𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐍. . .
𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑 !

Evelynn Bardot had to admit, she's helplessly crushing on her best friend, but there's no way in hell she'd ever say it out loud.

"What I would do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now," JJ practically moaned, and Lynn let out a laugh as she placed her chin on top of his right shoulder.

Lynn was softly spooked when suddenly she felt JJ's lips pressed against her cheek, that left just as quick as they arrived, and she tilted her head so she could just barely make eye contact with the boy. She tried to not look as surprised as she was, but unfortunately, it seemed as if her bright red cheeks were revealing it all by themselves.

"What was that for?" Lynn smiled, happy the darkness had set in because she was sure no one could spot her delicately rosy cheeks.

"For being there for me," JJ responded, flashing a smile, not a smirk or anything sarcastic, but a real, genuine smile. "You're like my partner in crime, you know? We're two troublemakers, outcast from the rest."
. . .

"Rafe keeps hurting you," JJ said, his sad eyes raising up to make eye contact with Lynn's. "And I keep failing at protecting you, princess."

Lynn moved her way over towards JJ, and she pulled the blonde boy into a hug by wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He instantly snaked his strong arms around her waist, and almost buried his face into her neck, smelling her somehow always perfect scent; a mix of saltwater and vanilla.

"You don't need to worry about me," Lynn murmured into his chest, pressing her cheek on it.

"I love you, Eve, I care so damn much about you, so of course I'm going to worry about you," JJ explained, backing away so he could face Lynn.

"I love you, too, doofus," Lynn smiled teasingly, placing her head back on the boys chest. Mostly, just so the boy wouldn't see the bright pink appearing on her cheeks.

. . .

"Look, J, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about John B...I was scared, really," Lynn started, but she was speaking really fast so she just sounded like she was rambling. "I didn't want you to think I liked him, because I don't, well, I did in ninth grade. Not the point though, really, I was just trying to say...I, well, fuck this is really hard."

Lynn ran a hand through her blonde locks, forgetting there was a grassy headband there, so it probably tangled. She let out a massive breath she didn't realize she was holding, and she had absolutely no idea how to explain how she's liked the blonde boy for as long as she can remember.

"JJ, what I'm stupidly trying to say, is—"

"I love you."

Lynn swore her jaw literally hit the floor, and her shocked expression made JJ want to just wrap his fingers around her cheeks and pull her in for a kiss. She tried to say something, opening her mouth to start, but was still trying to process the eight letters that easily slipped from JJ's tongue.

Of course the two had shared their fair amount of I love you's, but this time, they both knew it meant something different, that it meant more than anything before.

"I love you, Evelynn Bardot, and I think I've loved you this entire time," JJ grinned at the blonde girl, and her surprise shifted into a smile. "I was just too dumb to see it."

"I love you, too, JJ Maybank," Lynn smiled, and she feel some happy tears rising up in her eyes. "Pinch me."

. . .

But their journey so far wasn't just about finding each other — it was about finding the golden treasure that belonged on the Royal Merchant when it went down.

"You really think it's out there? Like, no bullshit?"

Lynn shuffled a bit in JJ's arms in the hammock, and he slightly stirred beside her, and she figured he was trying to make sure the both of them were comfortable. The teenagers were all laying in the new hammocks they hung up, where JJ and Lynn were sharing one, John B had his own, and then Pope and Kie had one together.

JJ had been playing with the blonde girls hair, wrapping his index finger around a strand and then swirl it around it. Then Lynn was playing around with the many, quite attractive, rings JJ had on his fingers.

"My father thought it was," John B answered Pope's previous question, and the kids all started paying attention rather than staring at the scenery around them.

"But do you?" Pope asked, and Lynn switched to look at John B for his response. The darkness had now set over them, so it was hard to even see anyone's facial features.

"After hearing his voice on that tape...I think I do," John B stated, his voice low.

"Only one way to find out."

. . .

Lynn's path hasn't always been the easy one, with her both emotionally and physically abusive father in the picture — how could it ever be? She couldn't trust her own flesh and blood, but that didn't mean she didn't have a family.

"You're always making up some damn excuses!"

"Like you with the goddamn police!?" Lynn snapped back, and she was almost shocked in her sudden confidence in herself. "Saying I stole shit from you? The hell was to steal!? You did nothing for me!"

Lynn winced as the mans palm collided with her cheek, instantly leaving a stinging sensation behind. She raised her hand to touch it, almost covering it from any other possible wound, but that didn't seem to stop her anger.

"Fuck you!" Lynn screamed, and she shoved the mans chest, backing him up a foot or so. "You did nothing for me! My entire fucking life! You may be my father, but you'll never be my dad. You'll never be my family."

"So your worthless ass is going to be alone for your whole goddamn life?" The man spat, gritting his teeth towards her.

"I have a family," Lynn stated, and she almost felt a smile appear on her face.

She did have a family.

She had JJ Maybank, the boy who most definitely cared and loved her most in the entire world. She had John B Routlegde, the boy who somehow always knew how to make her laugh even when she felt her lowest. She had Kiara Carrera, the girl cared so deeply about everyone around her that they would never be forgotten. She had Pope Heyward, the boy who would never lead someone into the dark without having an entire plan dedicated. She had Sarah Cameron, the girl who already felt like a best friend for years.

"I have a family! They may not be my blood, but they are my family. They're closer than anything you could ever be."

. . .

But what happens when that family suddenly cracks and there are now missing pieces?

"Did you find them?"

"No," Shoupe shook his head slowly, making eye contact with each of the Pogues.

"So, they got away?" Kie questioned, and Lynn already felt the tears stinging her eyes as she glanced down to the ground.

"We, uh...we lost them," Shoupe explained, and he lowered his eyes so he wouldn't stare at anyone. "I'm sorry."

"You lost them?" Pope asked, his voice getting a bit louder than before. "What do you mean you lost them? Like, they're gone? What are you talking about?"

"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope," Shoupe continued, but he wasn't quite sure what else to say.

Lynn let a tear slip down her cheek as she popped her jaw off to the side, and she sniffed before speaking up.

"They're dead," Lynn stared towards the police officers, another tear slipping down her cheek as she backed a foot or so away. "That's what he means."

. . .

𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 — 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐛𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦.

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤? 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐁 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐚? 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞?

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲!