iv. watermelon sugar

On the road again. The first glimpse of the sun had just started to peek over the horizon, casting a warm orange and red hue across the cloudless sky and empty roads. The old, rickety truck revved to life that morning, shaking only a little when Pope pressed on the gas. Yawns sounded in the early morning and the bored and tired Nova watched the morning dew drops race down the glass-paned window.

Heat came with the first glimpses of the morning sun. An annoying, dry heat. Nova had taken off her crewneck when the heat of daybreak and being tightly squished began to get to her. The soft, cotton material sat draped over her bruised legs, covering the same skirt and cropped polo shirt she had worn yesterday. She shifted uncomfortably at the thought. Nova wasn't used to re-wearing her clothes.

When getting ready that morning, Nova also cringed uncomfortably when she had to share a stick of deodorant with Kiara. It had come from the old bag that she always carried on her shoulders. But it wasn't like Nova could deny it. She had no other options. She also had to argue with Pope to pull over at the nearest gas station so that Nova could buy herself a toothbrush and toothpaste. Kiara had also gone in to buy the same thing as her. Pope had brought his own. JJ was going to be left without.

Except when Nova finished rinsing her mouth with an unopened bottle of warm water that was found on the floor of Pope's truck, JJ reached out, asking for her toothbrush. She was made to cringe again when he, without thought, began brushing his own teeth with her already used toothbrush.

The rest of the night had passed Nova and JJ without trouble. They just went to sleep. But the tension had followed them into the morning. It hung thickly over the truck. Though, Nova wasn't sure it was just the tension between her and JJ that lingered.

Pope and Kiara weren't talking. Although they'd share glances every so often. It was similar between JJ and Nova. They hadn't said more than five words to one another. JJ had pushed himself against the door to try and avoid any contact with Nova at all. Biting her lip, Nova tried not to be so affected by that.

She didn't show it though. Nova remained seemingly fine. Sitting in the truck, talking to Pope about the Limbreys. Even though the thought of JJ not wanting to touch her made her feel like she was going insane. But she buried it. She had to. At least long enough to get over it. Because she would — she would get over it.

"Remember, the Limbreys are a prestigious family," said Nova, reminding Pope so he would know what to expect upon meeting them. "They've had three governors in the family, and they're famous for their donations to the political world. They've managed to run Charleston for nearly three hundred years."

Pope nodded. He listened to every word that Nova was able to offer him. They walked together along the sidewalk. Sitting just outside a house guarded high with iron bars and tall hedges planted for privacy.

From behind them, Pope scoffed, he'd taken to walking beside Kiara, who'd already tried to shut him up about forty times now, "So, what you're saying is that these people make our Kooks look like Pogues."

"You can't even compare them; the Limbrey's are in an entirely different category of their own," said Nova, refusing to play the Kook and Pogue game off the island.

"It's like old and new money, right? The difference between recently attained wealth and generational wealth," said Kiara, shrugging. "Both are still rich but it's different levels of wealth."

"Essentially, yes," nodded Nova.

"Hm, so what're you?" JJ asked, running up behind Nova, though there wasn't enough room on the sidewalk for him to stand beside her. "What kind of money does the Scott family have?"

Pope chuckled, "Generational. I mean, have you ever even read about the Scott family dynasty?" he turned, asking both Kiara and JJ. Both shook their heads. "It's insane. I mean, they were pivotal in America's westward expansion and industrial age. But even then, they predate back to Europe as they had expanded the world of banking as we know it now."

Laughing, Nova turned to her breathless friend, "Jesus, Pope," she said wide-eyed and thoroughly impressed. "You know more about my family than I do."

"I did a bit of reading when you started coming around," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "And then, I couldn't stop reading. I mean, your family helped found the standard oil company and had major influence over the railroad industry. Now they're going green and investing in solar and wind power. The foundations created by your family have paved the way for medicinal and modern scientific advances. It is actually insane."

"Shit," said Kiara, shaking her head. She'd been friends with Nova before, knowing how rich she actually was. But even she didn't know all of this. "So, you're like fucking rich."

Nova didn't really know how to answer that question. Her father's family without a doubt was one of the most powerful when it came to business expansion. A family of international banking and oil tycoons. Their dynasty began before America. Everything only grew as the generations passed the business was picked up by the eldest living son, or male relative. But none of that money belonged to Nova. Sure, she had all the perks of spending it. But she'd done nothing to help grow the wealth. So, it wasn't her that was rich, it was her dad, and every man that had the business before he did. 

"I think that it's different for me and Nolan," she told the others, shrugging her shoulders. "We weren't raised as heirs to a dynasty. Not like my dad who had been groomed from birth to one day be the head of the business. My mom would've never let that happen," Nova smiled, remembering her mom. "Growing up, our job was just to be happy ─ to be kids and make messes. My parents didn't care about creating an heir for the dynasty, they wanted their kids to know respect and love."

The subject dropped quickly after that. The four of them had come to a stop before a red brick pathway that led to the head of the Limbrey's home. Trailing beside it was decorated rose bushes and cloud-scraping trees. The only thing keeping them from stepping onto this pathway was the tall, iron gate standing tall over them, spiked to scrape the skies.

"Are we sure that this is the place?" asked JJ, looking high over the iron gate, squinting to see past the glare of the sun to catch a look at the large home, lined with three balconies.

"Yeah," Pope gulped. "This is it."

The home — the mansion sat tall. The front is held by round pillars. The yard was a maze of low-cut hedges adorned with colorful flowers. It was quiet. Though rushing waters could be heard pouring from a marble fountain. Besides that, it was as if not a living soul lived behind these sky-scraping gates.

"Talk about home security," said JJ, reaching out to touch the gate before them. "Are these spikes to keep people out?"

"Arched gates are built to keep people out," Nova sighed, envisioning the gate that leads to her own home. This was nothing like that. These spikes were made to be weapons. A threat, almost. The bars were steel iron. Nearly indestructible. "This is something entirely different."

"Yeah, Nova's right," Pope nodded, his face suddenly going stoic. "The slave quarters are over there," he nodded adjacent to the large home. "These spikes were to keep people in."

Nova bit the inside of her lip. Her stomach felt queasy and suddenly she wasn't so sure about this plan. She didn't want to take Pope past these gates.

It was as if Pope could feel Nova's worry. And he turned to meet her gaze. She looked at him, worried. But she nodded, telling him that she was on his side with this. If he should change his mind about this, then Nova would understand. They would just have to find another way to bring John B. and Sarah home.

She wanted Pope to know that if he felt as if he had to step away from this then she would take that step with him. He's her friend and she would protect him now too.

And Nova felt as if the Limbreys, whoever they are, weren't just wanting to talk about John B's innocence.

Their knocks echoed through the large home. Pope's shaking hands gripped the golden doorknocker so tight that his knuckles began to turn white. He knocked again, harder this time. Finally, he dropped the golden hoop, and his hands fell to his side as he backed away. He took a shaky breath and looked back at the others.

"Do you think that was too much?" he asked them.

"It echoed the entire house. That's for sure," JJ nearly laughed. "So, they definitely heard it."

Kiara shrugged, "Maybe nobody is home?"

That wasn't what Pope wanted to hear. So, he once again reached up and raked the golden hoop across the white-painted door again... and again... and again. Making Nova cringe with each new clank.

Finally, the door opened. Stepping into the light of the sun was a man. Not too old. Early thirties maybe. Give or take a few years. Nova's eyebrows furrowed as she took in the mysterious man's appearance. There was no way he was the one to have sent Pope the letter. There's no way she'd believe that a Limbrey would wear a tattered and stained button-down shirt tucked messily into dirt-stained jeans. His hair was greasy and tangled. He hadn't shaved, Nova could tell with the splotchy beard growing in on his face.

This was not the face of someone leading a prestigious family. Maybe he was their gardener.

He looked over the small group of teenagers standing before him on the front patio and smiled when his eyes landed on Pope, his lips were dry and his skin was cracking, "Ah," he said. "You must be Pope."

"Are you Mr. Limbrey?" asked Pope, a bit of disbelief to his tone.

Nova couldn't blame him; she was thinking the same thing that he was.

"Not a chance," Nova huffed.

The man in the doorway scowled at Nova, not appreciating her judgment. Her eyes widened, waiting for him to say something, but he never did.

"Ms. Limbrey was expecting you yesterday," he corrected Pope, nearly scolding him.

Pope nodded, quickly beginning to explain their less than desirable circumstances, "Yeah, and I am so sorry for being a day late," he told the guy who they still hadn't gotten the name of. "But my car broke down on the way here."

"Carburetor blew up in the middle of Nowheresville," JJ sighed tiredly, seeming completely unphased. "Sorry about that."

He didn't sound sorry.

"Yeah, she was, uh, really upset when you didn't show up," he was trying to guilt them.

Nova rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something smart, something that maybe she should think twice before saying, but Kiara stopped her before anything could come out of her mouth by stepping in front of her.

Scoffing, Nova's mouth opened, just about to say something smart, but Kiara stepped in front of her before anything could come out of her mouth.

"We tried to call, but there's no number on the invitation," Kiara pleaded with him. "We got here as fast as we could."

The man sighed, seeming bored with their explanations, only angering Nova even further. His eyes narrowed in on Pope, "She also expected you to come alone."

"Which is weird, you have to admit," said Nova, stepping past Kiara to regain her old position. "Why would a grown woman expect a teenage boy to travel hours by himself and into her home, all under the guise that she is able to clear his best friend's name?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "He was never going to show up alone."

The guy's jaw tightened, and he once again turned his head to look at Nova, "Remind me, who are you again?"

He stepped toward her, eyebrows raised high, expectantly. And Nova was just about to accept that challenge of his and tell him just exactly who she is. But a pair of arms caught her around the waist just as she moved to take a step toward him and carried her backward.

JJ dropped her, though he remained close enough to catch her should she attempt to fight a grown man again.

"These are my friends," Pope cleared his throat, trying to explain. "They helped find the Royal Merchant too. I —"

"The instructions were explicit," the man said, stopping Pope. "Your friends can stay outside."

"The instructions were bullshit," Nova said, throwing her head back in laughter. "You're joking, I mean, you have to be joking." She ran her hands over her face, "No. Fuck you. He isn't walking in that house alone."

She turned to JJ, pleading silently with him to say something.

"We're kind of a package deal, dude," sighed JJ.

"Hey, guys," Pope turned to them quickly. "It's okay. I got this," he assured them with a nod, but Nova was still fuming. "We're good."

He looked at Kiara, asking her to watch over the other two, and she nodded, "Yeah, we'll be right out here waiting for you."

Sighing, Pope reached down and took Kiara's hand, giving it a squeeze. Their gazes met for one of the first times today, and they smiled. Making some kind of silent agreement.

"Keep the car running," he told them.

Pope turned, following the stranger into the large home. The door slammed shut behind them. And the three others were left standing alone on the front patio, waiting, all feeling completely useless.  

Nova's sunburnt face was starting to burn. She sat with her face close to the vent blowing a slow, cool breeze through the truck. Kiara had given her some sunscreen, but it was a little too late for that it seemed since the red on her nose had already started to peel.

They'd gone out to the truck after pacing the colonial-style patio, waiting for Pope. But they soon learned he wouldn't be walking back out to them in just ten or fifteen minutes. So, they did as he told them to do. They went to the truck and kept it running, waiting for him while watching the tall double doors intently.

"I don't like this," JJ shook his head as he broke the ever-growing silence inside the truck. "I just got a bad feeling, guys."

Nova had agreed. This all gave her a sick feeling in her stomach. Which is why she had texted Nolan, asking him to dig up anything about the Limbrey's that he could find. Even if that meant rummaging through their dad's office and breaking into the locked file cabinets. He was confused but agreed, nonetheless.

Kiara sighed, her forehead resting against the passenger side glass, "None of us like this, JJ."

"I watched Get Out, you know," he informed them. "And this is, like, scarily similar."

Her forehead rested on the dashboard in front of her, and she turned to face JJ with furrowed eyebrows, "Oh my god," said Nova. "Why would you say that?"

Nova was already scared, waiting for Pope. With each minute that passed without Pope walking out of that front door, it became harder for Nova to fight the urge to go and break it down. She couldn't listen to JJ compare this to a movie like 'Get Out'. Because he was right. It was too real.

"I'm not wrong," he mumbled, sitting back in his seat.

And he wasn't wrong.

Closing her eyes, Nova turned back to face the small vents. She sat in the middle of JJ and Kiara. Which probably wasn't the best idea. She could feel him beside her. Every time JJ would tense his muscles his arm would accidentally brush over her own. And in the wake of him, chills would run along her warm skin. He still wasn't trying to touch her. Every time he'd notice his arm brushing hers or his hand barely touching the fabric of her skirt, he'd crowd himself beside the door again.

She could feel his leg shaking. Going nearly a million miles a minute. Her eyes roamed over him. His jaw was tight, and his hands were closed into fists at his side. JJ was nervous – he was scared. His gaze remained trained on the window across from him. The same window Kiara lay against. Nova knew she shouldn't have but she moved before she could talk herself out of it. And her hand lay softly atop his fist that sat clenched on the seat between the two of them.

At first, JJ didn't react. He showed no signs of being affected by her touch. Which was fine, Nova wasn't hoping for a reaction, she just wanted to help him. Then, JJ's leg stopped shaking and his head fell to rest on the old steering wheel. Nova felt him slowly loosening his fist before he turned his hand around in hers and laced their fingers together.

