I'D CONVINCED my dad to let me out of the house for a few hours to spend some time with Kie. I was grateful I didn't have to spend the night in the hospital. I couldn't have thought of anything worse to be honest, especially after Peterkin's unannounced visit.

I had to admit I was more than glad that those square groupers were dead, it was one less problem off our hands but then whoever killed them was still running around. I just prayed they didn't get as far as what the square groupers did in terms of coming after us — I don't think I could handle someone else trying to kill us.

My friend picked me up and we went to her dads restaurant for dinner. There was just something about being in The Wreck that made me feel at ease, maybe because every time I was here I was with my friends and they were my safety blanket. I felt safe when I was with them and there was nothing that could beat the comfort and the support that came from them.

Kie and I sat down in a booth and one of the waitresses on shift that night served us. I tucked into my food seconds after it was put in front of me, I was starving and there was nothing better than Mr. Carerra's cooking.

Kie was still disappointed our mission to find the gold had gone south — even though she wouldn't admit it to me — but there was no point in us dwelling on it now. It had happened, there was nothing else we could do to change it. I think deep down we all knew it was most likely going to be a bust but the further on we got the more the odds climbed higher. We really thought we were going to find the gold and we didn't, of course it was disappointing.

I could see why Big John was so obsessed with finding the Merchant now though. I never understood it before, why he'd dedicated so much of his life to something that was potentially just one big fluke, but I got it now. It was the thrill of the chase that he loved, a bit like me in regards to doing dangerous things — I did it because I loved the feeling. So did he, he loved the thrill of a breakthrough, of piecing together another part of the jigsaw. It was just a shame that the completed puzzle didn't lead us to the gold, rather just the discovery of the Merchant.

We'd all put our asses on the line to find the gold even though we didn't have to and to come away empty handed was a bit of a kick to the balls — especially after everything we'd gone through already.

I took the large plaster off my forehead as soon as I walked out of those hospital doors. I didn't want to walk around with it on, it was huge and it covered most of my forehead — the injury itself was going to present me with unwanted attention, I didn't particularly want people gawking at a big bandage on my head either. Plus, I'd cracked my head open, I wanted to see the damage that I'd done — or rather Heyward's boat — and low and behold damage there was. I'd narrowly avoided stitches, according to the nurse, and I had ten thin white steri-strips across the closed gash on the side of my forehead, reaching down to my temple.

I'd about finished with my food, turning to picking at the fries left when Kie started another conversation up with me. She was eating the leftover fries in her basket, sat opposite me in the booth when her eyes flickered over me, "So.. you and JJ." She tiptoed and I looked at her through my eyelashes, "What's that all about?"

"What's what all about?" I asked her. There was a lot she could be talking about right now regarding JJ and I.

"Oh come on." She scoffed in disbelief, "You guys are acting like you're mackin' on each other— not to mention he jumped into the sea today after you."

"Well I was hoping one of you would've." I grumbled, looking down to the fries.

She sipped her milkshake and shook her head, swallowing the drink, "No, you didn't see his face when we set you down on the deck. You didn't see him stressing out in the hospital."

"JJ, stressing out over a girl. How the tides have turned." I retorted.

She arched a brow at me. I was trying to play it down to her, we didn't even know ourselves what we were doing yet so how was I supposed to tell my friend? But inside I was fighting the blush that was dying to take place on my cheeks and expose me, I was trying to ignore the feeling that came with Kie telling me JJ was worried about me. It was a feeling I was learning to love, one that was making me feel important.

Eventually, I sighed and sat back in my seat while looking to my friend, "Honestly Kie, I don't know." I confined in her and I watched her grin, "John B told me the other night JJ cares about me, and he even told me himself—"

"—Of course he cares about you." She agreed, "The way you two fit and mix together is just— I've never seen anything like it. You're like the same person but total opposites at the same time, it's crazy."

