𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞〚𝚙𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 〛

Chapter 43: Battle Angel

Pope nervously tapped his foot, having stopped pacing back and forth after JJ had told him to go jump into the water if he was that desperate to move around. The blond boy was sitting on the dock, swinging his legs back and forth as he watched his father's boat disappear from view. 

Despite trying not to show it, Pope could tell how worried JJ really was. Sarah and John B were just teenagers, left to fend for themselves in a 40 feet boat in the middle of the ocean. If he wasn't anxiously waiting for a petite girl with a dancer's walk to appear in his line of vision, Pope would probably be cursing John B's stupidity and hating the world for the lack of choices it had offered them.

"I shouldn't have left her alone with him," he muttered under his breath, not planning for Kiara to hear him.

"You know she's going to be ok," she reassured him, although her smile was strained. "If she doesn't deal with Rafe now, it'll torment her forever."

The Kook's name was enough to make him tighten his jaw, a spark of anger lighting itself in his chest. He forced himself to relax, remembering Delilah's wide eyes and careful stance last time he had shown her exactly how furious he was. Rafe had scarred her more than they realized. He would have to be extra cautious in order to give Delilah some time to get used to him again. 

More than anything in the world, Pope wanted to regain her trust. And with her trust, he prayed he could perhaps earn a bit of love. 

His mind flashed back to her outburst at the gas station and how passionately she had snapped some sense into his heightened mind. 

Out of breath, with wilderness dancing in her eyes, she'd looked so beautiful. And when her gaze had darted to his lips... Oh, he'd thought he'd officially lost his mind. It had taken so much restraint to move away, but he'd known it was necessary. Their first kiss had been magical, he didn't want their second to be when he was under the influence. 

Even though he'd do nearly anything to taste her lips again, he wanted to kiss her when she was certain of what she thought of him. When she was certain of where they were going to take it from here. 

Pope exhaled a sigh, tipping his head back to watch the sky as ink started bleeding into the blue. 

He knew Delilah wouldn't stay here forever. She'd go back home and he'd be stuck here trying to get out of a life of misery. 

He frowned. Unless he found a way to go out with her. 

There would be countless opportunities if he only found a way to get out of the Outer Banks. He could finish his schooling elsewhere, show the teachers he had the skills needed, attend interviews, get a job. 

It was doable if he actually put his mind to it. Left the question of how he was going to get out. His parents didn't have the money to pay for another rent and another set of groceries every week. He couldn't hope for it to be that easy. 

Not yet. 

But he'd try, he would not give up. He'd promised Delilah that much.

"Did John B make it?" said a clear voice.

Pope's head snapped to the side so quickly he might've gotten whiplashed. 

There she stood, like an angel coming out of battle, her blonde hair dancing in the wind and with a determined look that made her eyes shine brightly against the setting sun. 

He fell in love with her all over again.

"He just left with Sarah," answered Kiara.

He desperately wanted to run forward and wrap his arms around her, holding her tightly until she realized that he would always be there for her. Because his angel was tired. She stood tall, steady on her feet, but there was a heaviness to her movements that betrayed her.