Nova exhaled slowly. She should move her hand. She kept telling herself to move her hand. This shouldn't have happened, she shouldn't have allowed this, knowing already what it might be doing to JJ – to herself. But she couldn't do it. No matter how much the voice in her head screamed at her to unlace her fingers from his, she didn't do it. Selfishly, Nova let him hold her hand because it was allowing her own nerves to settle. And as if knowing this, JJ began running his thumb along the back of her hand, comforting her.

This could mean nothing. They were just two friends helping one another through a tough time. But at this point, Nova knew in claiming that she would be lying to herself. It wasn't just a friendly gesture anymore. It meant so much more.

"Hey, guys, if Limbrey is actually legit, then Ward gets arrested," Kiara began to realize, slowly sitting up from her laying against the cool glass window. "And the gold would go to Sarah."

Nova nodded. She didn't know about any of that. Was Sarah even Ward's next of kin, anymore? With the island thinking, John B. is dead and Ward spreading the rumor that he kidnapped Sarah, that would mean she died on the boat too. There was no way that Ward could keep Sarah as his beneficiary if he and the entire island believed she was dead.

Her eyes were still trained on the Limbrey's front door as Kiara looked to her and JJ for an answer or confirmation. There was movement, Nova noticed. Walking along the side of the large home she noticed Pope and behind him, with a hand placed on his back, leading him away, was the guy from the front door.

"Does this look voluntary?" asked Nova, nodding in the direction of where she was watching the strange man lead Pope further away from the truck. Just then, Pope looked back at them with a nervous gaze.

JJ leaned forward, straining to get a better look before he shook his head, "That would be a negative."

"Shit. Come on, guys," said Kiara.

She opened her door, quickly climbing out of the truck. Nova and JJ followed her outside quickly. She shut the passenger side door and began following Kiara in the direction of which they noticed the guy leading Pope.

JJ stopped them quickly, stopping in front of them, "Yo, guys, wait for a second," he told them, he pointed back in the direction where Pope had been led, Nova followed but noticed nothing. "They're going into the alley."

Nova nodded, understanding now, "We have to go around the back."

"And we'll meet them on the other side," JJ finished.

"Okay, then we have to hurry," said Kiara, pulling their wrists to get them to follow her. "Come on!"

And they climbed back into the truck that had been left running.

Finding Pope was harder than they expected. JJ drove slowly down the busy town streets that lined the Limbrey estate. The hedges stood high behind the iron gates, making it difficult to see past anything. It was empty. As if they'd lost Pope in less than a minute.

"Where the hell did they go?" whispered Kiara, chewing her nail as she peered carefully out of her window and through the maze of hedges in the Limbrey's backyard.

Nova bit the inside of her lip, shaking her head. She didn't have an answer, at least not one that she wanted. She was doing the same thing as Kiara and JJ, watching through the windows, hoping for any sign of Pope.

"Do you think they went underground?" JJ asked them, genuinely. "Because in the movie, C.H.U.D., when they took people into the sewers the radiation down there would turn humans into humanoids, and then —"

"JJ! Enough!" said Nova, her eyes wide and full of annoyance. "No more movie references, you're done."

JJ sighed, nodding. He does this when nervous, just rambles on and on. When he doesn't know what to say to help, he just starts talking about stuff he does know, and he knows movies.

Nova took a deep breath. She hadn't meant to yell, but she too was scared. And sometimes when she's scared, she becomes easily annoyed and she'll snap at the person closest to her. She just wanted to find Pope, and she began to think that they might not. Kiara might have been right in just following them. They might've had to fight them but at least they'd have Pope, who was being led right toward the slave's quarters.

All of this had been a trap.

"Wait! Wait! Oh my god!" Kiara yelled, her shrill voice echoing through the truck as she pointed at the glass window. "JJ, stop the truck, now!"

JJ pressed the brakes hard. The three of them were thrown forward by the screeching halt. A string of similar curse words escaped all of their mouths as heads nearly slammed into the dashboard, except JJ, whose head had slammed into the steering wheel.

He winced, sitting up, rubbing the small red spot that had already begun to show on his forehead. Nova mocked his actions but instead rubbed her elbows, which slammed into the dash in front of her, saving her face from doing the very same thing.

"Come on," Kiara took Nova's hand pulling her out of the side of the truck that sat in the middle of a sidewalk. She pointed to a stone wall that stood before the tall hedges in the Limbrey's yard. "We can go climb over that."

Nova looked; they'd have to climb a stone wall. It looked almost impossible. But it was their only way. They couldn't get over the iron without being stabbed by a sharp point at the top. At least with stone, they had a chance to get to Pope. So, they ran right for the devil's mouth.

JJ assisted in boosting Kiara and Nova onto the wall. They lingered at the top, both reaching their hands out, ready to help pull his weight. In doing so, Nova nearly fell backward, off the wall.

It was quiet as they ran through the hedge maze. Nova felt as if she was running in circles. Everything looked the same to her. She had no idea where she was supposed to be going. It was nauseating.

They tried listening. Just in case they were able to hear something from Pope or something that would lead them to him. But it was difficult to hear over their own heavy breathing and crunching leaves and twigs as they ran through the maze.

Nova had to keep fighting her outfit. It had not been made or picked out for climbing over stone walls and running through bushes. Her skirt would spin in the wind and her converse sent an aching pain to the bottoms of her feet and a burn to the back of her ankles. But she ignored the pain and kept going.

Until she stopped. It might not have been anything, but Nova thought she heard something. It came through the hedges like a faint echo of someone yelling. Turning, JJ and Kiara stopped too, waiting for Nova to tell them what had happened. She motioned them over quietly, telling them to listen, she needed to know if they heard it too. When the sound came through the hedges again, she watched as her friends' eyes widened. They heard it. Whatever it was sounded as if it was a struggle. Like a fight. And they ran right for it.

JJ was the first to get to him. Kiara and Nova rounded the corner just a second later. But JJ was already in action, lunging for Pope and the strange man who had greeted that at the door. He pushed the guy off Pope, and something had been thrown out of his hands, landing beside JJ's dirty sneakers. The unnamed man was quick to try and reach for it, but JJ was faster and kicked it even further away. This time, it hit Nova's foot.

Nova looked at the hunk of black plastic that had hit the side of her foot. Bending down she picked it up, noticing then that it was a taser. She pressed the red button on the side and sure enough, it sparked loudly to life. Anger filled her body. Whoever this guy is, he was planning to use this on Pope.

JJ took Pope's hand and pulled him off the ground. Surprised, Pope blinked and stumbled. He looked over his three friends with shock glossing his expression. He didn't think he would be found in time.

"We have to get the hell out of here," said Kiara, still holding Nova's hand, and once again pulling it to lead her in the direction of the wall that they'd jumped over to get here. "Come on, let's go."

There was enough adrenaline pumping through their bodies for them to pull themselves over the wall this time. Nova landed hard on the other side, making her knee pop and ankle crack. She winced, falling back, but Kiara was quick to catch her, standing her up straight again. Quickly, Nova regained her composure and thanked Kiara as they slid back into the truck.

She hadn't even felt the truck jerk to life. Nova was in a daze. But when she did finally come to and noticed the pounded in her head and the soreness of her entire body, she found that they were flying down the road.

With horror-stricken eyes, Nova gripped the edges of her seat. She didn't know how fast this old hunk of metal could go, or for how long it would be able to withstand this kind of driving, but she was certain that JJ was testing those limits.

Kiara turned around, looking out of the truck's back window, "Guys, I think this guy is following us."

Nova copied Kiara and turned her body to look behind them. Sure enough, following their truck was the same guy who had been trying to beat up Pope just minutes ago. He was riding their tail. Nova felt her throat run dry and she turned back around, smacking JJ's lap, yelling,

"Drive, JJ, fucking drive, go!" she'd admit, this was terrifying.

JJ didn't need to be told twice. He cut the wheel sharply taking a turn onto another street. Nova fell to his side and Kiara into hers. Pope held the bar over his head as he stared ahead in horror.

"Oh no..." Pope whispered, barely able to be heard over Kiara shouting that this guy was still closing in on them. "This is one way..." no one heard him. "This is one!" he shouted, voice loud, cutting Kiara off. "JJ! There's another car. This is one way!"

Tired squealed as cars swerved to a stop. Horns blared as they passed oncoming traffic. People screamed and took their phones out to record. And despite all of this, JJ was laughing. He was enjoying this chaos. Nova's eyebrows furrowed as she watched him. Another car was headed their way, and neither driver made any move to cut their wheel to avoid a collision.

Nova gripped JJ's arm, tight. Her nails cut into his skin. She didn't scream, but instead closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, preparing for the pain of impact. If this was how it'd end, then so be it. At least she was ready for it.

But the impact of a collision never came. There was no sudden jolt. Nothing threw Nova forward. There was no pain of broken glass cutting through her skin. Her world did not stop spinning. Instead, her body was once again tilted to the side, her head hitting JJ's shoulder as he threw himself into the door, turning the wheel sharply, avoiding collision by a second.

Her hand was still wrapped around his arm, holding onto him for dear life.

"JJ, you're going to kill somebody!" yelled Nova, her eyes wide as he cut through walkways, yelling at the pedestrians through his open window. She watched them scream in panic and scatter like mice. "JJ, stop!"

He shook his head, "It's fine," he assured her. "I got this."

But Nova wasn't so sure.

"Where are we going?!" Pope yelled at him, over the screaming pedestrians and honking horns that followed them.

JJ shrugged, "I'm going to lose him."

Nova was getting tired of being thrown to the side. Once again, without warning, JJ cut the wheel sharply, and again, she fell into the side of him, and Kiara slammed hard into her ribs, making Nova hiss in pain.

And then there was a noise. A true, horrifying noise that Nova never wished she would hear again for a long, long time. The truck began to hiss and clatter. Then came the familiar shaking. Their speed slowed and before they knew it, they had come to a complete stop in an empty alley that JJ had turned them into.

JJ punched the steering wheel, "Dammit, Pope, you said the truck was fixed!"

Nova watched as just like the other evening, smoke began to engulf the truck.

"What the actual hell?" yelled Nova, very unhappy about their circumstances. This shouldn't have happened. The truck should be fine, especially after what she gave for it. "I gave away real fucking diamonds for this?!"

Pope ran two hands over his face, "He fixed it," he told them. "I swear, the mechanic said the truck was in good shape."

"Number one rule," said JJ as he opened the door to get out of the truck, everyone following his lead. "Never trust a mechanic."

"Okay, so what now, Fast and the Furious?" asked Nova, hands on her hips, looking at JJ with complete exhaustion.

There had been no time to form any kind of plan because just a moment later, they had company in the alley.

"God dammit, go!" yelled JJ, ushering them all in front of him. "Go! Go! Go!"

Nova used to run track. All through middle school. And she hated it. But since meeting this group of friends, she's been doing more running than she ever had before. Even while in track. Because at least then, she wasn't always running for her life.

It had only gotten hotter as the day's hours ticked by. Nova could feel it beating down her sweaty face. Her chest heaved, hoping for some kind of cool air. Her feet were aching and pleading with her to stop, even just for a second. Her ribs burned and her longs felt with every breath as if they were going to explode inside her chest. Nova was sure at this point she was having a heart attack and it beat out of control.

"Probably not the best time to ask," Nova panted, barely able to speak the words. "But what's our plan if one of us is caught?"

JJ looked back over his shoulder, "No one is going to be caught."

Nova sighed. Sure, no one wanted to believe that. But she would feel a lot better if they had a plan for it.

"But what if—"

"Nova!" JJ yelled at her.

She didn't say anything else. Only focused on running and the unevenness of her breaths. They'd finally made it out of the alley where they left the truck. Now, they ran along crowded sidewalks. Pushing past pedestrians littering the town. The man who remained nameless continued running hot on their tail. He wasn't going to give them the chance to get away.

Nova felt her shoestrings tangling around her ankles. Glancing downward, she found that both of her shoes had come untied. Her right shoe had started to shake loosely around her foot. She looked behind her again, finding that she'd put a good bit of distance between herself and the stranger chasing them.

It was a bad – terrible idea. But she couldn't concentrate as her shoestrings danced around her feet. Reaching down, Nova leaned against a brick building, pulling either shoe off. She looked again; this time eyes widened in fear. She watched as the man chasing behind her reached into his jacket pocket and removed something black. Nova was too far away to know for sure, but she would swear that she watched him pull out a gun. Then, it glistened under the rays of the sun just as Rafe Cameron's gun had done when he shot and killed Peterkin.

"Oh fuck..." she whispered, standing off the wall and taking off down the sidewalk again. "Shit... shit... shit!"

She wasn't so tired anymore. Nova was running faster than she had been before. Probably having something to do with her newfound adrenaline and the man carrying a gun behind her. The others had yet to notice how Nova had fallen behind them, deciding to take off her shoes. But she could still see their backs, and she followed them, watching as they cut into, yet another alley further down the street.

Nova had started to call for them in an attempt to warm them.

"Hey, guys!" she called, chasing after them, still too far behind for them to hear her. They had just cut out of the alley as Nova turned into it. "Gun! The dude has a fucking gun!"

Then, she stepped out of the shade and back into the sunlight. And her world stopped.

All noise ceased to exist. She couldn't breathe. Her brain wasn't working. There was no movement she could make. Everything just stopped. It was completely still.

She was screaming but no words came out. She wanted to move but her body remained stagnant in its spot. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't speak, she couldn't move. It was a dream. It had to be. A perfect – not real dream. A hallucination brought on by severe dehydration or sleep deprivation. It was a figment of her own creations. A sick and twisted trick that her mind decided to play on her.