I nodded, "It hard though because I don't know how to go about this." I told her while dropping my head into my hand, "You know me Kie, you know what I do and you know what JJ does. We don't do relationships, neither of us have lasted longer than twelve hours with a person."

She nodded in understanding, stirring her milkshake with the soggy paper straw, "I know. I guess you guys have just got to be honest with each other through this whole thing. It's new for you both."

I sat back in my chair, picking at the fires in the red basket, "I didn't even realise what I was feeling for him was different until that night with John B, you know?"

She arched a brow, "You mean when you slept together?"

"Yeah, that." I responded stiffly, "JJ and I were flirting and having fun all night and when he left to go and meet up with that Melanie Kleeton.. I don't know I was just gutted. I wanted that to be me he was going to mess around with but it wasn't and then I saw John B and I thought, 'yeah, why the fuck not'."

But then was that me using John B, my friend, as a way to try and compensate for my feelings?

"So you thought sleeping with John B would help you not to feel sad about JJ?" Kie asked me.

I chuckled under my breath and nodded, "Stupid, I know. I guess I did it out of jealousy."

"And then you realised you actually had feelings for JJ?"

"I'm a terrible person aren't I?" I asked her with a loud sigh.

She shook her head, "I don't think you are."

"It's just—I never got jealous when John B used to flirt with other girls at Keggers or parties but seeing JJ doing it used to mess with me something rotten. I hated it."

"All right." My friend leaned forwards in her chair and rested her arms on the table, "So we've got to think of a way for you guys to step over this friend line properly. Have you kissed yet?"

I shook my head, "I've thought about it though."

"Okay, so we're thinking about it, that's good." She told me, "I guess you've got to just sit down with him and say you want to take it further, instead of tiptoeing around him."

"Can't I just kiss him?" I asked with an arched brow, "If I wanted to sleep with a Touron or something I wouldn't just say 'hey why don't we have sex' I'd kiss them to give them the idea."

She facepalmed. I watched Kie run her hands over her face, "You're so bad with feelings." She groaned.

I dropped my head into my head, "I know because I've never had these before, they're freaking me out. I don't know what to do with them."

"If your feelings are freaking you out JJ's feelings will probably be freaking him out too." She told me, "You guys are the same when it comes to things like this."

I pulled a face, "No we're not."

"Yes, Mal." She responded, "You are."

I rolled my eyes, "So what do I do?"

"I can't tell you." Kie responded, "I can advise you but you have to speak your mind at the end of the day."

I looked out of the mesh screen window and watched the sun setting over the horizon, "And what would you advise me?"

"That communication is key."

I looked at her, "What if I kissed him first and then we talked about it?"

She groaned in despair, rolling her eyes. Kie picked up her phone for the time before looking at me, "Why don't we go down to the movie series, huh?" She asked, "Pope and I are meeting there."

"Isn't that in Figure Eight?" I asked her.

"You know it's in Figure Eight." She replied, "It's there every year."

I nodded, "Yeah, why not." I responded, "I'm not gonna eat anymore anyways."

She grinned at me, "Great."

• • •

I feel like Kie and Pope had somehow been concocting behind my back because when we got to the movie series she looked very smug. I wanted to ask why but then I saw JJ sat next to Pope.

So obviously they'd planned this between them and now they were meddling. I didn't get why though because it wasn't like JJ and I weren't on speaking terms at the minute. I had a feeling they were trying to get us to confess our feelings for each other but if that was the case Kie truly hadn't listened to what I'd just told her.

It wasn't that JJ and I were tiptoeing around our feelings.. we just didn't know how to explain them.

"Evenin'." Kie greeted as we walked over to them, a cooler and a deck chair in her hand while I carried my own chair.

They both looked at us and Pope's eyes widened fakely, "Kie, Mally, I didn't know you were coming."

"Oh, come on Pope." I rolled my eyes, "You're, like, the worlds worst liar."

His face fell and I walked over to JJ's side, unfolding my chair and sitting down next to him with a sigh, "What are these two up to?" I asked him lowly.

