte didn't give him the chance. She stepped away, sitting down next to Wheezie. "Watcha reading, Wheeze?" She wondered, doing her best to ignore the fact that Rafe was still watching her. 

"The Hunger Games." Wheezie answered, holding up her book. 

Smiling at Wheezie, Charlotte noted from the corner of her eye that Rafe had finally left the room. 

A breath fell from her lips as it felt like a weight had been lifted, if even momentarily. "Oh, I love that series. What part are you at?"

Wheezie dove into an explanation of the current part she was reading, and while Charlotte tried to listen, she was distracted. 

What the hell was she going to do?

─☼☼☼─

Charlotte wasn't sure how much time had passed since Ward and Rafe had left the room. 

She now sat next to Sarah in one of the wrap around benches in the room, both of them silent and still. 

They hadn't had a chance to talk at all...Rose was watching them too closely. 

Silence had enveloped the room soon after the boys had left. No one knew what to say, and the discrepancies in excitement levels were clear. 

Wheezie and Rose were excited for their new beginning...Sarah and Charlotte were not. 

"Do you guys wanna play War?" Wheezie suddenly wondered, breaking the stretched out silence. 

Charlotte sat up from where she had been laying on the bench, Sarah perking up beside her. "You brought cards?"

Wheezie nodded. "Yep."

Sarah glanced over at Charlotte for a moment, the two sharing a silent exchange before the Cameron girl looked back to her younger sister. "Yeah...War sound fun."

Satisfied with the answer she received, Wheezie smiled as she stood. "I'll go grab the cards."

As discretely as she could, Charlotte watched as she made for the door, unlocking the lock that was keeping them in here. Rose had secured it the minute Rafe and Ward were out of the room. 

But as Wheezie left, she didn't close the door all the way...and Rose was too interested in her magazine to get back up and lock it. 

Quietly, Charlotte moved her foot, nudging Sarah's leg. 

The younger girl looked over at her, already having seen what Charlotte was alerting her to. 

With the two of them together, maybe they could find a way to get help, or in the very least, alert someone to where they were. 

Sarah's eyes flickered toward Rose for a moment before refocusing on Charlotte. "Follow my lead." She mouthed before letting out a gasp. "Char, are you okay?"

The urgency in her voice caused Rose to look up, giving Charlotte very little time to get into character. 

She had just dropped her head into her hands by the time Rose look over at the two girls. "No." Charlotte groaned, her voice slightly muffled. "It's my head, it's─God, I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Oh no." Rose breathed, setting her magazine aside before standing up. "Take a deep breath, sweetie." She instructed, coming to stand near the two girls. "That jackass sure gave you quite the concussion."

"Yeah." Charlotte breathed, looking up at Rose with a pained expression. "And the boat isn't helping any."

Rose nodded, her face written with concern. "I think I have something that can help."

Sarah let out a snort. "Meds?"

If Charlotte was going to guess, she assumed Sarah hadn't ended up on this ship by her own free will either. 

Rose turned to look at her. "Sarah, seriously? I had to do that for your own good, and you know it killed me to do it. Same with Rafe." She was now looking at Charlotte. "He had to do it Charlotte, and I know he feels horrible."

Sarah gave her a small smile, as if to say she was joking. "I was just gonna suggest non-drowsy."

A small scoff came from Rose's lips as she made her way toward the washroom. "We're all together now, girls. So just chill, alright. This is a good thing."

The moment she had disappeared behind the door, the two girls were up and making their way toward the hallway. They were as silent as mice, moving in sync as they stepped out of the room. 

Once in the hallway, Charlotte grabbed onto Sarah's arm, pulling her toward the closest doorway that led away from the staterooms. "Come on." She whispered, keeping the girl close as they hurried away from where Rose was. It was only a matter of seconds before she realized they were gone. 

Stepping through the doorway, the two girls emerged into what appeared to be one of the lower levels of the ship. Pipes and machinery covered the room, the only light being from dim fluorescent lights overhead. 

It was becoming more clear to Charlotte that this was no cruise ship. 

Upon her inspection of the room, her eyes caught on a door to the right of the girls. It appeared that was their way out. 

"This way." She announced, nodding toward the door, motioning for Sarah to follow. 

The younger girl did just that, however before they could get all the way to the door, she froze, eyes caught on something down below. 

Charlotte paused, turning to look down at what had Sarah stalled. 

The cross sat in a large box. The lid had been pried off, thrown to the side to display the artifact in all of its glory. 

Not at all stunned to see it here, Charlotte's eyes flickered between Sarah and the cross, noting the distressed look on her face. "What's wrong?"

Sarah tore her eyes away from the cross, shaking her head slightly. "My dad...he told me that he had given John B the cross in exchange for me."

"You didn't actually believe John B would do that, did you?" Charlotte pondered, not seeing a world in which John B would have willingly let Sarah go with Ward. 

"No." Sarah's answer was instantaneous, but she didn't seem fully sure. "I just...part of me hoped my dad wouldn't lie to me, again."

Charlotte could only imagine how Sarah was feeling. For Charlotte, it was easy for her to hate Ward. He wasn't her father...she didn't spend seventeen years of her life looking up to him. But for Sarah, he had once been her hero. 

Not knowing what to say, Charlotte spoke softly. "We should get moving." 

Sarah didn't object, and within seconds they were stepping out onto one of the outer decks. 

The sound of the waves intensified, the wind blow the girls' hair in front of their faces as they tried to gain their bearings. 

"We should try to find the bridge." Charlotte suggested, squinting under the sunlight as she looked around. "They'll have some sort of comms up there...we can call for help."

Nodding, Sarah pointed toward a set of stairs. "Let's try that way."

Silently and quickly, the two girls ascended the stairs, navigating their way along the deck until the finally found what they were looking for. 

Sharing a nervous look, they ducked under one of the windows, backs pressed against the wall. "How many are in there?" Sarah whispered, prompting Charlotte to raise slightly, glancing into the bridge. 

After a moment of hesitation, she responded. "Two." She whispered, eyes snagging on something else. Bingo. "There's a satellite phone in there...we just have to get to it."

"I'll distract them." Sarah offered, bobbing on her heals in anticipation. "The minute they're out of there, go in and grab the phone."

Glancing back into the bridge one more time, Charlotte nodded. "Let's make this quick."

And so they did. 

Within a matter of less than a minute, the two men had been distracted and Charlotte had managed to sneak in, grab the phone, and make it back to Sarah without being noticed. 

"Hurry." Sarah prodded, beckoning for Charlotte to follow her back down the stairs. 

With shaky hands, Charlotte dialled 911, it being the only number she could think of in the moment. 

"Dispatch 60902, what is your emergency?"

"Oh thank God." Charlotte whispered, giving Sarah a relieved look as the woman's voice came through the phone. "My name is Charlotte, I'm─I'm with my friend Sarah on the Coastal Adventure and we've been...we've been kidnapped."

Kidnapped. 

She hated using that word, not truly believing that that was what had happened to her. But how else did she phrase it─my ex boyfriend drugged me and took me away from my family but it's okay because he did it because he loves me? Yeah, that didn't really roll off the tongue.

The woman spoke again, "Can you please repeat that?"

Charlotte gripped onto the phone, holding it closer to her mouth. "We're on a boat called─"

The words fell silent in her throat, an arm wrapping around her, ripping the phone from her hands. 

Shit. 

─☼☼☼─