Her vision became blurry. Her eyes filled with tears that now spilled onto her cheeks. One shaky breath brought everything back. Slowly, her world began to spin again. Sounds and movement came back to her. But still, her feet remained glued to the concrete of the sidewalk she had stopped on.

It was them. John B. and Sarah. In front of her. Sitting in the center of chaos.

This was real. She had to remind herself. They were here. They were home.

Also real, was the man that had been following behind her with a gun.

"Nova!" Someone called her name loudly; she didn't move to see who it was. "Nova, what are you doing? Come on!" Her wrist was being pulled, and so was she pulled into the road. "Hurry, you have to get in, come on."

She was sitting. Kiara slid into the seat beside her. She was squished in a middle seat, again. Only this time, on the other side of her, it wasn't JJ or Pope, it was Sarah. Sarah Cameron. Her best friend in the world.

Slowly, she turned. Her mouth parted slightly as a cry threatened to sound. Sarah smiled and Nova had to pinch herself on the arm to remind herself that this was not a dream. Even though she had seen this moment a million times when she closed her eyes to sleep.

"Hey, Nova," her best friend whispered.

Nova blinked. She couldn't find the words. It was as if she'd forgotten how to speak. She felt fresh, cold tears stream onto her burning cheeks. And then all went black.

Finally, everything was quiet.  

She woke under a warm, blue sky and the crashing of waves. Nova didn't remember falling asleep. But here she lay on a tan, leather cushion beside a ledge overlooking blue waters. There were voices on the other, far end of the slow-moving boat. She tried to move but every part of her screamed in agony.

How in the world had she got here? She'd managed to lose time. The last thing she remembered was running. There'd been her shoelaces annoying her. A man with a gun. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest. And then, nothing.

Finally, her eyes opened, and she saw them. And she remembered.

Stopped in the middle of the road on some ridiculous bike carriage. It had been John B. and Sarah and somehow, she'd run right into them. The very people she had been there trying to save, ended up finding her.

They were celebrating. Cheers of reunion sounded on the other end of the boat. No one had noticed that Nova had woken up yet. She hadn't yet moved; her head was still spinning with everything that had happened.

Now everything was messy. All jumbled inside her head. Making Nova even more confused than she had been before. Confused and conflicted.

Nova couldn't understand why she felt this way. Every waking moment for months she would wish to see these two people again. All her days had been spent trying to find a way to bring them home. But now that they were here something was different inside her. Still, her heart lunged at the sight of them, and tears burned her eyes.

Nova was different now though. She had changed, somehow.

Wincing, Nova sat up off the tan cushions. She stretched out her screaming, aching muscles. Reaching around her head, Nova gathered up her tangled hair, pulling it up and off her sweaty neck. She sighed, reveling in the cool breeze sent by the ocean to wrap around her neck.

She blinked, her eyes burning from unshed tears and sunlight. She stretched back her aching arms and yawned. The notice alerted the others and their once celebratory grins turned to Nova, falling into concern.

She rubbed her eyes. They still burned from recently shed tears and the bright sunlight shining onto her. A yawn escaped her lips and the others became aware that she had woken up.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to wake up," JJ stepped toward her first, grinning, though Nova could still see the worry behind his smiling face. "About time too, we were getting a little worried over here."

Nova furrowed her eyebrows, still confused about how she ended where she was.

"I don't even remember falling asleep," she told them, speaking for the first time since she'd run into the middle of the road. Her voice was hoarse and quiet. Something she wasn't used to hearing.

"Honestly, you just kind of crashed," another voice chimed, a voice that made Nova want to start crying all over again. Sarah was smiling, stepping past JJ to stand before Nova. "We were being chased by some mental dude with a gun and the next thing I know is your head falling on my shoulder," she shrugged, like JJ, she was masking her worried. "You didn't even wake up to get on the boat. We had to carry you."

Throwing her head back, Nova groaned, "Are you kidding?" she asked. "That's so embarrassing."

She looked back up, Sarah was laughing, shaking her head, "It was fine, honestly," she told Nova. "You've had a tough couple of months."

Nova nodded. Her bottom lip began to tremble. In one swift movement, she had gone from sitting on the cushioned bench to crashing into her best friend's arms. She reacted as soon as Nova embraced her, hugging her back just as tight. Like Nova, Sarah was shaking – crying.

"You're here..." she whispered, holding onto Sarah for dear life, afraid that if she would let go, something would take her away again. "You're here... you're really here."

Without Sarah, Nova had become lost. For so long they had navigated the world together. Then, Sarah was gone, and Nova had to do it on her own, and she became lost. Now, holding onto her, Nova felt right again.

"Yeah, well, there's no Sarah Cameron without her Nova Scott," Sarah pulled back, smiling, still holding Nova's trembling hands.

Nova nodded, laughing. They'd been saying that each other and everyone else for so long, "And there would be no Nova Scott without Sarah Cameron."

They wanted to stay there forever. In one another's arms. Talking about anything and everything, just to hear the other's voice. They'd never been apart without talking for so long.

But there was someone else there. And Nova could feel him watching her. Waiting to see how she'd take to him being back. He'd been so worried when they couldn't wake her up. Shaking her and calling out her name. He'd been the one to carry her onto the boat. Nova didn't need anyone to tell her that to know.

Finally, she caught his stare. And she became nervous. Her lips twitched into a smile and her cheeks burned a bright red. Her heart raced and her body tingled. It was as if she was seeing him for the first time all over again. Her fingers twitched at her sides, and she shifted nervously on her feet.

It was as if her friends parted like the red sea. All of them see the look – this moment shared between the two. None of them wanted to impose. Nova bit the inside of her lip, hard. And blinked a million times just to be sure that what she was seeing was real.

She couldn't take it anymore. The pull between them had tightened and she was pulled to him, "Thank you," she cried, clinging to him, holding him around his waist. "Thank you for coming back to me."

John B. pulled back, his hands cupping her face, and she fell into his touch, savoring it. He smiled, tears in his eyes, "I told you I would."

Leaning down, John B. kissed her. It was as if he never left. Her lips reacted instantly when they met his. She stepped toward him, her body needing to be closer to him. It was as if a wave of relief crashed over them both. To be in his arms again, to be with him, everything was good. There was no more chaos in her world. Nothing bad. All was calm because she had him again.

He felt like home. And his love was her safety net.

Slowly, they parted. Their foreheads pressed together, and noses touched. Nova was smiling. Her heart had steadied at a rhythmic pace again. Her hand grazed over his burnt cheek. His skin was dry and bronzed from the sun. His hair was tousled and messy. It'd grown some in the past couple of months. Under his eyes were dark and sunken. John B. hadn't been sleeping. Neither has Nova.

Nova's thumb traced the dark circles and John B's eyes closed under her light touch. He breathed heavily, pulling her in close. His hand gripped her waist hard as if to make sure this moment was real. As if he was reminding himself that she was real.

"I love you," he whispered lowly.

Nova nodded against his forehead, "I love you."

And just for a second, all in the world was right. Things were the way they were supposed to be. 

The night passed in a blur. Nova couldn't quite comprehend all that was going on. It all still felt like a dream, and she feared that when she looked up everything would be gone again, and she'd be right back where she started. She also feared losing them again. If she looked away for too long or got too comfortable, they'd be taken away again.

She didn't sleep much. And the morning sun had woken her. It had set ablaze the small boat that floated in the calm waters. She swayed with the waves and the breeze carried the scent of salt and drops of mist from the sea. It was a quiet morning. Birds sang, flying high in the sky. All of them are getting ready to migrate by now. The light wind, though still warm, was cooling under the humid air.

"Is anybody else starving?" a low voice cracked through the morning silence, though everyone had been awake for a while, no one wished to be the first one to start the day. "We need some kind of breakfast."

Pulling herself up to rest on her elbows, Nova looked across the boat at JJ. He lay on the ledge of the boat, hand dangling from the side, fingertips barely scraping the water. John B. moved in sync with her. Having spent the night with her in his arms. Nova didn't want to be anywhere else at the time, either. And so, she reveled in the time spent with his arms around her.

But the world kept spinning. And no matter how much she wanted, Nova could not stay lying under the blue skies with John B. until the end of time, because she was hungry, and she had to pee.

"I actually have to pee," said Nova, her voice tired and hoarse. She rubbed her eyes, still leaning on one arm. "And I could eat."

Sarah sighed, standing up, she held out a hand for Nova to take, "Come on," she said, waiting. "We're going to find a place to pee."

Taking her hand, Nova let Sarah lead her off the boat, Kiara standing quickly to go off with them after Nova motioned for her to follow. They stepped into a vast field of absolutely nothing. Dead weeds, that was it. If anyone was craving overgrown grass this was the place for them. But Nova was not cattle.

Nova didn't do much of looking for food. She was too concerned about not peeing her pants. She jogged through the fields; her thighs held tightly together while she searched for a private place to relieve her bladder.

Never before had Nova been made to pee outside. And never before had she thought fondly of the idea of peeing anywhere but a toilet, inside of a bathroom, with a door and plumbing. She didn't quite like the change in scenery. At least now she knew that she'd never go camping.

They were lucky to have Kiara. Without her they'd have no one actually looking for something to eat. Because while Nova pranced nervously around the field of weeds whining about needing to pee but also needing privacy, Sarah limped around, barely able to move as she clutched the bloody patch on her abdomen. Where she'd been shot. Which Nova had only learned hours ago.

She couldn't explain the anger she felt when she learned of her best friend being shot. It was one she'd never felt before. Nova wanted Rafe Cameron dead. And for just a moment she allowed herself to want to do it herself. Nova had even turned against John B. for a second, asking him how something like this could have happened. Though she knew he was not responsible for what had happened. The reason that Sarah was shot was the same reason Nova had nearly drowned just days ago. John B. had done everything he was supposed to do. He got Sarah to help. And he helped get her back home to Nova. Alive.

"Hey, look what I found, you preppy bitches!" Kiara yelled at them holding a very large watermelon over her head with a very big and triumphant smile on her face.

Nova couldn't even be mad at her name-calling because she really wanted a piece of that watermelon.

They didn't even bother taking it back to the boat. Instead, they found a place under a shaded tree and dove into the fruit themselves. They ate with their hands like heathens, moaning and groaning as pink juice fell down their chins.

Sarah threw her head back, mouth full, "Holy shit this is so good!"

Nodding, Nova agreed. She hadn't even realized just how hungry she was.

"God," said Kiara, wiping her sticky fingers on her pants before turning to look at Sarah. "I cannot believe that you managed to get trapped on a tropical island with John B!"

Rolling her eyes, Sarah nodded, and sighed a very exhausted sounding sigh, "Trust me, that was never the plan," she told them. "And it will never be a part of another plan of mine again," shaking her head, she turned to face Nova, "I mean really, Nova, how in the hell do you do it? He's an insufferable know-it-all and is definitely ADD."

"Oh, yeah, he's definitely got a touch of ADD," Nova laughed, feeling slightly sorry that Sarah had to get trapped with John B. for months when not knowing how to put up with him. "But he's not a know-it-all. God love him, but that's definitely Pope."

Sarah nodded.

"At least Pope is right most of the time," said Kiara.

No one could disagree. Pope was always right.

"Speaking of..." said Sarah suddenly, turning her body to look at Kiara who sat on a cement stool behind her. "Am I crazy or is there something going on between you and Pope?"

Kiara's eyes widened and she coughed, choking on her piece of watermelon.

"You aren't crazy," laughed Nova.

Sarah's jaw dropped as she slapped Kiara on the knee, demanding to know everything.

"There's nothing to tell, I swear," Kiara laughed, swatting Sarah's hand away as a pink blush crept its way onto her cheeks. "But, yeah, I mean, there might be something..."

They laughed. Genuine laughs. All the stress of the past few days seems to have rolled away with the juices of the fruit in their hands. This was a picture of how it had been before. When the three of them had actually been friends. This is how it had felt. And Nova was so happy to have it back.

Once the laughter began to die down Sarah turned to look beside her where Nova sat eating the small bits of the watermelon that she had left.

"And what about you?" she asked her best friend who turned suddenly with wide, confused eyes. "What's new in the life of Nova Scott? Give me all the scandalous details, please, I'm begging you." Sarah fell over, grasping her best friend's leg and shaking it dramatically. "I have been deprived of all enjoyment."

Gulping, Nova swallowed the last bit of the watermelon in her mouth. She didn't say anything, panicking. Kiara met Nova's gaze and she began to chew her lip nervously. Kiara knew about the kiss with JJ. And she didn't know if Kiara was going to spill the beans and tell Sarah since in her mind it was an awkward mistake.

"Come on Nova, tell her," Kiara nodded, but Nova didn't know what she meant. Sarah turned, her eyebrows furrowed, looking at Kiara again. "Nova is going to public school now."

Sarah snorted out a laugh and Nova's tightened chest released, and she was finally able to breathe again. For a second, she really thought that Kiara was going to say something. And Nova knew she'd maybe tell Sarah about the kiss later on. Just, right now, she wanted to keep that as her own.

Nova reminded herself to thank Kiara later.

"I honestly don't think I can picture you in a public school," said Sarah, turning back to face Nova who had quickly replaced the look of horror on her face with a laugh. "Like... shit!"

"Yeah, I actually miss my uniform," said Nova, chuckling. "And to think I spent every day complaining about having to wear it."

