𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

one hundred twenty nine.

─☼☼☼─

THE DAYS FLEW by in a blur of open sea and so many meals composed of fish that Charlotte was pretty sure she'd never be able to eat seafood ever again.

They'd made considerable distance, having safely passed through the Bermuda Triangle, much to everyone's relief. But Charlotte knew not to revel in their safety until their feet hit solid ground in Morocco — even then she knew their safety wasn't guaranteed.

And that terrified her. Because almost everyone she loved most in this world was on that boat with her. If she lost any of them...well Charlotte Carrera wasn't sure how she could live a life without her sister. Or her friends. Or Rafe. Especially Rafe.

Rafe.

Her heart physically hurt at the thought of him. Locked alone in that damn room.

Charlotte hadn't been able to bring herself to go back in there since that very first day on the boat. She couldn't bare to face his looked of betrayal. And she especially couldn't bare having to physically locked him in there every time she left.

She knew it was immature, selfish, and perhaps pathetic that she was actively avoiding him on a boat of all places. But Charlotte couldn't quite get passed it.

Sarah — being one of, if not the only, people able to tolerate Rafe — had taken to bringing him his meals. Most of the times she delivered messages to Charlotte from Rafe, which often times made Charlotte feel even worse about what a dick she was being.

That particular day was no different.

"He's asking for you again," Sarah sighed, sliding into the booth next to Charlotte after delivering Rafe his dinner. "He wants you to know he's not upset with you."

A pang of guilt stung through Charlotte's heart as she forced a drink of water down her throat, trying to disguise the pain in her features.

JJ snorted from across the table — drunk as always. "He's just trying to mess with you, Charlotte," he muttered, digging into the plate of dinner in front of him.

Kiara cleared her throat, giving JJ a nudge as she rose her brows. "We didn't say grace."

JJ rolled his eyes as he dropped his fork, the utensils clattering against his plate as he stuck his hands out, waiting for Kiara and John B, who sat on the other side of him, to place their hands in his.

Charlotte bit back her response to JJ as she placed her hands in Sarah and Pope's, tilting her head downward slightly as Kiara said thanks for their meal, and their safety. But Charlotte didn't feel very thankful in that moment.

"Like, you know he's just trying to guilt you into letting him out, right?" JJ immediately jumped back into the discussion once Kiara had finished speaking.

Looking down at her dinner of —you guessed it — fish, Charlotte gave a small shrug. "Would that be so crazy?" She questioned, looking around the table. "I mean, what do we really think he's going to do?"

JJ's answer came before anyone else's. "Murder us and dump our bodies in the ocean probably."

Charlotte sent him a mocking smile. "I wouldn't let him do that. I'd at least ensure he gave you a proper burial." She bit back sarcastically.