─☼☼☼─

𝙒𝙃𝙄𝙇𝙀 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙔𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙀𝙇𝙎𝙀 had gone off to arrange their trip to Wilmington with the promise of meeting up later that afternoon, Charlotte found herself at one of the restaurants her friends rarely ever frequented, a buzzcut blonde sitting across from her. 

"So," Rafe wondered, taking a sip of the whiskey he had (illegally) been served, "What do you have on tonight?"

Picking at the plate of nachos in front of her, Charlotte attempted to keep her face as neutral as possible, "I'm stuck at home. My mom's obsessed with Kiara and I lately, wants to have a family dinner."

It was a good lie. Believable. 

Rafe let out a small laugh, reaching out to steal one of her nachos, "Y'know you can stay with me whenever you want, right? I mean, we'd have the whole place to ourselves."

The offer was enticing, but not something Charlotte could jump on right away. 

"Thanks, babe." She smiled, hoping her unease at what she was doing tonight wasn't showing through. "One more night with my helicopter mother and I think I might just take you up on that."

"Well, I'd love nothing more than you to stay with me. You know you're always welcome, Lottie."

How could he be so perfect, but so fucked up at the same time?

Pushing that topic aside, Charlotte returned to their original discussion, "What are you up to tonight?" 

Rafe shrugged, pushing aside his plate of food, "Well probably nothing if you're busy. Maybe do some work." He paused for a moment, as if contemplating whether or not to tell her the next part. "My dad's awake."

"I know." Charlotte's answer was quick, eliciting a look of confusion from Rafe. "I mean, I figured when you were back here." She elaborated, effortlessly enough that it didn't seem like a lie. 

"He wants me to tie up the loose ends here...erase our family from Kildare." He swallowed hard, "But I can't─I can't do that. Not with you here."

Nodding slowly, Charlotte held his gaze, "So what are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna figure it out." He assured, a certainty in his voice. "I'm not leaving you again."

Charlotte's heart swelled, even despite the fact that part of his plan was selling the cross. He wanted to be here with her, no matter how difficult that was going to be. 

"I might be going back to school." Charlotte mentioned softly. She may not be on the island forever. 

"So I'll come with you." Rafe offered. "Or I'll come visit you every weekend. We can make it work, Lottie. I know we can."

What about the Pogues? What about my sister?

The questions danced on the end of her tongue, never leaving her lips. 

"Well, well, well. If it isn't little miss Country Clubette." Came a voice from somewhere behind Charlotte. 

Her eyes met Rafe's as she cringed, Rafe shooting her an apologetic look. 

Barry Valdez arrived next to their table within a matter of seconds, his hair now shaved down to the scalp much like Rafe's. 

"Heard you were back," Barry greeted, shooting Charlotte a grin, "Didn't expect to see you with Country Club here. Didn't you two break up or somethin'?"

"Mind your own business, Barry." Charlotte shot back, already at the end of her rope when it came to the drug dealer. "And we're not buyin' any of your damn drugs so leave us alone."

Barry's eyes flickered to Rafe for a moment before returning to Charlotte, "Relax, princess. I just came to say hello."

"Sure." Charlotte muttered, taking a sip of her soda. "We friends now or somethin'?"

"We can be." Barry offered, a teasing smirk covering his features. "Or more than."

"Okay, man." Rafe interjected, a hint of a smile on his face. He wasn't angered at Barry's comments, much unlike his regular self. 

"Aight." Barry conceded, raising his hands. "I'll talk to y'all later then." He stalked off, leaving the two of them alone again. 

Charlotte was watching Rafe with an unreadable expression, her brows slightly raised as she tried to dissect the look on his face. 

"What?" Rafe questioned, shaking his head.

"Are you using again?"

Charlotte's questioned shattered the euphoric ignorance that the two had fallen into since their return to the island. A return to the root of all their problems, the dark shadow that always seemed to hang over head. 

Rafe looked almost offended that she would ask a question as such. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because," Charlotte reasoned, her eyes straying toward where Barry was seated by the bar, bugging someone else. "You and Barry seem pretty cordial."

A breathy laugh fell from Rafe's lips as he took another sip of his whiskey. "We're friends, Charlotte. That's it."

Her brows shot up, "You and Barry are friends?"

"Believe it or not, yeah." Rafe answered. 

Leaning back, Charlotte let out a deep sigh, the worry of Rafe's relapse hanging heavy over her heart. 