As Sarah and Nova laughed, Kiara once again caught Nova's eye over Sarah's shoulder. She nodded, letting Nova know that her secret would be safe. Nova smiled at her before quickly turning her attention back to Sarah. A guilty feeling ate its way inside Nova. One that she had grown accustomed to by now. She just wasn't ready. Not yet.

Kiara showed them toward a patch of watermelons. Each girl grabbed one off the vine they were still attached to and carried them back to the boat still floating on the water beside the old, wooden dock.

They interrupted the boys in the middle of a conversation. They could tell by the way the boys quickly stopped talking when John B. nodded in their direction and quickly their heads all turned, and they walked away from the huddle they had formed. Their mouths had snapped shut, hands shoved in pockets, and JJ began whistling. None of them could make eye contact.

"Hmm, you boys are suspiciously quiet," hummed Nova as she stepped onto the boat eyeing them suspiciously. "What were ya talking about over here?"

All three of the boys shrugged. All mumbling something incoherently. The girls eyed them, starting to laugh.

"We were just talking about fishing," John B. shrugged, looking back at the boys, waiting for them to help him out.

Stepping onto the boat after Sarah, Nova and Kiara nodded, clearly not believing them.

"Yep," JJ nodded, adding to John B's lie. "Just dropping some lures."

"Relax," laughed Nova, glancing toward JJ. This was the first time she really looked at him since yesterday evening, but he wouldn't meet her gaze, looking down at his feet. "We don't actually care what you were talking about."

"Unless it was about us," said Sarah, interjecting quickly. "Then I would care."

Laughing, John B. helped Nova across the waters so that she could safely step onto the boat. He took the watermelon from her hands and kissed the top of her head. She smiled as a sense of calm fell over her.

"We – well, Kiara, found food," said Nova, happily allowing John B. to puncture the watermelon open and start digging into it.

It was as easy as that for the mood on the boat to shift completely, and once again, all was well.

The boat set sail once again. This time with Kiara in the captain's seat. The boys sat together, eating their watermelon and laughing. Relishing their time together, all afraid it was temporary. Sarah and Nova did the same. Talking about all unimportant things as they lay on the deck.

Simple.

That's the word Nova would use to describe this very moment.  

Hours of sailing the calm, blue waters passed them by. Nova had no idea where they were headed, and she didn't know if the others knew either. They could just be sailing the ocean blue for all she knew. Since that morning Kiara had resigned from her position as the boat's captain and handed it back over to John B. who drove quietly, only so often glancing over at Nova as if to be sure she was real and still beside him.

Land had become visible. And all huddled at the front of the boat. Behind tall, yellowing weeds and tilted trees an old, vacant home could be seen. The porch was caved inward. Glass busted out of windows and was covered with boards and a tarp. It was dilapidated but they all smiled at it. A house waiting on them — a house waiting on him.

John B's calloused hand found Nova's. Her eyes lifted from the tall grass and up to John B. as he stared longingly across the water. Fresh tears glazed his eyes as he coughed out a small gasp. He was home. Finally.

The ends of his lips twitched, he smiled, "There she is."

Nova stood up. She still held onto John B's hand as she closed in on his side, their arms pressing tight together as she leaned over to place a small kiss on his exposed arm. Her lips lingered in hopes of offering some kind of comfort. Her other arm then snaked around his waist, and she hugged him, head resting below his chin, and she felt him kiss the top of her head before his thumb began to rub small circles in her back.

She hadn't even noticed JJ stop by John B's other side until his hand slapped his shoulder and John B's head turned, "It's good to see her old bones," at the sight of him Nova's body tensed, and she had to pull out of the hug. "Welcome home, buddy."

When the boat docked a few minutes later they all began to slowly file out of the boat and onto dry land. The old house was as close as ever now. Just a field away. And yet, none of them made a run for it. Instead, they lingered on the wooden planks, all finding a place to rest under the scorching sun. Nova had lifted herself upon to a shaky banister, hoping it wouldn't crash under her weight. She and the girls watched as the boy dutifully unpacked the boat.

Suddenly, when everyone was on the dock, either sitting or leaning against the old rails, Kiara sighed, "You know, I gotta be honest," she stepped away from the banister she'd leant against and folded her arms. "I'm not exactly looking forward to check-in at home," laughing, she shook her head. "My parents have probably already arranged my funeral."

"I also predict unpleasantries at the Heyward household," Pope nodded, seeming worried suddenly. "I did leave the truck in Charleston."

"In an alleyway of all places," added Nova.

Pope looked at her, his eyes dead and annoyed. Kiara and JJ also glanced over at her, wondering if she too would be expecting a hell-storm when she arrived home after days of being away.

"I mean, I'll probably be alright," Nova shrugged, not being able to relate to the trouble of her friends. "My dad might be upset about me missing a few days of school, but he knows where I am. I've been keeping Nolan updated."

They still stared at her. All in disbelief at just how easy Nova Scott had it. But she shrugged, not knowing what else she could say. She wasn't going to upset that her family was able to trust her.

"Guys, think about it, no one even knows that we're here," said JJ, finally averting the attention away from Nova and onto himself. "And I doubt anyone will be in any more trouble than they already are for showing up twelve hours later," a mischievous smile spread across his lips and there was a twinkle in his eye as he looked over all of them. "Am I right, or am I right?"

"I've already told Nolan where we are," said Nova, shrugging.

Sarah snorted, "Yeah, but I doubt he'll give us any trouble."

Nova nodded; Sarah wasn't wrong.

"Which means that we have twelve hours to do whatever we want," JJ told them, trying to suggest more trouble to get into. And though it wasn't a bright idea, Nova couldn't help but to agree just a little. "A little Pogue fellowship, how does that sound?"

No one said anything as they all shared quick glances, trying to see where everyone else stood on the idea.

John B. finally sighed, throwing his head back, "We can let this shit hit the fan tomorrow."

He and JJ high-fived.

"This is kind of a stupid idea," said Sarah as she looked doubtfully at John B. and JJ, though her tone didn't suggest she was entirely against the idea. "The cops could easily be looking for us."

JJ smiled, stepping in front of the blonde Kook, "Sarah Cameron," he whispered, feigning disappointment. "Have you never heard my philosophy?"

"Jesus Christ, not again," groaned Nova.

After months spent with JJ, she had become aware of so many of his philosophies.

"Stupid things have good outcomes all the time!"

Kiara, Pope, and John B. all said in unison with JJ. Meanwhile, Sarah and Nova shared deadpanned looks. But she was giving in to the peer pressure, despite all the assemblies they had in middle school teaching them to do the opposite. 

"Fine, I'll agree to it if Nova does."

All eyes were suddenly on her.

"Oh, I would not be looking to me to decide anything," Nova shook her head, biting the inside of her lip. "My decision-making skills haven't been top-notch as of late, or, as of ever."

Being the only person to have a slight idea of what she might be referring to, Kiara ducked her head, looking at the dry-rotted wooden below her and her eyes widened as she coughed away a laugh. Discreetly, Nova kicked her in the leg.

"Babe, this is all you," John B. shrugged, smiling.

Nova rolled her eyes, "Fine!" she finally gave in. "Fine, yes, we can go along with whatever trouble JJ has planned," Nova jumped off the banister and looked around at everyone on the dock. "But if this blows up in our faces I will not be blamed, got it?"

They all nodded, mumbling in agreement.

JJ, clapping, letting out a loud, celebratory shout, "Yes!" he pumped his fist into the air. "Let's go find some beer!"

Nova couldn't deny being a little excited. They all needed this time. The time to finally relax and have fun. To allow their shoulders to loosen. They needed time to take a breath. And this was their time. So, they were taking it.

Following the others down the boardwalk, Nova pulled out her phone and shot Nolan a quick text.  

Nolan Scott was picturesque. As he walked out of the convenience store his brown eyes melted under the warm glow of the sun and a smile spread across his face, revealing his straight, white teeth. His long arms were full of bags of cheap beer and high-calorie snacks. As usual, Nolan Scott showed up to save the day. And luckily, he brought his fake ID and no-limit debit card.

There was a moment everyone realized there would be no way for them to obtain any beer. Not without being recognized, carded, or having money. Nova's wallet was still inside her bag, which was left in her car. She had cash but no fake. Kiara, Pope, and JJ were all in the same boat. Sarah and John B. were just flat broke at the moment and presumed dead.

So, in a quick thought, Nova called her big brother. And he came running.

He also served as help when yard work had to be done. It had become unkept and unruly in the absence of the usual caretaker. The grass had grown to their knees and Nolan refused to have any kind of party in what he called a festering snake pit. Pope agreed. So, him and Nolan used the old weed-eaters found in the shed, while JJ and John B. took turns pushing the lawnmower and clearing the area of sticks and other kinds of debris.

Meanwhile, Sarah and Kiara sat outside on the old deck, under the shade, and watched. Nova joined them, stepping outside of the house after putting away the groceries and changing out of her two-day-old clothes. When asking Nolan for help, she'd also asked for a few outfits that she could change into. The others were for Kiara and Sarah.

Once the yard had been mowed the sun was just starting to set. Sarah and Nova carried the chairs off the deck and placed them before the fire pit in the freshly mowed grass. Pope and Kiara busied themselves in restringing the lights that had been only half removed from the branches of the tall trees.

The boys all seemed on the brink of heat stroke when they finished the yard. They lined up by the deck. Stripping down to their underwear they were made to lather themselves up using dish soap and hose away any remaining grass stains, dirt, or the stench of sweat. When they finally finished and were once again dressed the sun had just started to set behind the shoreline, casting an orange shadow over the lawn.

Now, it was time to prepare for a party.

It was something in the way she restrung the twinkling lights across the trees. A memory washed over Nova like a crashing wave, pulling her under the salty ocean waters. Not long ago she'd been in this same position. Only then had she been pulling the string of lights from the green trees. But they'd been so carelessly tossed into the leaves that Nova couldn't reach to get them down. Noticing her struggle, and though amused by it, JJ had walked up behind Nova his chest touching her back as he reached above her and pulled the string of lights down with just one, easy yank.

That was the first time that she'd felt it. With JJ so close to her. Nova remembered the pounding in her chest and the feel of static shock that came with the press of his body. It was the first time she'd ever allowed the thought of JJ to cross her mind. In that way. She'd noticed how insanely hot he was. How nervous he'd made her. Quickly Nova had pushed all thoughts of him and those feelings to the back of her mind, never to think about them again. Until she did. 

Being near JJ had once felt like a static shock. That was nothing compared to now.

Now, it felt like being caught in a lightning storm.

A sudden, loud whirring noise drew Nova out of her memories. Looking behind her she watched as the familiar and once abandoned hot tub was brought back to life. Now cleaned of the leaves and other gunk that had settled into the old, chlorine water. John B. and JJ both stood, looking at it with a sense of accomplishment. Foam coated the top of the warm waters and slowly steam began to rise from it. Smiling, the two boys high-fived, proud of their ability to clean a hot tub.

Nova's chest tightened and she bit the inside of her lip until blood coated her tongue. The sight of the two of them together made her throat burn. And again, guilt began eating away at her, from the inside out.

The rest of the night came together with ease and no trouble. Slowly, one by one, they all finished with their assigned duties and settled with the others with a cold beer in their hand. By the time the sun had completely settled behind the waters all of them had found themselves at around the bubbling hot tub.

It had become the centerpiece of the night. Somehow, the six of them managed to fit inside and around the tub. Those who weren't in the water sat along the edge, dipping their feet in to soak up to their ankles or knees. Nova sat beside John B. and Pope. All of them laughed as Pope began to rap, claiming in his drunken stupor that he is a master of freestyle rap.

"I never made good grades in school. When I get out, I act like a fool. They say I come to the party and cause a commotion. I'm smooth, yeah, call me lotion."

"Stop, please, release us of this misery, Pope," laughed Sarah as she tipped a can of beer to her burnt, chapped lips.

Pope didn't mind that they all laughed at him. He knew that he carried little rhythm and created a rhyme scheme that a kindergartner could come up with. But he was having fun. And he was the reason that all of his friends were laughing and smiling. A sight he'd missed for too long.

Untainted laughter filled the lonely night air. It was unbridled joy. And they relished it because it was limited to one night only. It was easier to forget the weight of the world and their problems when they were all a little high and a little drunk. Well, all except Nova who had only just finished sipping on her first wine cooler.

JJ and Pope were feeling the effects strongly as they climbed out of the hot tub and into the yard to proceed with their wrestling match. Nova laughed, watching as she rested her tired head on John b's shoulder. Their bodies were limp from the alcohol and weed. They flopped around on the ground like a fish out of water. But somehow, and to the surprise of them all, Pope managed to get the better of JJ. Quickly jumped off the ground, arms held high over his head in triumph.

John B. stood in front of Nova, his arms crossed. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her legs circled his waist. Every so often, Nova would place small, light kisses along the back of his shoulder, able to taste the chlorine on his skin. She'd feel the rise and fall of his shoulders with each laugh. Everyone had turned to the yard where JJ and Pope had started a wrestling match. Their heads were down, and arms outstretched, one of them waiting for the other to lunge.

He shrugged, dusting the dirt off his board shorts, "Just today, man," Pope couldn't control his laughter and he bent down, clutching his knees, trying to catch his breath. After a minute or two, he stood up, still breathing heavily. When JJ tried running at him again, he stopped him, waving his hands. "No, no, I'm good. I'm done."

JJ stood up, disappointed.

"Sorry, I'm outta here, man," said Pope, shrugging.

"What?" called JJ. "You have too many beers?" As if reminding himself he found his own can of beer and tipped it up to his lips. "Come on, round two, Pope."

