Blue | Rafe Cameron

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"We got John B and JJ inside the well, and me up top," Pope said surely, the engine of his pick-up dying out as we parked up outside of the Chateau, "Then you, Rory and Sarah will be outside transporting."

"Yeah, we got this," Kiara muttered, her side of the door clicking open, and I climbed out after her, glad for the feeling of the night breeze, soft and cold over my skin. I remain silent as we walk to the back of the pickup, Pope unlocking the hook to free the equipment inside.

"I got a winch," Pope says, nodding forward "That tin can hold up to like 200-300 pounds." I daze out of the conversation as Kiara and Pope talk, moving to lean against the passenger side door, the metal cold at my back.

The day had dragged long and slow, painfully slow after JJ left.

The rest of us had come back to the Chateau to discuss the details for tomorrow, extraction, equipment, strategy, how to get all the gold, how to carry it, how to transport, liquidate, and sell, we talked about it all.

Well- they did anyway. I was not in the mood to talk about the gold or anything to do with it. It seemed like ever since we started this godforsaken treasure hunt everything had gone to shit. We were all fighting, and every victory came with three more defeats.

I fought with Kiara and Sarah, I fought with John B and JJ, and I fought with Rafe. It was starting to get exhausting, the never-ending problems and feelings that seemed to arise every damn week.

"Rory?" I hear my name being called, dragging me from the haze of my brain, the conversations and fights that played in my head on repeat with every silent moment I had alone. I lifted my gaze, Pope and Kiara watching me now, their brows furrowed with concern.

"Sorry," I muttered, straightening as I cleared my throat "I'm just a bit tired, it's been a long day." Pope nods in understanding, his hands tucking into his pockets, and I see Kiara frown, the both of them standing there- waiting. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Are you- are you still mad at John B?" Pope asked quietly, his voice carrying to me through the strong currents of wind blowing hard enough to blur my eyes "You were pissed when JJ left and then when we were talking about the plan for tomorrow, you didn't really say much."

"I'm not mad at John B-" I sigh, my eyes momentarily closing at the sheer comfort shining in both my friend's eyes as they stared at me, letting me know that I could be honest and vulnerable with them. "I was just upset; I didn't want JJ to think this was us versus him. I know he fucked up, keeps fucking up, but I just hate when we fight, I hate seeing us at each other's throats."

"You seemed pretty torn up when you came back to the Twinkie today," Kiara said, her tone soft and coddling, like you would for a child as she frowned at me "I'm guessing that conversation didn't go well?"

"That depends on your definition of well," I laugh hollowly, tucking my loose hair behind my ears, my arms coming to fold over my chest like a safety blanket. "JJ's hurting, he's in a bad place and I thought I could help but he needs space, and I guess I just have to give him that space."

"You know he's just pushing you away because he's trying to be tough, act like nothing affects him, like he isn't falling apart," Kiara says sadly, her brown eyes shining with pain, for our friend, for the mess that this has all become. "He's pushing you away Rory because you make him vulnerable, you make him care."

"John B couldn't get JJ out of his own head," I say, shaking my head in dismissal, my throat tightening at her words, "I don't think there's anything that I could possibly do-"

"Come on, Rory," Pope cut in harshly, and my brows rose at his abrupt tone, any words drying out in my throat. I watch as Pope sighs, his tired and solemn eyes meeting mine and softening "You know he's in love with you, right?"