"Hey," Rafe said softly, reaching across the table to take her hand into his own. "I'm clean." He assured. "Haven't touched a drug since we got to Guadeloipe, and I'm not gonna start now. I made you a promise."

Charlotte sucked her lip between her teeth, contemplating his truth. Rafe was surely keeping a lot of things from her, but she felt like he was actually being honest about this. "Okay," She finally nodded. "I believe you."

A smile spread across Rafe's face as he gave her hand a quick squeeze. "I love you." He promised. "Never forget that."

A look of confusion swept across Charlotte's features for a moment, his words seeming to hold something else. "I know." She assured. "And I love you."

"Look at these two!" Barry called from the bar, his voice carrying across the Tiki Hut. 

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte pulled her hand from Rafe's, their moment interrupted. Several pairs of eyes swivelled toward the couple, many of them snagging on Charlotte, the face they had seen plastered on the news this morning. 

"I should go." Charlotte muttered, standing up and reaching for her purse. "My mom will be wondering where I am."

"I've got lunch." Rafe assured, reaching for his own wallet. 

"No." Charlotte argued, an argument they had constantly. "Let me get it."

"Babe, I've got it." Rafe asserted, "Seriously, go before people start asking for your autograph or somethin'."

A snort flew from Charlotte's lips as she leaned down to give him a quick kiss. "Fine. But the next time is on me."

"Sure." Rafe agreed, knowing he was not going to let that happen.

Ensuring she had all of her belongings, Charlotte, gave Rafe a small wave. "I'll see you later. I'll text you if I ever get a moment away from my mother. I love you,"

Rafe grinned, giving her a small nod. "Have fun. Love you."

"Bye, Charlotte!" Barry called, shooting her a wave and a wink. "Hope to see you soon."

Charlotte glared in his direction for a moment. "Bye, Barry. Wish I could say the same."

Rafe's laughter could be heard as she turned and hurried from the Tiki Bar, already late for her meeting with the Pogues. 

She felt guilty for lying to Rafe, that was for sure. But little did she know, he was lying right back. 

─☼☼☼─

Despite the fact that she was already late, Charlotte was one of the first ones to arrive at The Yacht, the sailing restaurant that was the newest attraction of the OBX.  

There was one other girl sitting on the pier awaiting the others to board. She sat with her head turned away, her shoulders dropped slightly. 

"Hey," Charlotte said softly, taking the seat next to her. 

Sarah turned, a small smile coming to her lips, "Hey, Char."

A tension hung in the air between them, one that had never existed between the two girls before. Charlotte knew she was to blame. 

After a few striking seconds of painful silence, Charlotte spoke again, "Sarah, I'm─"

"I know," Sarah interrupted, not letting the older girl get out another work. "You don't have to say sorry, Char."

"But I do." Charlotte insisted, "Or at least promise to never let him hurt you again."

"You can't guarantee that." Sarah responded, swallowing hard, as if to swallow a lump of emotions. 

Sinking further into her seat, Charlotte was silent for a moment, knowing that realistically, she couldn't guarantee it. 

"You know," Sarah began, looking to Charlotte with heavy expression, "You can't guarantee it, but I think you're the best bet he has at ever getting better. I know that─I know that I should be upset that you're back together...but is it bad that part of me is glad? Glad that I might finally get a part of my brother back?"

Silent for a moment, Charlotte absorbed what Sarah was saying, a wash of sympathy overcoming her. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it had been like for Sarah. 

"He's stopped using." Charlotte declared, voice soft. "I know it's not much, but it's a start."

The smile Sarah gave her was small, but it was there. "Do you remember that tripe we took to the Bahamas a couple of years ago? Right after you two started dating."

The memory came to her instantly, prompting Charlotte to nod. "Yeah, I remember."

"Best trip of my life." Sarah recalled. "It was the nicest Rafe had been to me in years...because of you." Leaning back, she shook her head. "I'm not saying it's your responsibility to 'fix' him, but you're the only person that I think even has a chance."

"Things have to get better." Charlotte whispered. "They have to."

She really hoped they would.

"Sorry we're late!" 

JJ and Kiara were dismounting his bike, Kiara passing JJ her helmet before approaching Sarah and Charlotte, "Mom and Dad were being total assholes." She explained to Charlotte. 

"Really?" Charlotte wondered, her eyes straying toward JJ to try and gauge his mood. "What'd they say?"