"No way," called Pope over his shoulder as he wondered hazily toward the dock where they'd tied the boat. "I am going to take my win and hit the road."

With a huff, JJ accepted his defeat and let Pope wander onward.

Slyly, Kiara rose from the lawn chair that she had taken and began to follow in his footsteps. Nova's head lifted off John B's shoulder as her eyes widened and mouth opened in excitement. She looked to Sarah only to find that she too was looking off at Kiara as well, wearing the same look of amusement.

"Huh, is that a thing?" asked Nolan, laughing slightly as he pointed between Pope and Kiara.

"C'mon, Kiara, really?" Sarah called after their friend wearing a wide, joking smile.

Laughing, JJ fell into the discarded lawn chair and cracked open a new can of beer, "You're being really discreet, Kie. I mean it!"

"Guys, leave Kiara alone," said Nova, shaking her head, making sure her voice was loud enough to carry down the dock. "I bet she's only going to make sure Pope doesn't fall in the water and drown. Isn't that right, Kiara?"

Everyone laughed and in response, Kiara turned around for just a second and flipped them all off. Only making them laugh harder.

"I leave and this is what happens," John B. pretends to scold them as he shakes his head like a disappointed father.

"So what?" asked JJ when John B's eyes stopped on him. "You're blaming that on me?"

"A little, yeah," he laughed, going to take another drink of his beer, only to find that he'd already taken the last sip a few moments ago. He sighed, tossing the can aside. "Your boy is out of beer."

He turned, asking Nova if she wanted anything, when she shook her head, he walked out of the hold she had on him, laughing as he had to untangle himself from her. John B. walked toward the cooler, and sat near the steps leading onto his porch, back facing the others.

"Come on, man, I'm not the one you should be blaming," JJ continued his charade, calling after his best friend. "You're the one who died."

Nova laughed as she turned her head upward. Stars flickered along the black sky. She'd started to try and count them all, but after getting to twenty she'd lose count and start all over again.

Leaning forward in her seat, Sarah raised her eyebrows, looking at JJ, "So," she hummed, tapping her nails against the tin of the cold can in her hands. "What else did you let happen while we were away?"

Her breath catching in her throat, Nova's head quickly dropped again. Her eyes quickly went to JJ, just in time to see his own carefree demeanor change under Sarah's scope. He stiffened and his jaw clenched tightly. Slowly, his head turned to face Nova. Their gazes met. She shook her head carefully, silently pleading with him not to say it.

"Seriously, come on," pouted Sarah, even stomping her foot when no one moved to say anything. "I want some gossip. Please, something interesting had have happened while I was away."

JJ smirked, scratching his bottom lip, and Nova felt like she was going to puke, "I mean..." he sighed, leaning back in his seat. "There is this one thing that happened."

Nova tightly gripped the edge of her seat. She looked at JJ pleading with him to stop, but he was no longer looking at her, instead, at Sarah who was on the edge of her seat, eager to hear what he had to say. Her heart beat so fast she thought it was going to leap out of her chest.

"Nova and Kiara about drowned in a sewer," he said after a moment of waiting, torturing, Nova. With a sigh, she fell back into her chair, feeling as if her chest was going to collapse inward. "But of course, I saved the day."

"Holy shit, Nova!" Sarah's eyes widened as she turned to her best friend.

Playing nonchalantly, Nova rolled her eyes, "JJ wouldn't even go into the sewer, so technically it's his fault I was even in that situation."

"Yeah, because of pecker worms, Nova," JJ sat up in his seat again to argue. "They're real, I told you to look them up."

"I'm not looking up pecker worms, JJ," she said, annoyed.

Confused and slightly weirded out on the topic of conversation, Sarah and Nolan had become lost in their own conversation.

Sitting back in his chair JJ grinned. He didn't try to poke any more fun at Nova. But his eyes remained. As did the grin. He even watched as she stood up, dusting the dirt from her shorts.

Nova did her best to ignore him. But JJ wasn't even trying to hide it. Not even trying to be discreet as his eyes raked her up and down when she stood from her seat, wanting to take every piece of her in. Her heart raced and he knew even with her pretending not to notice that she could feel him.

"I'm going to go find John B," she announced to no one in particular, just needing an excuse to step away.

She was a liar. Finding John B. was not actually at the top of Nova's current priority list. She needed to get away from JJ and his wandering eyes. She had to soothe the burning of the skin that had just been under his gaze. Burn the images filling her brain. She had to remind herself that she did not want JJ. She did not actually want to feel him against her. It was the alcohol talking. Even though she wasn't even drunk.

Nova knew that she was a horrible person. Horrible, stupid, inconsiderate, and a traitor. She loved John B, she loved him more than she thought was possible. Nova couldn't imagine not loving him. It hurt too much to try. But now, there was that gut-wrenching realization that she just might have feelings for his best friend, JJ Maybank.

Except she'd never admit it. Never. No matter the hurt that she might feel. Nova was prepared to bury everything that she might feel for JJ. Because at least with John B, she knows.

Turning to head back to the others, Nova stopped. She'd caught sight of John B. and JJ standing beneath the dead tree that they had carved months ago. Now though, it seems as if they carved those initials a million years ago. John B's head was hung, his beer hanging loosely by his side. JJ stood beside him, hand resting on his shoulder. He was talking, but Nova couldn't make out the words as she stood watching.

She continued to watch them. Standing alone in the quiet. They nodded and exchanged more words before pulling one another into a hug. For a long while, they hung onto each other. It was the first time Nova had witnessed the two of them like this together. So vulnerable. Usually, these were the two causing trouble and making jokes. Sometimes Nova would forget that the bond they had was just as strong as the one she had with Sarah. It was more than being friends. They were joined at the soul. Maybe something stronger than siblings. At least, that's how Nova sometimes felt with Sarah.

Watching the two of them only made Nova think even more lowly of herself.

Laughing, the two boys stepped out of their embrace. It seemed as if they made one last joke before parting ways. John B. stepped away first. Moving back to sit with Nolan and Sarah around the fire, joining in their conversation easily, saving the empty seat Nova had left. But JJ remained standing beneath the dying tree. Alone.

Nova stepped again toward her seat. Then she stopped, again. She hesitated, looking between the two. Biting her lip, she sighed and began to finally walk.

"Hey," her voice came as no more than a whisper.

He didn't even look up at her, "Hey."

His voice was distant despite being right beside her. Their shoulders were nearly touching. Already Nova felt his electricity reach out to her, but she avoided it. She wouldn't allow herself to stand any closer to him.

Nova dropped her head and sighed. She noticed then that her hands had started to shake. Quickly she shoved them into her back pockets and rocked nervously on her heels. Her heart was pounding again, already. Since Charleston, this was the first time she'd stood anywhere beside him, and alone at that.

"You've been avoiding me," JJ stated, seeming to have noticed her absence.

She should've nodded. Should've agreed, saying, yes. Because he was right.

"No, I haven't," Nova quickly denied.

Looking at him, she could see the corners of his mouth twitching upward into a smile. But he still wouldn't look at her.

"Liar," he said simply.

Once again, she should say, yes.

"Yes, okay," she rolled her eyes, her tone a whisper but sharper than a knife. "I've been avoiding you..." finally, she admitted it. "But honestly, JJ, can you blame me?"

JJ nodded. He didn't say anything else. Didn't answer her question to him. He was satisfied enough with Nova admitting that she was lying.

But Nova was not satisfied, "You kissed me," she reminded him, though JJ didn't need reminding, that kiss is all he thought about. "You kissed me, and now everything is a jumbled mess. The guilt is eating me alive. I can't — I can't even look at you anymore without feeling guilty, JJ," she laughed humorlessly, running a hand through her hair. "And if I can't even look at you, there's no way I can be near you."

"And you don't think I feel it too?" JJ's head snapped to face her, finally. "You don't think the guilt is eating me alive?"

Nova's eyes widened in surprise at the amount of anger and frustration in his tone. His eyes bore into her own and he stepped closer to her, his entire body tense and shaking. He was close enough for her to feel that.

"Nova, John B. is my best fucking friend... he's my brother," JJ's finger slammed into his chest and his cheeks reddened in anger. Nova wasn't entirely sure if it was directed toward her or himself. "Trust me," he whispered, taking another step to her, their chests now touching, making Nova gulp and step back and away from him. "I feel just as guilty as you do."

"Then why?" she pleaded desperately. "Why did you kiss me?"

Laughing, though, with no sign of humor, JJ shook his head. He hated that she would do this. He hated that she'd act so clueless – so innocent. As if refusing to take any blame for what happened that night in his yard – against her car. It was beginning to become his biggest pet peeve.

He shook his head, "You know why, Nova."

Furrowing her eyebrows, she shook her head, "No, obviously I don't."

"Yes, you do," he told her simply.

"Dammit, JJ, just tell me already!"

"Because I am fucking in love with you, Nova!"

And it felt like Nova had been punched in her chest.

Nova Scott had always been known as the girl who loved too easily. She accepted love too quickly. She was naive on purpose because she wanted so badly to be loved. There were so many nights that she dreamed of hearing this kind of confession. But now, it just hurt. Like a punchline to a sick joke.

It left her breathless. Unable to move. To speak. She blinked. Over and over, she blinked, willing herself to wake up. This was just a dream. It wasn't real, it couldn't be real. But no matter how many times she opened and closed her eyes or pinched herself in the arm, the sights before her never changed. Everything was real.

"What?" she asked him.

Nova's last resort was hoping that maybe she'd heard him wrong.

"I know," he nodded, offering her no sort of explanation.

JJ was red in the face though he spoke calmly. His eyes still bore into her own. His posture was straight except for his head which was tilted downward to look at her. His hair tangled in the wind, though it was already a mess from the number of times he ran his hand through it while arguing. She made him think he was going insane. Made him crazy. He couldn't think when she was around him. And he couldn't think at all when she wasn't.

Nova Scott had become the bane of JJ Maybank's existence. She made his life hell but still, worth living. She'd make him laugh while at the same time getting on his last nerve. He was scared when he was around her, but also, that's where he always felt safe and understood. JJ wanted to scream at her until he was blue in the face. And still, he loved her. He loved Nova.

JJ wasn't sure when, or even how it happened, but it did. And now he was in a world of shit.

"It's crazy, right?" he laughed dryly. "But I do – I love you."

Her eyes were wide. Everything inside had gone into panic mode. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

"No, no, JJ, no," she pleaded in a whisper, running a hand through her own hair. "No – why would you tell me this?"

"Trust me, I didn't want to feel this way about you," he told her.

Nova scoffed. Anger. That was the first thing that she felt. After the initial shock of the confession wore away, the anger wormed its way inside her. And she was so angry. Angry at JJ for loving her. For telling her that he was in love with her. Angry that he chose now to tell her. When everything was already so messed up.

"Okay," she shrugged. "Then don't."

Her tone was purposefully cold. JJ knew that.

"Christ, this isn't something I can control," JJ attempted to reason with her, though he too was frustrated for his own reasons. "It's a fucking light switch I can switch on and off whenever I feel like it."

"JJ, I love him," she said, trying to soften the sharp edge in her tone. "I am in love with John B, and I just got him back. I won't – I can't lose him... not again."

JJ would like to make a promise that he wasn't going to act on these feelings. Or, at least, he wouldn't act on them more than he already had. Nova Scott was highly off-limits. She's his best friend's girl. That should be enough to make him step away. But he knew he shouldn't make promises he couldn't keep. Because he knew that if Nova told him this very second to kiss her, he'd do it. Screw everyone else. He too was allowed to be a little bit selfish.

But he also knew where he stood with Nova. He knew that there was some part of her that had feelings for him, sometimes even wanted him. But that was just a part of her. And those feelings were still very new and unfamiliar. Nova was completely in love with John B, his best friend. She knew what she felt for him. She wanted to be in love with him. And he too had completely fallen for her.

They could hear the others laughing by the fire. Slowly, Nova's anger seemed to absolve. But not completely as she crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from JJ. Her once inviting demeanor was gone. Replaced with a shield that was made only to keep JJ out.

"You aren't in love with me," was the last thing she told him, trying to convince him, before taking the first step away from him.

Nova continued walking. She didn't dare to turn around and look at him. She didn't dare to allow herself to ponder over her own feelings for JJ Maybank. Instead, she left him and everything else under the dead tree. And she hoped that he might soon realize that he wasn't in love with her. He couldn't be, not in the way that he thinks he is. JJ is only confused as Kiara said before. At least, that's what Nova kept telling herself.

She heard JJ scoff behind her. Nova stopped but didn't turn back to look at him.

"You're wrong," was all he said, and barely in a whisper.

But that whisper, Nova heard loud and clear.  

The orange fire continued to burn bright into the cool night. Laughter had once again filled the open air. Though, despite the laughs and jokes, the night had started to slow and quiet. No more were the rowdy antics. Instead, tired bodies lounge in the chairs looking over the fire as they lazily nibble on the food that Sarah had sat out. It was late and everyone was tired, but no one wanted to be the first to call it. Each of them knew what morning would hold. Responsibility.

John B's hand lay draped over the knee that Nova had pulled to her chest. Sometimes he'd lightly scratch her skin, or move his hand upward to rub her thigh, though careful to keep it safe, as Nolan was still sitting amongst them.

"You look sleepy," she heard him whisper as he leaned over into her chair, chin resting lazily on her shoulder.

Smiling, and nuzzling into his warmth, Nova sighed, "Just a little bit."