JJ grinned at me, "I have no idea."

I narrowed my eyes gently at him, "Sure about that?"

"Dead serious." He replied, "Looks like they're concocting."

"Right?" I agreed with him, "Those were my exact thoughts."

He chuckled and I watched his eyes break from mine and flicker upwards to my forehead, "I didn't think you were coming."

I shrugged, "I don't want to stop in a house with no power all night by myself so I figured I'd have dinner with Kie and she asked if I wanted to come over here with her."

JJ nodded, "As long as you're feeling all right. If you need someone to carry you home or something I wouldn't be opposed to it."

I rolled my eyes in response and a small breeze lapped us. My arms and legs coated in goosebumps and I rubbed them for warmth. JJ reached into his bag and brought a long sleeved top out, handing it to me, "Here."

I shook my head, "I'm fine."

"C'mon." He pushed with a mischievous grin, "Besides it's kind of a turn on seeing you wearing my clothes."

I shook my head before reaching for the shirt, "Fine." I muttered, snatching it out of his hands before slipping it over my head and putting it on.

"Better?" He asked me with a smirk.

"Shut up." I responded, "Look I'm going for a drink, you want anything?"

"Pepsi?" He asked and I nodded, getting up from my seat.

I walked over to the drinks shack, grateful there was no queue and leaned on the wooden counter. I gave the vendor a small smile, he looked like a Pogue, "Uh, can I have two Pepsi's please?"

"Yeah sure." He responded.

I nodded and looked around while I waited, this place was full of Kooks.

"Hey, Davis. What the hell are you doing here?"

I groaned while dropping my head. The hell did I do to deserve this?

I looked up, extremely unimpressed to see Rafe Cameron stood next to me casually, "The hell do you want?" I asked him with an arched brow.

"Woah." He held his hands up, "No need for the hostility, Mally, just came over to see how it's going but by the look of your head.. not too hot."

The vendor returned with my drinks and I paid him for it with a small thanks before grabbing them and looking at Rafe, "Is that all you came over to say, Rafe?" I asked, "Because I'm bored and you're annoying."

He chuckled, stepping closer towards me, "Tell your boy we know what he did."

I nodded once, "Wish I knew what shit you're chatting about Rafe but thankfully I don't."

"Just tell him." He told me, "He'll know."
I smiled fakely at him and walked away, "Yeah, bye." He called after me.

"Die in a ditch!" I called back, not bothering to turn around. I could see the Kook's looking at me with shocked faces but I couldn't give a rats ass. Instead I walked back to my chair and sat down, "So I just had a lovely conversation with Rafe Cameron." I told them, passing JJ's drink to him. They turned to me and I could tell by the face Pope was pulling he knew exactly why Rafe was talking to me, "What the fuck did you guys do?" I asked.

"We didn't do anything." JJ jumped in, shaking his head innocently at me.

"Pope?" I questioned him, arching a brow.

He shrugged, "No idea what you're talking about."

"If you're lying to me—"

"—What did Rafe say?" Kie asked me.

"Well nothing of much interest until he said, and I quote, 'tell your boy that we know what he did'."

"Where is he?" JJ asked me.

I sat back in my chair, "Over at the back." I told him and we turned to see him.

I saw Topper and Kelce stood with him and Topper gave us a fake smile. He locked eyes with me and I stuck my finger up at him, looking away.

"Great, the whole death squad are here." Pope said.

JJ pushed him to face forwards, "Don't stare, bro." I rolled my eyes, "Just warning you, if they come for me I'm swinging." He said and I rose a brow at him, "I'm on edge right now."

"I thought you didn't do anything?" I asked.

He turned to me, "Nope, but I did pull a gun on him the other night, remember that?"

"Yeah I remember." I grumbled.

He nodded and lifted up his bag to Pope, "Look I've got this here."

"Yeah, yeah." Pope nodded and I leaned forwards to look at Kie as they natted on to each other. She seemed to be thinking the same I was.

