Chapter 67

1.4K 28 161
                                    

Collage credit to Honey_Reign20

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

Collage credit to Honey_Reign20


Anna and Mike were clear in their intentions to send their daughter away, not only a threat but a promise, but when Pope called her asking for help there was no way she could say no. Kiara never tried to fit in, she was a free spirit who for the most part knew who she was. Her year at the Kook Academy had strained her relationship with the Pogues but it was through her consistency that proved to them that she wasn't going anywhere ever again. Which is why she had snuck out her window in the early hours of the morning and drove out to Angel Oak.

"Guys, listen, when all of this is over, and I go home, my parents are probably gonna send me away." Kiara knew it wasn't the best time to get into some deep conversation but she needed them to know. She needed the Pogues to know that this wasn't her choice, that she would never again choose anyone over them. The Pogues were her family. The only ones that truly cared for her, loved her, and accepted her for who she was. And that meant more to her than any amount of money Kook life could offer her. "I just wanna make sure that we're straight. You know... I might not see you for a really long time."

Pope assured her that it was all good, promising her that they were friends and that came before anything. And he meant it. Whatever they had together that night on the break was just that, a night together, one he wouldn't ever forget, and he was naive to think anything would have actually worked out between them. He had been looking at the whole thing through rose colored glasses and once they were taken off there was no denying she was right. Their friendship was more important.

Madison sat in the backseat of Kiara's car, painfully aware that Pope had the gun tucked into the waistband of his pants. Their argument was still fresh in her mind, how could it not be when he had verbally tore through her, but it was from the look in his eye that she knew she had truly disappointed him. The gun went off and he snatched it out of her hands so quickly she didn't even have time to process it. Worst of all? He hadn't said two words to her since. And the silence was deafening.

"What about you, Maddie?" Kiara caught her attention, glancing at her in the rearview mirror, and by the confused expression on her face she knew she had no idea what she was talking about. "We good?"

The youngest Routledge checked her phone in her hand and let out a deep breath, "Uh, in two blocks make a left it looks like he's down at the shipping yard."

Kiara shared a look with Pope who simply shook his head. He was undeniably at a loss. It was bad enough that he felt beaten down mentally for once again losing the cross, losing a fight with Rafe, and it physically hurting to take a deep breath. But, it was a whole other feeling that he had lost his best friend too. Drugs. Guns. She had always been a little manic in her ideas, or even her actions, but this was too far. She wasn't even acting like herself anymore and while he wanted to be there for her, he wasn't about to enable her behaviors either, and if tough love was what it took then he'd freeze her out for as long as he needed to.

Sink or Swim || Outer Banks || JJ MaybankWhere stories live. Discover now