John B. nodded, kissing her cheek. He knew it was more than her being sleepy. Somehow, he was always able to tell. They were the same in many ways. Always carrying a secret burden, always worrying about something that might never even happen.

His hand moved from her knee and to the back of her neck. His touch was warm against her cool skin. His fingers grazed lightly over her, softly massaging her muscles and scalp. With a sigh, she fell back into his touch.

Nova had nearly been put to sleep. But Nolan sat up suddenly, looking in the direction of the far-off road where it sounded as if a car had sped by. His gaze fell over the others who all seemed too tired to care.

"Did you guys hear that?" he asked, sounding paranoid.

Nova furrowed her eyebrows, "You mean the wind?"

Nolan shook his head, "Nah, that wasn't the wind."

JJ groaned from his seat, he too had his eyes closed, while holding a full beer can in his hand, "Dude, it's probably just the chickens."

There hadn't been much said from JJ since he returned to his seat only minutes after Nova. He wouldn't look at her. Which was fine since she was doing the same in avoiding eye-contact, or any contact at all.

"No," Nolan shook his head, suddenly concerned. "John B, are you sure that we're the only people who know you and Sarah are back on the island?"

"We haven't told anyone," Sarah assured him, trying to seem calm and collected but the sudden worry coming from Nolan was becoming contagious. "Look, maybe we're all a little too drunk and on edge..."

Again, Nolan shook his head, "It sounded like —"

Someone's car door slamming shut made Nolan stop short of telling them he'd heard a car. It didn't take a second for everyone to realize he'd been right and that someone knew they were here. They just didn't know who could've known to follow them out in the middle of nowhere so late at night.

No matter who it was or how they got here though, someone had found them, and they were here.

"Shit! Okay, we have to hide. Now!"

"Okay, the party's over, we have to hide, like, now!" said JJ, speaking over all their worry and fear.

John B's hand instinctively found Nova's. Without a second's thought, he began pulling her away from the fire that Nolan and JJ had now busied themselves with stomping out. She was the first and only person that he thought to pull out of harm's way. He stopped her behind a tree, holding a finger to his lips to keep her quiet, John B. helped boost her onto the first branch to where she could start climbing on her own.

Nova's heart was beating uncontrollably, and her hands began to shake. Her sweaty palms would latch onto a branch, and she'd wince as small twigs and shards of wood would seep into her skin. She had never climbed a tree before today. And she didn't really know what she was doing. With each new solid footing that she found on a sturdy branch, Nova would thank a God that she didn't believe in.

"That should be good," she could barely hear John B's whispered tone below her, at first thinking it was the wind until she heard him again. "Nova, you can stop, it's okay."

Nova was in the beginning stages of having a meltdown. Her body began to shake, making her legs wobble on the small branch managing to hold her weight. The palms of her sweating hands burned as she tightened her grip on the branch above her. Pieces of wood lodged themselves into her skin.

John B. noticed this. And with no other solution, he reached up and wrapped his hand around her ankle. Feeling his touch and the run of his thumb on the back of her leg was enough to bring Nova back down to earth. It was enough to keep her from falling into a fit of panic.

Looking down, Nova was relieved to see that everyone that had once remained around the fire was gone. She'd heard John B. calling JJ over to the old tree, insisting that he hide with him and Nova. Nolan had run off somewhere with Sarah, Nova hadn't seen where they went.

The crunching of leaves and twigs became close. With one hand still steadying her against the trunk of the tree, she used the other to close her mouth which she feared might release some kind of cry. She was still shaking, and her heart was still racing, but the hand around her ankle continued to remind her that she wasn't alone.

She had been smart to cover her own mouth. For when Rafe Cameron appeared from around the house a gasp might've escaped through her lips. He stood just below her. Right under the tree that she was hiding in. Rafe began pacing, he was frantic as he looked over the obviously, recently inhabited grounds. The empty beer cans and food wrappers that littered the grass and the still smoking and hot fireplace. It gave them all away. He knew they were here. He just didn't know where they were now.

Nova watched as Rafe's attention turned to where Barry, the drug dealer who'd they'd all beat unconscious on the side of the road, stormed out of the house, letting the doors slam behind him. The glass in the door shattered as he made his way off the porch.

"Anything?" Rafe called.

"Nah," he shook his head, "Ain't shit in there, bro."

Rafe ran a hand through his perfectly gelled hair, "No?" he asked, almost as if he didn't believe Barry. "Nothing?"

"Nothing, Rafe," Barry told him as if this should've been expected.

"Look at this smoke, man!" yelled Rafe, moving over to stand beside the recently stomped-out firepit. "They were obviously just here!"

He was becoming angry – someone was trying to make a fool of Rafe and he didn't like that.

"Yeah, yeah," Barry rolled his eyes, sounding as if he was already over this little search party that Nova assumed Rafe had dragged him into. "Great observation, boy scout."

Rafe sighed, "I just mean that they're not far from here."

Barry laughed, continuing to pester an already unhinged Rafe, "You're smokey the fucking bear, bro!"

Nova kept a hand over her quivering lips as she watched the scene play out below her. Almost like a movie. She watched Rafe pace back and forth mumbling incoherent words to himself. Nova didn't know who this person was. Rafe Cameron had once been the hot, but an annoying older brother to her best friend. He was always around, having to drive Nova and Sarah to the movies or to the mall. He'd sneak them alcohol at his parties or at social events, like midsummer. Granted, Rafe Cameron had never been the best guy or even the sanest, but he was never the person Nova was watching him become now.

"P. Four. L..." Barry chuckled as his finger ran over the carved words inside the leaning tree sitting across from them. "A Pogue for Life? Your sister, too?" He turned back to face Rafe, grinning, amused. "Seems like you finally have something in common with that asshole, Nolan Scott."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Rafe crossed the lawn, "What?"

He laughed again, "Do you think they pass em' around when one is finished?" Barry taunted Rafe. "I mean, who could resist, right? Those Kook princesses, man... the things I would —"

Barry was trying to get a rise out of Rafe. He found his anger amusing. What he was insinuating was obvious. And not only would he be getting a rise out of Rafe who clutched the gun in his hand so tight that his knuckles began to appear white. But Nova could picture the red face of anger and closed fist on her older brother as well.

Rafe punched the tree in front of him, screaming, "Fuck!"

Nova jumped at the loud echoes of gunshots. Aiming at the tree Rafe shot over and over. And each time the pop of the bullets would ring through Nova's ear. She clutched the trunk of the tree tight, scratching the insides of her arm. Her forehead had also turned to rest against the prickly wood, her eyes closed tightly as her cries remained muffled by her shaking hand.

Bullets spilled like rain over them. Piercing the ground, house, shattering glass, and the trunk of the tree that Nova had taken refuge in. They whipped through the discolored leaves and by the heads of those shielding themselves behind branches. Two or three passed by Nova, so close that she could feel the wind of them when they narrowly missed her. With each shot, her body would jerk, even when she was expecting the next shot.

She'd almost given them up. Nova had wanted to scream. JJ had been too busy looking down at John B. to notice that the gun was pointed in the direction of where he hid. A bullet had shut just centimeters beside his head, lodging itself in the thick wood of the branch above him. Nova's eyes had gone wide, and her stomach dropped. She couldn't stop wondering what might have happened if he hadn't turned his head down at the moment he did.

John B's grip on Nova's ankle tightened. He hadn't let go, not even once. He squeezed, letting her know that he was still there, standing with her. Always.

"Hey! Yo!" Barry ran toward Rafe, reaching for the firing gun, unafraid of being hit by it. "Hey, chill, bro," Rafe pushed away from him, but Barry continued trying to tear the gun out of his hand. "Rafe, man, chill your shit!" He pushed Rafe, hitting his chest, making him stumble backward, dropping his arm. "You are gonna get our asses busted, let's bounce, come on."

Nova's eyes followed the two rushing bodies as they once again ran beside the tree that she was hidden in. All they had to do was look up. Three people in a tree couldn't be missed. She jerked again when the doors to the car slammed, and again when the engine roared to life and the tired spun in the dirty gravel. She waited until the sound of the engine died down the lonesome road to slowly start bringing her shaking hand away from her mouth.

It felt like hours before Nova was on the ground again. She couldn't move for the longest time. Her chest heaved and when the sound of the car had safely died away the tears began to spill down her cheeks. She continued to rest her head on the tree trunk, shoulder shaking with each aching sob that escaped from her lips. Her hands clutched at her chest, trying to slow the rate of her beating heart.

John B. stayed put for as long as Nova did. Not wanting to leave her. His hand stayed on her ankle, thumb grazing the back softly. She could hear him whispering below her, promising that everything was alright. Telling her that he was there. When she was finally able to climb down, John B. was there to help her with every step.

When she was on the ground again, Nova immediately turned and threw herself into John B's waiting arms. She cried and he soothed her, rubbing the back of her head.

"Hey," called Nolan, making Nova take a step back from John B. to look in the direction of where he called from. "Are you guys alright?"

He and Sarah had crawled out from under the old steps that led up to the old porch. Their knees and hands were covered in grime and dirt. Nolan led the way, holding Sarah's wrist as she followed closely behind him. She seemed just as shaken as Nova.

Sighing, Nova nodded, physically she was fine, despite a few scratches, "Yeah," she told him unconvincingly. "I'm fine," mentally, she wasn't sure that she'd ever be fine. "What about you? Are you good?"

"Me?" scoffed Nolan, returning to his carefree self, shrugging out of the hug he had pulled his sister into. "I'm good, No-No."

Nova cringed at the use of her childhood nickname.

Nolan was lying. All this was overwhelming. She'd drug him into this so suddenly without much explanation of anything. Of course, he wasn't going to be as good as he claimed to be. But she didn't press him. He never forced an explanation out of her. So, she'd let him sit on the shock for a bit, and when he was ready to talk to her, she'd be ready to listen.

They all went around checking on one another. Sarah pulled Nova into a hug. Both shaking, saying nothing while they held one another. Nova didn't really know what to say to her best friend. She knew an apology wouldn't go very far. Besides, she didn't know how she would apologize, or even what for. That her brother was going insane? Should she apologize for her brother being a murderer? None of those things were the fault of either girl. The silence was good for now.

No one bothered Pope or Kiara. They had been so far down on the pier that it was unlikely they heard anything. Despite the shooting of a gun was never that quiet. Everyone just assumed they'd fallen asleep by now. Hours had passed since Kiara followed Pope down the wooden dock, overlooking the soft waters.

All of them remained on edge. Sitting awake for as long as they could. After an hour, Nova couldn't take much more of it. As she felt herself drifting off once her adrenaline faded. Her entire body was tired. After a few minutes of arguing, Nova agreed to go inside with John B. while Sarah and Nolan took the first watch for the night. They'd sleep in shifts. Someone would need to be awake should Rafe and his crackhead friend choose to return.

Nova sat on the counter of the ceramic sink countertop. Her hand lay in John B's as she let him carefully take a wet cloth across the scratched surface that was covered in tree sap. Every so often she'd wince when he took the cloth over a deeper part of her cut.

"Sorry," he'd say quietly.

And Nova would shake her head, "Stop, this isn't your fault."

But by the way, that John B. would drop his head in shame, it was clear he didn't think the same as her. Furrowing her eyebrows, Nova tilted her head, trying to look at him through his long, shaggy hair.

"John B," she said softly, but he didn't look up from her hand. "Hey, John B, look at me, please," Nova pleaded with him, taking his face between her hands and lifting his head so that he was made to look at her. He blinked and his eyes moved to look anywhere but at her. "This isn't your fault; you know that right?"

"Maybe I should've stayed gone," he whispered, his gaze still low, resting on Nova's lap. "None of this would be happening if it wasn't for me."

"John —"

"You'd be safe..." he interrupted, finally looking up, his sad, tired eyes finally meeting hers. "You'd be safe if I would've stayed gone – stayed dead."

Nova shook her head, scooting off the counter so that she was standing in front of John B, "No," she told him. "You're wrong. You're so wrong because I would still be fighting for you. I'll always fight for you."

He nodded, sighing. Tiredly his head fell, forehead dropping to rest against Nova's. She kept her hands on his face, thumbs caressing his cheeks as her fingers moved to rest behind his neck, just beneath his ears. Leaning up, just slightly, Nova kissed him lightly on the lips. He tasted like beer and a gas station pop-tart.

She pulled back before he was able to fully kiss her back, "I love you," Nova whispered, reminding him. "I love you, so much, John B."

John B. nodded against her forehead, telling her that he understood without using any words, and leaning down to her this time, he pressed his lips to hers, this time he was able to deepen the kiss the way he wanted to the first time.

His hands fell lower, cupping her bottom, and he lifted her off the ground and back onto what he thought was the counter beside the sink. But it was not, and Nova dropped into the bowl of the sink breaking the kiss to shriek. Her head fell back in cackling laughter, now stuck in the small dip.

"Babe..." laughed Nova, unable to form an actual sentence. "Babe, I'm stuck."

John B. nodded, his lips pressed into a thin, tight line but eyes shining in utter amusement, "Yeah," he whispered, voice strained to keep his laughter inside. "Maybe we should take this into the bedroom."

"Maybe we should," she agreed.

He lifted her out of the sink. Instinctively, Nova's legs wrapped around John B's waist and her mouth found his again. Careful this time, he carried her down the hall and through the last door in the hallway. Before laying her down on the bed, John B. kicked the door closed behind them, refusing to pull away from their kiss.

