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𝙎𝙄𝙇𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝘾𝙊𝘼𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙃𝙀 dark bedroom, save only for the light breathing from Rafe at the foot of the bed where he slept on the hard floor.

One of Charlotte's pillows under his head, a blanket draped over him, placed there by the eldest Carrera once he had fallen asleep.

The two sisters lay in the bed that was far too soft to get comfortable.

Hours had passed since Mateo had left the room, and the door had only been opened to slip the three of them three plates of dinner.

None of them ate very much, too distraught over what fate would become of them in the morning.

When night had fallen, an argument ensued between the youngest Carrera girl and the Cameron boy about which of the three had the luxury of sleeping in the bed.

Rafe argued that it should be he and Charlotte. Kiara argued that it should be her and Charlotte.

Charlotte had suggested that they could all sleep in the bed with her in the middle. That had been vehemently rejected by Kiara, and thus, it left them where they were now; Rafe on the floor, the two sisters in the bed.

Neither of the girls were asleep yet, but neither spoke beneath the blanket of night.

Charlotte shifted slightly, the satin of the pajamas her and Kiara had been provided feeling like they were too tight. They were far from it, but somehow it felt like she was suffocating.

"Are you okay?" Kiara finally spoke, her voice quiet as it melded into the darkness.

Charlotte paused for a moment, staring up at the Crown Moulding on the ceiling as she shook her head slightly. "Not really."

Her admission was heavy, not at all referring to her current discomfort. Instead, she was referring of everything that had become of her over the past month, hell the past few months really.

Hearing the catch in her sister's voice, Kiara wordlessly reached out and took a hold of Charlotte's hand, her grasp light but comforting.

Another beat of silence passed before Kiara's voice carried once again. "Char, what happened to you?"

The topic had been avoided since their reunion earlier, but now, under the veil of Rafe's slumber, Kiara seemed comfortable enough to broach it once again.

Feeling like a lump had lodged itself in her throat, Charlotte recalled the events in her mind, trying to find the proper words to explain everything that had happened.

"I was shot."

Maybe that wasn't the best introduction to her recollection, but it was the only place she knew where to start.

The sharp intake of breath from her sister was indicative of the shock that washed over the youngest Carrera. She tightened her grip on Charlotte's hand slightly, and Charlotte was pretty sure she could feel her trembling.

"Did he—was it Rafe?" Kiara's voice was dangerously low, and part of Charlotte was afraid she was about to get out of the bed and strangle Rafe.

"No." Charlotte assured with a force she hadn't quite intended. "It was one of the crew members."

A shudder raced through her as she recalled the blinding pain she had felt that day on the ship. She was so sure she was going to die. Sure that she would never see the day when all of this was behind them. She wasn't really sure that she had yet to come to terms with the trauma of it all. Despite her physical recovery, mentally she was no where close.

Those thoughts were then interrupted by the vision of Rafe that day. The way he held her as she bled out. The way he told her he loved her, convinced her to hold on.

"That's why you didn't jump with Cleo and Pope." Kiara deduced, answering the question that had been plaguing her since her and the other Pogues had made their escape from the ship.

Charlotte nodded before realizing Kiara couldn't fully see her. "Yes." She answered, voice unsure.

Kiara wasn't looking at her sister, but even in her voice she could hear it. "Would you have? Would you have jumped if you weren't shot."

The question didn't catch Charlotte off guard, she had been sure it was coming. But even then, she didn't know how to answer it.

Turning her head slightly, her eyes landed on the pair of rings that lay on her bedside table. The fake rings that Rafe had given her to fool their buyers.

Somehow, the moonlight leaking through the windows seemed to catch the rings perfectly, glinting within the darkness.

Finally finding her answer, Kiara gave her sister the truth. "I'm not sure."

And she wasn't.

She had been prepared to jump, prepared to leave Rafe behind. But would she have actually gone through with it? She wasn't convinced.

Kiara didn't react with anger like Charlotte thought she might have, instead, she let out a small sigh. "You still love him?"

"He saved my life." Charlotte answered, this time more confidently. "He kept me from bleeding out that day on the ship. He took care of me while I recovered. He's—he's different, Kie."

Silence passed between them for a moment and Charlotte feared that she had revealed too much of what she was feeling.

But when Kiara spoke, it was not at all what Charlotte was expecting.

"Sometimes you can't help who you love."

They were words that Charlotte had said more than once, trying to convince her younger sister to see her viewpoint. But Kiara had never understood. Not until now.

Turning slightly, Charlotte squinted through the darkness to study her sister's face. "Exactly." She agreed, the shock not hidden in her tone.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Kiara let out a deep exhale. "God knows I can't help it." She muttered, confirming some of Charlotte's suspicions.

A curious smile came to the eldest girl's lips as she turned fully. "Kiara...who is it?"

Kie groaned, covering her face with her hands.

The entire mood had shifted in the room, and for the better. The heaviness had been lifted, being reduced to playful sister banter.

"You're going to kill me." Kie muttered, cracking her fingers apart slightly so she could look at Charlotte.

Realization dawned on Charlotte, her face falling slightly. "JJ?"

Kiara let out a small noise of affirmation, sinking further into the bed. "I don't know how it happened. And I know that you guys had a little thing so—"

"Oh my God." Charlotte interrupted, giddiness overtaking her tone. "We did not have a thing." She argued. "We made out once, so just get that right out of your head."

She leaned back to her spot, trying to stop the laughter that was itching to erupt. "You and J." She giggled, truly over the moon for her sister and best friend. "Not sure if I could have made a better pairing myself."

"Just relax." Kiara warned. "It's nothing—really."

"Sure." Charlotte teased, rolling over once again. "Tell me everything. Now."

And so, Kiara did.

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