Kiara dropped her voice, trying to avoid having JJ hear her. "Dad basically called JJ a criminal to his face."

Charlotte's stomach flipped as she shook her head incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Wish I was."

"Let's go get a table." JJ called, walking past the girls without so much as a pause. "Pope and Cleo can meet us on board."

Watching JJ retreat onto the boat, Charlotte gave her sister a look. "I'm going to kill dad."

─☼☼☼─

Twenty minutes later, Pope and Cleo had finally arrived, bringing with them the news that Heyward had not allowed them use of his truck. Go figure. 

"Honestly, the hardest part is gonna be security, alright?" JJ proclaimed, "So most of the guys are gonna be at the rail yard. 

"We'll need to find some place and guard it, maybe a little further down the line, like a whistle-stop." Pope concluded. 

Cleo let out a disapproving sigh. "You guys are getting ahead of yourselves as usual. We still don't have a way to transport the cross. What you think? On JJ's motorcycle."

"We could make it work." Charlotte muttered, earning a glare from Cleo. "... or not."

As JJ and Pope launched into an argument about whose fault it was that they had no transportation, Sarah let out a shocked gasp, her hands flying to her mouth as she sunk further into her chair. "Oh my God."

A confused worry rushed through Charlotte as she leaned forward to look into Sarah's eye-line. "'Oh my God' what?"

Not looking to her right, Sarah attempted to shield her face. "That's Topper."

Sure enough, the blonde headed Kook was standing by the bar, delving into some story that was probably not near as dramatic as he was trying to make it sound. 

"Why is he, like, everywhere?" Kiara questioned.

But Pope didn't look off-put by the Kook's presence, in fact, he looked rather eager. "Oh, perfect! Hey, Jayj, I bet Topper has a way to transport the cross."

Charlotte knit her brows together, "Topper? Really?"

JJ's eyes flickered toward her, "Actually, Pope's right. He does have a rig."

"No." Sarah instantly argued. 

"Yes." JJ shot back.

"No, absolutely not."

JJ threw his arms up, "Sarah, you've already got him whipped anyway, all right? So why don't you just take one for the team?"

Sarah looked astonished at JJ's proposition. "What would John B say?"

Pope shrugged, "I think John B will completely understand. Think about the circumstances. It's about treasure."

"We can handle John B." Kiara assured. "Just talk to him."

"You guys do realize we're like, pimping her out right now?" Charlotte wondered, sending them all pointed looks.

"Exactly!" Sarah agreed, "Thank you, Char."

"Buuut, I think you should do it." Charlotte added, shooting Sarah a sheepish smile. "We're out of options."

Sarah narrowed her eyes for a moment, working her bottom lip between her teeth. "You guys are horrible." She muttered, already well on her way to standing up. 

"That's our girl." Charlotte cheered. "Girlboss and gaslight. That's my motto."

Trying to hide her smile, Sarah dismissed Charlotte with weak wave, making her way over to Topper. 

"Since when is that your motto?" JJ challenged, brows raised as he regarded her. 

Charlotte leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "Forever. You've just been too in love with me to realize I've been doing it to you all of these years."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes flickered toward Kiara whose eyes had fallen downward. 

Charlotte couldn't make jokes like that anymore, especially when her sister quite literally was in love with JJ. 

"Sure, Charls." JJ muttered with a smile, not at all off-put by her statement. "Whatever you say."

Cleo, who looked rather perplexed, was watching as Sarah approached Topper. "Do you think she can pull it off."

"Oh, absolutely." Pope answered without doubt. 

JJ leaned over, trying to get a better view, "Yeah, he's absolutely obsessed with her."

And he was right.  Topper was quite enamoured with the Cameron girl. 

The four of them watched in anticipation as Sarah and Topper conversed, JJ periodically motioning for Sarah to hurry up. 

Less than five minutes after going over there, it seemed that Sarah had finally asked for what she needed. Charlotte watched as Topper tensed slightly, shaking his head. 

Stealing a glance at her friends, Sarah pursed her lips before taking a step toward Topper, looking up at him with pleading eyes. 

"Oh," Charlotte whispered, on edge as she watched, "She's good."

At Sarah's proximity, Topper relaxed slightly. Soon enough he was nodding. As he pulled Sarah into a hug, she shot the Pogues a thumbs up. 

It was all system go.