John B. hovers over top of Nova, only breaking from their kiss to latch his lips elsewhere on her body. Her back arched and she bit the inside of lip as his burnt lips trailed along the line of her jaw. Quickly, Nova's hands found the hem of John B's old shirt and she began to pull it over his head, needing to touch him, to feel her skin on his. In return, he sat up, now shirtless, allowing Nova's hands to roam over him as his own hands trailed softly down her sides until they gripped the hem of her shirt, slowly, and much less eager than she had with him, he pulled it over her head.

It was then he noticed it. And he stopped breathing for a second as he reached to run his hands over it. His mouth shut tight, and tears glazed over his eyes. Between his fingers rest the old fabric that had once been tied around his wrist. Now, it was tied around strap of the bra attached to the girl who lay before him. The girl he loves with everything in him.

"I tie it there, sometimes," admits Nova, voice soft and airy. She watched him run his fingers over the old fabric, nearly tearing herself up. "When I don't want to lose it. That way, I never really have to take it off."

John B. didn't say anything. If he spoke now there's no way he'd be able to get a word out without falling into a mess of emotions. There was a time while he was gone that he never thought he'd see Nova again. And that was the worst time of his life. But that small, braided string around his wrist always reminded him that there was hope.

"It was a way to keep you close," Nova continued. "Because even when I thought – when I thought that..." she couldn't even bring herself to say it without wanting to throw up. "At least I would always have a piece of you."

"Jesus Christ, I love you."

Nova woke the next morning in blissful ignorance. With white sheets and old wool blankets tangling around her body her eyes blinked open, wincing as the sun glared through the small crack of the curtains revealing the scars and imperfections of the two bodies that lay pressed together in the small, twin-sized bed.

Beside her, John B. was already awake. Though barely. His hands trailed up her arms, around her shoulders, and down her back. The touch of him left chill bumps in its wake. She couldn't help but smile, this time being the first in a long time that she woke up doing so.

"Is this a dream?" asked Nova.

Her tired voice was quiet and raspy, barely even a whisper. She reached out, hand falling to rest on John B's neck, her thumb tracing the line of his jaw.

His eyebrows furrowed, "Why?"

"It just seems too good to be true."

The night before, John B. and Nova had only been asleep for no more than an hour before having to wake up again. It was their turn to take watch outside. Sarah had fallen asleep in a hammock outside, leaving Nolan awake by himself. Nova had attempted to wake up enough to join John B. but was far too exhausted, and eventually, he told her to go back to sleep, that he'd just sit awake with JJ.

It wasn't until she felt John B. slide back into the bed beside her that she woke up again. She turned around; sight blurred by sleep still laying heavy over them. He looked down at her, trying to force a smile, Nova sat up suddenly, she knew exactly then that John B. knew everything. JJ had told him about the kiss. And her heart fell to her feet.

Instantly, tears welled in her eyes, and she knew it was stupid because she was the one in the wrong, "you know..." she whispered barely able to find her voice. John B. nodded, confirming what she feared.

But he wasn't angry in the way that Nova thought he'd be. Finding out that his girlfriend and best friend made out in his absence should have upset him more, or at least, she thought it would. John B. wasn't mad at all though, instead, he apologized to her. Saying sorry for letting her believe that he was dead for so long. Leaving her and his friends to have to grieve him. And he apologized that she thought that she had to be the one to look after JJ in his absence because apparently, that's what JJ had told him. JJ had told John B. that it was Nova who picked up all his broken pieces, keeping him sane and all held together. And in a moment of confusion, he kissed her. It was nothing. They both put a stop to it as soon as it happened.

And John B. wasn't mad. Not at either of them. Because he'd been lied to. What JJ told him was a lie. But he did it to help Nova, to help clear her own conscience, and maybe even his own.

Now, waking the morning after, he was smiling as if nothing had happened. That should be a relief for Nova. But for some reason, it made her feel worse about everything.

"You should probably get dressed," John B. whispered, looking down at Nova's exposed body, making her gasp and quickly sit up, grasping at the blankets.

He began laughing, falling back on his pillow. Smiling herself, Nova playfully slapped his chest. She didn't know why she suddenly felt embarrassed when the picture of what happened between the two last night remained clear in her memory.

In one swift movement, John B. had knocked Nova onto her back again, head resting in a bundle of pillows. With his hand, he tilted her chin upward and leaned in to kiss her, gently at first, and then Nova felt the warmth of his tongue slide over her bottom lip. She laughed, pushing up on his chest, breaking the kiss.

Her hands slid under the white shirt that lay agape, running them over his stomach and to his chest, "I thought I had to get dressed?"

With a loud groan, John B. released his body weight, falling completely on top of Nova, making her laugh even more as she attempts to roll his weight off her. Eventually, he turns to his side allowing Nova an escape.

She dressed quickly in the bathroom. Getting into the clothes she'd worn yesterday before using John B's toothbrush on herself, though she found doing so incredibly disgusting she really had no other choice. Impatient, John B. waited, leaning against the bathroom doorframe, tapping at his wrist as if he was wearing a watch.

The old steps creaked under her weight. Stepping out into the sun, Nova raised her hand to use as a visor. Already, everyone was packing up the party. It nearly looked as if no one was there the night before. The lights had been unstrung from the trees, the hot tub was turned off, and the yard was cleared of all the trash that littered it only hours before. Without even greeting her, JJ handed Nova a cooler to carry to the boat, along with everyone else who headed that way, arms full of supplies to take from the yard.

"Hey!" JJ yelled when they neared the boat, him leading the group down the dock. "Guys, don't tie up!"

Kiara and Pope looked on at them, confused. Stepping off the boat they stepped up to meet everyone rushing down the wooden pier.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Kiara, confused.

Nolan stopped, handing her a bag that was only being held onto by his pinky, "We're getting the hell out of here."

"What? Why?" asked Pope, following the others onto the boat.

"What the hell happened to you two last night?" JJ asked, turning suddenly to face his two friends' eyes wide and a little frantic.

Nova lingered on the dock, waiting for Sarah so that she could help her step onto the boat. Sleeping on the hammock hadn't been great for the wound that had been sewn up by some alleyway doctor. On the boat, John B. reached out a hand, helping Sarah across the water first, and then doing the same for Nova.

"We slept on the break," said Pope, wondering why it was such a big deal. "Why? Tell us what's up."

Scoffing, Nolan walked between the two seemingly innocent lovebirds, "Yeah," he rolled his eyes. "Slept my ass..."

"Well," said JJ, finally finding a place to sit down. "Pope, everyone else was up most of the night freaking out!"

Pope and Kiara shared confused looks. Neither of them still had any idea what was going on. Not with everyone only offering vague explanations.

"Guys, Rafe knows we're here," John B. told them, the only one to have given them any kind of information. "We have to get the hell out of here, now."

No one else argued. Pope and Kiara didn't ask any other questions. They just let John B. drive wherever he felt they needed to go. No one knew where that was. And none of them really cared if it got them out of Rafe's pathway. By now though, Rafe could've already gone to his dad or the police.

Nova didn't know what compelled her to do so but she pulled her phone from her back pocket. It was nearly dead, but there was enough battery for her to send a text. Scrolling through her hundreds of contacts she stopped, finger hovering over her dad's number. Pressing it, and making sure no one around her was watching, she began typing out a quick message to him. When she finished, Nova turned her phone off, and slipped it back into the pocket of her shorts.

A little while later John B. stopped the boat, docking it beside an abandoned dock, on some empty part of the island. They all walked about quietly for the first few minutes. All racking their brains for a possible solution. How were they getting out of this again?

"Guys," said Kiara, spinning around suddenly, being the first to break the barrier of silence that had fallen over them since stepping off the boat. "If Rafe and Barry know about John B. and Sarah... it's only a matter of time before everyone will."

"Jesus, I told you, man!" yelled JJ, pointing an angry finger at John B. sending a flock of birds flying up into the sky from their previous resting place inside a tree. "We should've just gone south!"

"JJ," John B. sighed, shaking his head. "Just stop."

"I'm serious, man," laughed JJ, though there was no humor in his tone as he threw his head back. "Why does no one ever listen to me?"

"Look, I get it," John B. stopped JJ's ranting by stopping in front of him, grabbing tightly onto his shoulders, and shaking him out of his rampage. "I get it, man. I understand."

Sucking in a deep breath JJ nodded. Seeing it safe to do so, John B. released his hold on his shoulders, and JJ walked off, sliding down to sit on the old wood.

"I might have an idea," said Sarah, suddenly.

Everyone turned to face her, eyebrows furrowed, waiting, hoping to hear something that'll work.

"If I'm home, my dad's going to have to choose between me and Rafe," she shrugged as if it were a simple solution.

Nolan shook his head, "Sarah, I don't think —"

"No," she cut Nolan off, holding her hand up, and voice quivering. "My dad is going to choose me."

Sarah looked around the group, waiting for someone to agree with her. To tell the others that they were insane for thinking that Ward wouldn't choose his daughter over the boy who killed someone right in front of her. The boy who shot her and nearly killed her. But no one said anything, and then her eyes landed on Nova, looking at her pleadingly.

She didn't know what to say. Sarah's been gone, she doesn't know what's been going on. She hasn't seen the lengths that her father has gone to, to protect Rafe. Sarah didn't know about the man that Ward had killed. The way he's been blaming Nova, and everyone else in having a hand in her supposed death.

Nova shook her head, biting the inside of her lip until she tasted the familiar tang of iron, "I can't say that he would choose you anymore, Sarah," she whispered, hating the fact that it was her who had to break her best friend's heart. "You haven't been here, Sarah. You don't know – he'll just keep lying to you."

Sarah nodded, lip quivering. She was trying to be strong, to understand, but the pain of losing so much of the family that she'd once felt safe with was tearing her apart. And she hated that she knew that Nova was right. Looking back, she found that it was rare for her father to have ever been truthful with her.

"Your dad isn't the same man as he was when you left the island," Kiara warned her.

But none of them understood. This was her dad. This man raised her and loved her. Even if he was a vile person now, there had to be a part of him that would still love his daughter. At least, that's what Sarah wanted to be true.

"I know it sounds crazy," said Sarah, still trying to hang on to that small thread of hope that she had. "But he's my dad and I know that he loves me, in his own way," she tells everyone. "I'm just needing a few hours."

No one had anything else to say. It seemed as if everyone was fine with Sarah returning home and risking her life, which Nova couldn't understand.

"A few hours to what, Sarah?" Nova asked, being the only one to step forward and go against her stupid and rather dangerous plan. "To let your dad lock you away on another plane and fly you to some deserted place where we can't find you?"

"Nova, please —"

"No! I don't trust him," she crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head. "He's dangerous and I doubt he'll stop when it comes to hurting you too."

"I have to try, Nova!"

"Then I'm going with you!"

Nova wasn't going to let Ward hurt her again.

"No, you aren't," said Nolan, shaking his head.

He stood against the dock railing; arms crossed over his chest. He was trying to be the protective over brother type, right now. But Nova wasn't having it.

"Yes, I am," she said defiantly.

"Jesus Christ, Nova, just stop and think for a second!" Nolan yelled at her, standing up, off the railing. "Sarah is Ward's daughter, you, you are nothing to him. There is nothing keeping him from hurting you."

Except, she wasn't wanting to stop and think, right now.

Nova laughed, running a hand through her tangled hair, "I don't care about him hurting me!"

"We do, Nova!" John B. yelled, standing on the other side of the pier, surprising Nova and everyone else. "We care about what happens to you!"

No one understood her. She ran her two hands over her face and groaned, annoyed. They weren't listening, none of them were. None of them cared that Sarah was her best friend and she was about to put herself in harm's way.

Nova shook her head, "We can't let her go alone," she said through clenched teeth. "Someone has to be there if—"

"No one can be there," Sarah said, looking at Nova, her expression stern. "My dad blames you, Nova, all of you," she told them. "If he sees one of you with me, he'll shut down. There's no way that he'll talk to me if one of you are there."

Nova still didn't like the plan, but she was outvoted. The last time she had left Sarah, they found her being forced onto a plane. Then she had been made to disappear for months. Nova went months without the person she would swear she couldn't live without, and every minute was hell. Now, she had to risk losing her all over again. She had to be okay with the idea that Ward might hurt Sarah. But she wasn't okay, she wasn't okay with any of it.

She watched Sarah disappear far off into the sound waters with her arms crossed over her chest. Biting the inside of her lip, she turned back to face the others, they all watched her with careful, but worried eyes. Scoffing, she stomped down the wooden planks, only stopping when John B. reached out, grabbing her hand.

Nova turned, facing him, he looked at her pleadingly, begging her to try and understand why they said what they did.

"Not now, John B," she told him, taking her hand out of his.

She walked off the dock, stomping the entire way down until she reached the sand. She continued down the beach, arms crossed over her chest until she found a spot far away enough from the others, and she fell into the hot sand. Her forehead rest on the knees that had been pulled up to her chest. She listened to the birds fly in the sky over her, wishing she too was one of them and fly away from all her troubles.

Nova didn't want to hear their rational arguments on why she shouldn't have gone with Sarah. She didn't care about it being dangerous. She cared about protecting her best friend. They all just expected her to understand their reasonings but she didn't, and. she didn't try to. It wouldn't matter how much sense they made. Everyone had let Sarah go to the man who they'd once thought so dangerous that they planned for Sarah to disappear.  And Nova had to watch her go, alone. 

At the moment, she just wanted to be angry. She wanted to yell and scream at the world. Because the hand that Nova had been dealt was absolute shit. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be. Everything was wrong and Nova was a mess. 

