⤜---⤛ 𝔽𝕀𝕊𝕊𝕌ℝ𝔼 ⤜---⤛ ▬▬ 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤 ∗ 𝕛𝕛 ▬▬

⤛ 𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕝𝕠𝕔𝕜 𝕞𝕒𝕪𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕜 ⤜

The early morning sun shone down on the boats and water, bathing the docks in a golden glow. JJ was leaning against a wooden post, flanked by Pope and Kiara.

JJ's relationship with Kiara had always been interesting. Over the years, they had grown close, although it was fair to say that Kiara had also gotten close with every one of the boys in their group. Her previous relationship, despite her disdain for the term, had been with Pope Heyward, a straight-A student gunning for a scholarship who often helped out at his dad's seafood shop. Despite the fact that the Pogues were unquestionably a bad influence, Pope remained loyal to them, and JJ considered him to be one of his closest friends.

JJ beamed at them as he recounted the events of the party the night before. "You should have seen this guy's face; he was, like, seriously mad," he let out a sly laugh.

Kiara rolled her eyes. "Well, you did steal from him, JJ."

JJ's smile faded at the reminder. Unfortunately, Kiara's relationship with Pope had ended quickly, from her end, and JJ was having to constantly battle the voice in the back of his mind that told him the same would happen to them. He cared deeply about Kiara, and he knew she felt the same, but he couldn't deny that the usual dynamic between them had been off ever since she had kissed him. It was a few days ago at some party up the beach and they were both out of it, they hadn't spoken about it since.

Shaking his head, he threw his arm up in disbelief. "Right, like you've never stolen from anyone before," he retorted. Kiara was about to shoot back, but Pope interjected.

"Guys, cut it out. You're arguing like an old married couple."

JJ and Kiara exchanged disgusted looks, and Kiara muttered, "Gross," under her breath.

However, her voice faded into the background of JJ's mind as his eyes fixated on an unfamiliar boat slowly gliding past them. It wasn't a massive vessel, about the size of a regular fishing trawler. Kildare was not a tiny island by any means, and tourists came and went all the time, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of unease as he watched the five people onboard staring back at him. Their expressions were unreadable, yet something about them made his skin crawl.

He barely registered the sound of his friends' bickering, of their distant and muffled voices. All he could hear was the sound of the boat's motor as it drifted away, taking the strangers with it. For a moment, JJ stood there in silence, his mind racing with thoughts. Something about that boat and its passengers had unnerved him, leaving a nagging feeling that it was important, perhaps even significant.

As he turned to rejoin his friends, he interrupted their argument with a question, "You guys seen that around before?" He squinted through the sunlight and pointed in the direction where it was headed as it disappeared into the distance.

Kiara frowned in frustration, clearly still annoyed at him. "No. Why does it matter?" she asked.

Without a word, JJ found himself breaking into a run. He had to know more about the boat and its passengers. He wasn't even aware that he'd made the decision to bolt until he heard them exclaiming as he left. Ignoring Kiara's calls, he sprinted along the docks, keeping a close eye on the boat in the distance.

JJ slowed down as he neared the boat, not wanting to draw attention to himself, and ducked behind a stack of crates, watching in silence as the it approached the dock. The men on board were large and intimidating, making his heart race faster with each passing moment.

"What the hell, JJ?" Kiara's laboured whisper made him jump slightly as she and Pope joined him behind the crates. He grinned at her, revelling in the rush of adrenaline, and pointed again over to the boat.