She sighed, "I'm sorry JJ.. please tell me that you did not bring a gun here? JJ there are kids—"

"—No, Kie, I didn't bring the gun." He interrupted, "Everything's fine, okay?"

"Oh, wow, thank you. That's really convincing. I love that, JJ." Kie snapped.

"If you've brought that gun I'm going to shoot you with it." I told JJ and he turned to look at me, "I'm being fucking serious."

He ran his tongue across his bottom lip as the announcer started the movie.

"Founding principle, you guys." Kie reminded, "No secrets amongst Pogues.. what is Rafe talking about?"

Pope turned to Kie and leaned in, "It might go down tonight."

I laughed sarcastically and sat back in my chair, "So you did do something. I swear you fucktards—"

"We didn't do anything." JJ told me.

I didn't meet his eyes as I shook my head, "I'd rather you just tell me then continuing to lie about it so I'm not shocked when I do actually find out."

• • •

It had gotten dark just after the second movie started, it was a black and white one and normally I wouldn't have the patience for old movies but this one wasn't all that bad. I wish I could say I wasn't thinking about what JJ and Pope could've possibly done but my mind couldn't conjure anything, I still had a headache too and overthinking was making my head hurt even more.

The four of us sat in relative silence through the movies and I was finding it surprisingly relaxing. It was nice to just chill out and not worry about who killed the square groupers chasing us or finding four hundred million dollars worth of gold on the island.

I had to admit I was almost asleep, especially with JJ running his finger over my knee, his hand resting on the bottom of my thigh.

I was distracted from the movie though when JJ and Pope started whispering between each other and I turned my head to see JJ looking around.

"What are you doing?" I asked him lowly.

He met my eyes, "Pope needs to take a leak."

Behind him I saw Pope throw his hands up into the air in despair, he obviously didn't want me to know that. I looked back at JJ and arched my brow, "And you have to go with him?"

JJ shrugged, "Girls go to the bathroom together all the time."

I bit my lip, holding back the words on my tongue. Instead I gestured for them to go and they did, dodging between the deck chairs and people.

"Where are they going?" Kie asked me.

"For a piss apparently." I turned back to her, "But the bathroom is the other way."

"What? They gonna hold it for each other?" Kie asked me.

I shrugged and watched them walk away, constantly looking around themselves and it just didn't sit right with me. They wouldn't use the bathroom, JJ brought his gun, what Rafe said to me.. I don't know. I just didn't like it.

I did a quick glimpse around me and I caught Kelce walking behind the big screen the movie was being projected on to. I turned behind me to see the chairs him, Rafe and Topper were occupying were now empty and I tried to contain an annoyed sigh. I grumbled to myself, here I was about to play the mediator between my stepbrother and his friends and my.. I don't know — I don't know what JJ was to me at the moment.

"Mal. Where are you going?" Kie hissed to me.

I'd gotten out of my seat and I was walking away, "To make sure Pope and JJ don't die."

I mumbled apologies to people as I walked passed them, blocking their view of the movie until I made my way round the back of the screen.

I wish I could say I was surprised to see Rafe, Topper and Kelce fighting JJ and Pope but I wasn't. It annoyed me and I sighed lowly, "Well fuck me, it's a party round here." I said quite loudly and the five of them turned to me, "Where was my invite?"

"Go away Mally this has nothing to do with you." Topper said to me, holding Pope in a headlock.

"Don't tell her what to do!" JJ yelled over to him, stood by Rafe.

Rafe shoved JJ, "Hit a nerve did he?" He asked him, "Protective over your little girlfriend, huh?

Great, that was all we needed, Rafe belittling JJ. That was going to go down well.

JJ stepped forwards and he was entirely unphased that Rafe was taller than him and he swung his fist. I winced, however, when Rafe jabbed JJ in the side before he could hit him and I dashed forwards, "Rafe!"