It wouldn't be this way had they just stuck to the plan. Nova was supposed to have been on that boat with John B. and they should have made it to Mexico. It was supposed to be an easy escape and they'd only have to wait a few days, weeks maybe, until Lincoln was able to bring them home, having cleared John B's name. If that had worked out he wouldn't still be suspected of murdering Peterkin, and no one on the island would think that he kidnapped Sarah Cameron as some kind of bargaining chip. 

But John B. had let her go. He'd stopped at the damn dock and let her go. If only he'd stuck to the plan then maybe Nova wouldn't have spent months thinking he was dead. She wouldn't have had to grieve him. They wouldn't have had to watch Ward kill a man in cold blood. Sarah wouldn't have been shot. 

If John B. and Nova had just gone to Mexico things would be like they were supposed to be. But they hadn't. And now, everything was wrong and messy. Like things with JJ. If Nova had been on that boat then she wouldn't feel the way she did about it. She never would've been given the chance. 

It was at that very moment that Nova had admitted such a thing to herself. It was no longer a maybe. She did have feelings for JJ. 

Just then, as Nova sniffed and wiped the tears off her cheeks, Kiara sat down in the sand beside her, stretching out her legs with a tired sigh. 

"Hey," she said, completely nonchalant. 

Nova looked over at her. Kiara looked out at the empty ocean, eyes squinting under the bright sun. Her hands ran along the sand, burying themselves in it before pulling them out and doing the same thing again.

"Did they send you over here to try and talk some sense into me?" asked Nova, looking at the dock where the boys still littered, all of them pretending not to not be watching them. 

Kiara shrugged, "They didn't think it was such a bad idea," at least she was being honest. "But I was going to come over here regardless."

"I'm fine," she told Kiara quickly. "You can tell them that I'm all right."

"You aren't fine, Nova," she turned, eyebrows furrowed together as she shook her head. "None of us are fine."

Nova nodded. Kiara was right. There was no point in lying about that when everyone else was suffering just the same. She wasn't alone in her struggles, everyone else was fighting the same fight. Everyone was always just as worried as she was. 

She looked at Kiara again, who had gone back to looking out where the ocean met the sky. It was almost laughable, the two of them sitting here, consoling one another in silence. Kiara hadn't even wanted Nova around at first. She had purposefully tried to hurt her. Nova didn't trust Kiara. Knowing how Kiara felt about her and Sarah, Nova didn't trust that if it came down to it, she'd risk anything to help them. 

And in the past couple of months, Kiara had become the person Nova trusted most on the island. 

"I lied to you," blurted Nova, not knowing where this sudden need to tell her the truth had come from. With furrowed eyebrows, Kiara turned to look at her again, waiting for an explanation. "When I told you about JJ kissing me... I let you believe things that weren't true."

With her lips set tightly, Kiara nodded, "Yeah," she said. "I figured that much."

Nova sighed, "I know that I'm a horrible person," she said before Kiara could get the chance to yell at her about all the things she's already said to herself. "I know that I shouldn't ─"

Chuckling, Kiara shook her head, "This doesn't make you a bad person, Nova."

"It doesn't?" she asks with furrowed eyebrows. 

"It makes you human."

Kiara and Nova found their way back to the dock. Kiara had to force a very embarrassed Nova up and out of the sand so that they could walk back to the others. They'd had a good cry and exchanged gossip, it helped Nova, even if just for a bit. 

No one questioned Nova when she returned. She wasn't grilled or asked if everything was all right. They already knew the answer to that question. Nova apologized for yelling at Nolan to which he easily shrugged it off. It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. They are siblings, they fight and argue daily. And always, they forgive each other. 

Looking at John B, Nova sighed. She went up to him and wrapped her arms around his torse, burying her head in his chest. He wasted no time at all in returning the sentiment. Again, and again, she whispered apologies, voice muffled by his cotton t-shirt. She felt horrible. She'd been so cold to him when walking away. All because of her own confusion. But there was one thing she wasn't confused about ─ one thing that she'd never been confused about. It was loving him. No matter how she felt about anyone else, Nova knew that she was in love with him, and for now, that's all that mattered to her. 

Now, they sit or stand quietly on the dock. Nova sat on the old wood, Kiara behind her, raking her hands through Nova's tangled hair as if she was brushing it. They all still also kept a close eye on the waters and listened for approaching engines. All waiting on Sarah to return. Hopefully, bringing back some kind of good news. But Nova wasn't going to hold her breath in waiting for that. Besides, Ward Cameron would happily let her suffocate. 

"Honestly, I don't even get it," Nova winced as Kiara's fingers tore through a knot in her hair. "What did I do to make Ward Cameron blame me for Sarah turning against him?"

Pope looked down at her, furrowing her eyebrows, "You really don't know?"

Genuine, Nova shook her head.

Grinning, a little embarrassed, Pope looked down the dock, not saying another word. He didn't need to say anything else. Not when Nova was able to follow his gaze to the person standing at the edge of the dock. Looking at John B's figure leaning against the railing, she nodded, understanding.

"Yeah, okay – okay, I get it," she said when everyone started to laugh at her.

Nolan though shook his head, a disgusted look taking over the expression on his face, once again, making them all laugh.

The sun blared hot over them all. Nova was sweating and becoming desperate for a shower. Even a quick, five-minute shower. Right now, she'd settle for a hairbrush and soap. That way it wouldn't be Kiara's hand tearing through the knots in her hair, and if she had soap, she'd use the ocean water to rinse it off.

"Yo, guys, look!" Nolan stood up off the dock, pointing toward the water as he walked to the edge where Pope and John B. stood, waiting. "I think it's Sarah..."

Kiara and Nova stood as well, following Nolan. He met her first, helping her tie the boat to the dock pole. She sniffled, taking his hand, allowing him to help her across the water and onto the dry-rotted wood.

Everyone was silent, waiting to hear what she had to say. If they were sitting, they'd all be on the edge of their seat, leaning forward. But not Nova. All it took was one look and she knew. This wasn't the good news she was hoping to give them.

Sarah shrugged, "You guys were right," she whispered, bottom lip trembling. "I'm sorry..."

Pushing past the others, Nova found Sarah, wrapping her arms tight around her.

"This isn't on you, Sarah," Kiara shook her head, standing behind Nova.

She nodded, pulling out of the hug. Obviously, she wasn't okay. Everyone knew what it meant that she didn't bring good news. It meant that Ward wouldn't choose her. And that last thread of hope that she had was cut.

"Well," JJ clapped his hands loudly, not even bothering to take a second to let all this sink in before speaking. "It's settled, ya'll need to load up in the paddy wagon and get the hell outta dodge... now."

Nova's hold on Sarah's hand tightened.

"He's right," Pope sided with JJ. "You'll need supplies, and you'll have to split as soon as possible."

"But..." Nova bit her lip, looking over at John B. who had already been looking over at her, and her voice cracked. "We just got them back."

She had just got them back.

Nolan stood beside her, shaking his head, still facing the far-away waters, "I don't think anyone is going anywhere."

Confused by Nolan's sudden protest they all turned to face him. It was then they saw that he wasn't protesting anything. He was just stating a fact. At the sight, Nova's stomach fell to her knees. Sirens wailed in the distance, only getting closer with every passing second. The once calm waters shook to life under the engines of the boats flashing red and blue.

Nova counted, one... two... three... they were gonna be trapped.

"Fucking Ward!" yelled Nova.

Pope shook his head, "There has to be another way outta here."

A loud, booming voice echoed through the air just then, as if knowing they planned to run, "Stay on the docks with your hands up!"

Of course, they weren't about to actually listen.

So, they ran. All of them. Off the dock, through the sand, and into the wooded area lined with trees and bushes. Sand kicked up behind them and they splashed through swampy waters, ignoring the orders to stop sounding loud behind them. They jumped over fallen trees and logs, avoiding being scratched by thorns and twigs.

Nolan was basically carrying Sarah through the woods. With his arm around her back, he pulled her through the vigorous pathways as she clutched onto the bandaged area on her stomach. They had to run through weeds standing taller than Nova. She couldn't see anything. Not even who was running in front or behind her. Luckily, without her even realizing, John B. had taken her hand when they began running, and she'd been following him and his every turn.

She could still hear the orders being shouted at them from behind. They were closing in on them. Nova could hear them splashing through the waters just as they found their way out of it. There was little left for them to run, and they decided to find solace behind a line of large, tall trees. And they might've been safe there, maybe the police running behind them wouldn't have noticed them. But the wailing, flashing cars that stopped in front of them, they noticed.

"We're trapped," Pope, breathed heavily, looking all around them. "They're surrounding us... what do we do?"

JJ shook his head, watching as the police stepped out of the waters behind their line of trees, "There's no getting out of this," he told them. "We have to take a stand."

With furrowed eyebrows, Nova turned to look at JJ. She watched as his trembling hands reached into the waistband of his shorts. Her throat nearly closed when she watched him pull out the familiar black gun, holding it close to his body. She shook her head. Nova could tell by the look on his face that he truly planned to use that gun.

"What?" she continued to shake her head "JJ, no – no, you can't..." her voice trembled as she moved to reach for the gun, wanting to rip it out of his hands, but he dodged her attempt, and still in John B's arms, he was able to hold her back. "They will kill you, JJ... please!"

He moved her to stand behind him and then he stepped in front of JJ instead. John B. held JJ's shaking hands, eyes locking on his. He reached out, stopping JJ before he could turn out from behind the trees.

Nova watched, tears burning her eyes. JJ fought against him, but in the end, he gave in. His head fell to rest on John B's shoulder, letting him take the gun from his hands. Letting John B. save his life. Save everyone's life.

And before they were closed in on, John B. tossed the gun aside, and quickly, Nolan moved to conceal the weapon. Using his foot to cover it with grass and leaves.

"Hey, look at me," he told JJ, forcing him to look, John B. nodded. "It going to be all right," he assured his best friend. His eyebrows raised and he tried to smile, "Here we go..."

"No!"

Before he could surrender himself, Nova lunged, reaching for his wrist, thankfully she caught it. She pulled him back toward her and fell into his chest. Her fists beating into him as she cried. Smacking his shoulders and chest. Nova shook her head, swearing at him, telling him that she hated him, that if he did this, she would hate him forever. He couldn't do this to her again. And then she felt him kiss the top of her head and she knew none of what she was saying was true.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, and I love you, okay?" he whispered into the top of her head as she cried into his chest. Her heart was breaking all over again. "I love you. I love you... Nova... you have to let go," he tried to back away from her, but she wasn't letting him go, the grip she had on his shirt was too strong.

Nova wasn't going to let him walk away from her again so easily.

"I'll be fine, I promise," John B. tried telling her.

But it was no use. Not again. She wasn't letting him go, again.

And then a pair of arms wrapped around her waist as if they were told to do so, pulled her away from him. She fought against them the best she could, but with John B. pushing away from her, and the person behind her pulling her back, it was no use, she lost.

Nova kicked and screamed at the person behind her. As she watched John B. back away from her, mouthing that he loved her and that he was sorry over and over again. And she couldn't get to him. Nova just wanted to tell him that she loved him too, but she couldn't find the words to pass through her sobs.

"John B. step out into the clearing!" the sounds of Officer Shoupe's ordered echoed through the air, and he listened, stepping out from behind the trees, his hands up. "Get down! Get down and do not move!"

"Look, I'm surrendering," John B. said, dropping to his knees.

"Do not move!"

"Keep your hands up!"

More policemen shouted at him, circling him, Nova continued to fight against the arms holding her, thinking that if she could just get to him. If she could just talk to Shoupe.

On his knees and hands raised, John B. looked up at Shoupe, "Hey, I want to testify."

"Well, it's about time," said Shoupe, stepping up to meet him.

John B's hands had been behind his head. He'd made no threats. No weapons were visible. Yet, every officer had their guns raised and pointed. Their fingers rested on the trigger as if hoping he'd made a move that would allow them to squeeze. But he followed their orders. Letting them scream in his face and frisk him, unreasonably rough.

There was no reason for him to be lifted off the ground only to be thrown back down onto it. They'd all seen it. Nolan had to catch JJ's arm before he got himself arrested. Nova, fell back into the person holding her, soon finding it was Pope who'd pulled her away and continued to hold her to keep her from falling to the ground.

"Shoupe, please!" yelled Nova, her voice becoming hoarse. "Please, make them stop, please, he didn't do – he didn't do anything!"

Nova's cries were mixed in with everyone else's. All of them were pleading and begging for the police to stop. But no one was listening. No one moved to stop the obvious abuse. They continued to stomp and kick him. John B. was curled on the ground, spitting blood out of his mouth as Officer Thomas continued kicking at his ribs.

Officer Thomas bent down, grinning maliciously, they heard him whisper, "This one's for Peterkin..."

Standing back up, his black leather boot hit John B. in the face. From there, it was lights out.

Nova cried, holding the arms wrapped around her, and crying into Pope's chest. She closed her own eyes, hoping that maybe she was right this morning.

Maybe this day had just been a dream.  

·☼·

( the outfit nolan threw in a bag for nova )

·☼·

author's note:

The longest chapter yet for this book. This is also the last chapter that will have been a re-post since I have finished my editing/rewriting. Now, all content will be completely new, never-bore posted chapters. 

So much happened, like sooo much! Hopefully, you all were able to keep up with the overflowing emotions. The big reunion and a confession!

Let me know what you think. Thoughts. Theories. Anything you want to say. I love reading them.

Also, yay for more Nolan content. 

edited: 06/15/22