𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 - jj x kiara

- chapter twenty two -

"I'm gonna do it." I said to Cleo and Sarah, shaking my shoulders and rolling my head.

"By the way you're acting, are you ready to swim all the way back home or something?" Cleo said as Sarah stifled a laugh.

"Haha, very funny," I planted my hands on my hips.

"So you're telling him?" Sarah asked.

I nodded and sighed, exhaling loudly.

"You're jumping? You're putting it out there?"

"Yup, I guess so... I mean, it's now or never isn't it?"

"Sure, especially if the entire thing ends up not working and they get stranded on another island." Cleo said, her pessimistic side showing.

Sarah put her hand up, "Cleo, stop. Don't talk like that."

"Sorry, girl," She replied sympathetically.

Sarah smiled sadly and played with her hair.

I realized how much of an impact this had on my friends, and this entire "trip" had taken a mental and physical toll on everyone.

I knew I was doubtful and anxious about everything, and I couldn't deal with my emotions normally anymore. Every emotion was too extreme for me. Sometimes I feel like everything is closing in on me, and it seems that there is only one person out there who can help me with my insane emotions.

"I just hope everything goes according to plan." Cleo sighed.

"When does that ever happen?" I replied.

"Rarely."

We sat in silence and my mind drifted to random memories from the past that made me smile. Surfing with the guys, the boat incident with Sarah, being in the cargo with JJ, free food from my dad... my heart clenched as I thought of home.

Home.

What a weird word. People say home is a place, but I think it could be a person too. "Home is where the heart is." What if my heart is with a special person, but it's too complicated so I might as well not have a heart?

I need to tell him, I can't just bottle it up.

JJ deserves to know. I mean, he probably lost feelings for me by the way I've been playing with him, but he deserves to know.

Everyone went to sleep that night deep in thought. Snores went up immediately, but I wasn't asleep.

I woke up after a while and sat up. My eyes were wide open as I looked out into the mesmerizing ocean, waves glistening from the bright moon.

The air was still except for the occasional breeze from trees.

I felt alone, not lonely. Alone in a good way. The type where I feel like I'm not lonely because I am all that I need.

That's when I saw the figure.

God, it was terrifyingly close this time.

Immediately, I laid back down and tried watching the figure from my distance.

From the dim moonlight, I could tell the figure was male and tall. There was something in their hand and they were creeping scarily close to us.

My first instinct was to call out and scare the figure away, but I didn't know if there was something harmful with the person.

We hadn't lit a campfire that night for whatever reason. I couldn't comprehend much of the figure without the usual fire light - the only light came from the moon.

The figure was there, basically in front of me. They were standing in front of Sarah's peaceful looking frame, and I tightly shut my eyes as the figure looked up. As it moved around the little circle of the six of us, I opened my eyes ever so slightly and my heart almost stopped as I got a view of him.

Rafe Cameron.