I was pulled back and Kelce locked his arms around me, stopping me from running over to Rafe.

"Kelce!" I growled in annoyance, "Get off me."

"See that JJ?" Rafe provoked, "You can't even protect her."

I watched JJ step forwards on his right foot, arms up, "JJ stop it!" I shouted over to him, still pushing on Kelce's arms. We were lucky the sound of the movie was drowning this whole thing out.

"Yeah that's it, kick his ass Rafe!" Kelce shouted over my shoulder and I saw Topper swing for Pope.

"Kelce I'm not in the mood!" I yelled back, "Don't make me hurt you."

He scoffed in my ear, "You couldn't—"

I shoved my elbow into Kelce's stomach and he grunted behind me, doubling over. I shook my head at him, "Seriously I elbowed you, stop acting like a girl."

I heard Kie shouting and I turned to see her hitting Topper with JJ's bag to get him off of Pope. Great, I thought to myself, at least I don't have to get into it with my stepbrother tonight too.

I walked — or rather stormed — over to Rafe and JJ but when Kelce grabbed me from behind I didn't waste a second before I turned and punched him in the face. He stumbled back again and I felt that rush zipping through my body.

Angry me plus adrenaline junky me wasn't a good combo.

Rafe went in for a hit and grabbed JJ by the back of his jumper, pulling him away from the attack before stepping in and kicking Rafe in the stomach, "C'mon on then Rafe." I snapped as he stumbled back.

"Stay the fuck out of this Mally!" Topper shouted at me. He had Pope in a choke hold.

"I'll stay out of it when you leave me and my friends alone, Topper!" I retaliated, walking over to him.

Rafe jumped in, grabbing my wrist but I put my hand on his arm and twisted the one he was holding. I pulled Rafe's arm up at an angle and twisted it behind his back before kicking him in the knees.

The adrenaline was fuelling me right now and I was so angry that these idiots would just jump in on a fight like this.

"Dirty Pogue sank his boat." Rafe told me, standing to his feet, "He deserves everything he's gonna get!"

I rounded on Rafe, "His name is Pope." yelled, narrowing my eyes at him, "And I know the only reason he'd ever do anything like that was because someone provoked him. So I'm willing to bet that you've done something, am I right Topper?"

Topper loosened his hold on Pope's neck but he still couldn't get loose.

"You hit you get hit back." Rafe snarled at me, gripping my wrist tightly.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw JJ scramble towards me, blood trickling from his lip, "Mally, don't!" Kelce grabbed him though and JJ started to fight back.

My heart was absolutely hammering in my chest, Rafe and I were eye to eye and he was so close to me. I felt like I was staring at my own anger because his eyes were blazing.

"Is that how it works, huh?" I asked him, "You hit him, he hits you and you have to get the last hit in? Is that how your twisted head works Rafe?" He was getting angrier by the second and I studied him closely, waiting.

Rafe shifted his weight and that was all I needed to protect myself. I hit him, square in the cheek and he let go of my hand.

It was quiet around us, clearly no one was expecting me to hit Rafe and by the look on his face he wasn't expecting it either. His fists curled at the side and Topper started calling to us, "Hey, Rafe, c'mon man."

"You heard what he said." I responded, not taking my eyes off Rafe, "You hit and you get hit back.. so come on Rafe." I probed.

Rafe pointed at Topper but he didn't look away from me, "Finish him off." He said and he took a step towards me.

"Rafe leave her alone." Topper argued.

I cocked my head, "C'mon, Cameron.. I know you hit girls."

"Don't you fucking touch her!" JJ snarled.

He was so close now but I just had to wait a fraction more of a second. Rafe raised his fist and he swung so heavily but I dodged, kicking him in the side of the stomach. If he had hit me he'd of put me back in the hospital, that's for sure.

Rafe didn't let his near miss affect him and he raged as he reached for me again. I didn't wait to hit him a second time and when I swung he caught my wrist tightly and span me around into his chest. I threw my head back, feeling his nose hit into the back of my head and I ignored the way my vision burred when I opened my eyes.

