𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 [𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤]

𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞

On the drive to John B's, I decided that ice cream was going to be one of the only things to help with the way I was feeling. Specifically ice cream from one specific spot on Figure 8 that my mom used to take me to when she actually liked me. So maybe from when I was like 5?

When I pulled up, it wasn't too crowded. Maybe one or two families and the occasional couple on a little date. So I took my time saying to myself, "What do I want?" as I looked over the menu for the best choice. As I looked, I felt someone walk up next to me, "You can go ahead." I assured them so they didn't have to wait longer than needed.

"Nah, just let me know so I can get it for you." I looked away from the board long enough to see Liam next to me. I tensed up, making him take a step back from me. "Can we get some ice cream and talk?" I looked down at my phone, hoping there was a message from someone but with my luck there was nothing.

"Yeah." How was I going to say no? I mean, I could've said no but how was I going to say no to him without an excuse? I was in the middle of Kook country and saying no felt like a problem waiting to happen. Once we ordered, we walked down the street. There was a good amount of people on the street, enough to make me comfortable to sit and talk with him.

We walked in silence for a bit, just enjoying our ice cream. I decided on a milkshake, which was a good choice considering I could finish it fast and have a reason to go. He ended up getting a cone in a bowl. "So, why'd you move back?" a casual question. A friendly conversation. Something we really weren't.

"It was good." Short. Simple.

"Have you talked to-"

"I know what you and Rafe did to Sarah." I spoke quietly so no one else could hear. I watched his body shift and suddenly the conversation wasn't as friendly as it had been. He stopped and tossed his ice cream in a nearby trash can before continuing to walk.

"Like I was saying, have you talked to Miles since you moved back?"

I shook my head trying to make something make sense. "Liam, you helped Rafe try to drown Sarah the other night and then had a conversation with me like nothing happened." I watched realization take over his face. He must've forgotten that we saw each other after it happened.

"Laney," his voice was light, and his facial expression had softened. No longer harsh and tense like before. I almost thought twice about the man in front of me. I almost felt sorry for him. "I really need somebody right now." He was pleading with me, reaching out a hand for help. I had nothing to give. Nothing to help with.

I stopped now. We had turned around and made it back to where our cars were parked, "Liam." My hand rested on gently on his forearm as I spoke, "I can't be that somebody." I could see the tears in his eyes, I could feel myself wanting to give him a break. But I couldn't. Because of Sarah, because of Pope. Giving Liam a break was not in the cards.

Betrayal covered his face as he gently removed my hand from his arm and took a step back. He shook his head as he continued to back away to his car. Nothing else was said as he got in his truck and drove away. Did I just cut ties with the Devil, or the Devil's right hand man? Was that even something a person could do?

Surely he'd be back around. Him or Rafe. What scared me more was how they would turn and make this into something that would hurt us all.

I left the ice cream shop and headed straight for John B's. No one checked to see who was pulling up, I guess they just assumed it was me. I was greeted with smiles as I walked onto the porch. Kiara patted the spot next to her and I sat down without a word. As they all talked, she leaned over to me. "Everything okay?" I nodded not wanting to draw any attention to myself. I wanted to forget mine and Liam's conversation. I had to.

"So, we're going to see Pope's meemaw." John B said as he stood up and walked outside. Not only was I off, but I could tell everyone else was too. I was 99% sure that Sarah and John B were still arguing, and that Kiara and Pope hadn't worked through their thing yet. But at least JJ wasn't ignoring me anymore.

"Have we figured out what the key is to?" I asked, trying to make things less tense.

"Limbrey slipped and said the key leads to the Cross of Santo Domingo." Pope answered like I was supposed to know what that was. I raised a brow as Kie searched for it on her phone. When she found a picture of it, she leaned over and showed it to me. It was nearly 7 foot tall and made of solid gold.

"Can I see that?" JJ asked as he looked over my shoulder.

Kie laughed as she turned the phone to him, "Talk about overcompensating." I laughed at her as she began to read the article, "It was a gift from New Spain to the Spanish King."

"New Spain? Is there an old Spain?" JJ asked, making me roll my eyes. I always wondered what grade he would be in if they didn't have to push everyone through. He must've noticed my look because he threw his hands up in defense, but I knew the question was still rolling around in his head. "So, it's just a big cross?"

Kie continued reading. "It was widely considered at the time to be the most extravagant tribute ever from the provinces and was lost off the coast of Bermuda in 1829." My hand went right to my forehead as I braced myself for the shit that was getting ready to come out of John B and JJ's mouths.

"Did you just say Bermuda?" JJ asked.

"Here we go." I mumbled knowing how they felt about the stupid triangle.

"Oh no, not the triangle." John B sarcastically chimed in.

"It always leads back to the triangle, dude." JJ said as he looked over to me. Their obsession with the triangle had always been something I was skeptical about. And until I had heard about them finding the Royal Merchant gold, I had been skeptical about that too. "Like every single time something's weird, it's Bermuda." JJ carried on.

We needed a new topic, "Okay, well what does a key found above your meemaw's pharmacy have to do with any of this?" Thank goodness for Sarah.

"Where do we come in?" I asked Pope as we stopped in front of the home. I could tell that he was in his head the way over here and I needed to know how he was doing.

"I'm not sure." He answered as JJ slid the door open for them.

Pope was the first one out and looked around before turning back to us, "I think I'm gonna do this one by myself." He looked between Kiara and JJ as I sat back down in the van. I knew he needed to see his grandmother on his own terms and not have everyone in there asking a million questions.

"Are you sure?" Kie asked, still crouching by the door.

"Yeah, I can handle it. I don't really need you, so..."

"We're just all one big happy family today, aren't we?" JJ asked sarcastically as he stood there listening to the whole conversation. Listening to it made me uncomfortable, so I can only imagine how it made him feel. Even so, I still rolled my eyes at him. He was part of the reason why things were tense today too.

I watched Pope walked further away from the van and stopped the sliding door with my foot. "Don't leave me, shitbird." I said to John B as I ran past the driver's side window.

I called out, "Pope!" and he turned around at the bottom of the steps, "I know things are complicated and realistically a lot to handle, but I'm always here to talk to you. Whenever you need it. In all honesty, I could use one of our talks." I leaned in to whisper the next part, "Because they're about to drive me crazy." He laughed and nodded. That was all I wanted from him.

"If we can ever find the time, I'm all ears." he reassured me. I wrapped him in a quick hug before jogging back over to the van.

"Hey man, pick you up in a bit." John B said to Pope as he walked in the house. We drove off to find something to kill the time.