Christ, I was literally doing everything the hospital told me to avoid.

I turned around quickly and I saw Rafe rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, blood smeared on it. He walked towards me again, ignoring everyone shouting for him not to and I tried to ignore the way I was seeing two of him.

I couldn't tell which was actually him and which was the double vision when he neared me and when I tried to punch him my fist collided with the air. The Rafe I thought was Rafe wasn't Rafe, it was actually the double of Rafe, "Shit." I swore and I felt his hands on my shoulders and I was falling to the ground.

My back and my head hit off the hard ground under the grass and my head throbbed. It was almost like I could feel my brain throbbing in my head. I saw Rafe climb over me and even if I was seeing more than one of him I tried to not let it show.

"Mal!" JJ shouted.

I could hear him but I didn't dare take my eyes off Rafe, not even for a split second. The rage in his eyes was something I'd never seen before, he surpassed the line of JJ's anger. Hell, he looked borderline psychotic.

So what was I going to do? Provoke the psychopath, naturally.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, seeing how three of him suddenly merged back into one. He had his fist raised in the air, just above my head and rose my brow at him, "Does Rafe Cameron really hit girls? Let's find out."

"I don't care wether you're a girl or not, Davis." He spat, "I don't care who your mother is or who your stepbrother is—"

"—Stop stalling then." I bit back.

Rafe didn't have the balls and I could see straight through it.

"Shit, shit, Rafe!" Kelce started yelling, "C'mon man, we gotta get out of here."

I saw a fire spreading quickly on the fabric movie screen and when Rafe took his eyes off me to look back at the screen I flipped him off me and scrambled up off the floor before kicking him in the stomach.

Topper dropped Pope to the ground and he started spluttering, coughing for air while Kelce let go of JJ. I watched Rafe scramble up off the floor, "Shit, man." He walked over to Topper, "Let's get out of here."

Kelce scrambled to his friends and I felt a hand wrap around my arm. I knew it was JJ, his breathing was heavy and I could smell him. I leaned into his chest and I locked eyes with Topper as JJ slowly slid his hand into mine, "You need to check your friends Topper." I yelled to him, "Before he lands you in some serious shit!"

Rafe pulled him away before he could reply and I saw Kie pulling Pope up to his feet. The wasn't anything left of the movie screen now, it was gone and so was everyone else.

JJ bowed his head into my shoulder as I put my weight into the back of him, a dizzy spell knocking me almost off my feet. He steadied me with a chuckle, "That was hot, Davis." He told me lowly, "You're amazing."

"Yeah well, couldn't let him mess your pretty face up could I buttercup?" I responded, turning my head to look at him.

He was grinning at me and I noticed his blue eyes flicker down to my lips before back to me, "You all right? Is your head okay?"

I nodded, "Just feeling a little dizzy. It's probably nothing."

He pressed his lips together before looking to my forehead and skimming his fingers over the steri-strips, "I'm gonna take you back to the hospital."

"What?" I asked, "No, why. I'm fine."

He shook his head, "I'm not taking any chances, all right? You took a hit to the head for the second time today."

I groaned softly. JJ was stubborn, even more so than a bull, and there wasn't a way I could worm out of this. I turned around to face him, my chest pressing against his and I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his chest, "Fine." I responded, "But you can tell my dad I got into a fight with my stepbrother and his friends."

He chuckled, "Deal."

I looked up to him and he bowed his head a little, lowering to me. I could feel my heart getting faster and slowly I reached up, brushing my lips against his softly.

His lips were cool and they were soft and it wasn't long before he pulled away from me, "What about the rules?" He muttered.

I shook my head and tugged on his neck, "Fuck the rules." I mumbled and I kissed him again, his hands resting on my waist.

• • •

A/N; here's the update I said I would post this morning but completely forgot about, sorry 'bout that!