𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

one hundred thirty.

─☼☼☼─

"SHIT," CHARLOTTE CURSED, the sharp blade of the knife slicing through the skin on her thumb. Blood instantly trickled from it, turning the water before her into a murky pink.

"You okay?" Sarah called from where her and Kiara sat playing cards, her brows tugged together in concern.

Grabbing the closest dish towel, Charlotte wrapped it around her thumb as she began digging through the cabinets for a first aid kit. "Yeah," she assured. "Didn't realize there was a knife in the dishwater."

More like, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about Rafe long enough to realize she was the one who had put the knife in the water.

"Do you need help?" Kiara asked as Charlotte ducked into the bathroom, scouring the medicine cabinet in there instead.

Finally spotting a first aid kit, she went to work bandaging it up before answering her sister. "No, I'm fine." She assured, wincing as she wrapped the cut. She almost had to laugh that Rafe had such a hold on her that she couldn't even wash dishes properly anymore.

Cleaning up her mess, Charlotte stepped back into the dining area where the girls were still playing cards. "We're probably going to need more─woah!" She exclaimed, stepping out of the way just in time for an item to go flying across the room toward her.

John B was letting out deep breaths as he leaned against the kitchen counter, shoulders taut in frustration. "Sorry, Charley." He muttered, not turning to look at her.

Charlotte stole a glance at the two other girls who looked just as confused. "Are you okay?" She wondered, unsure of what could have happened to upset him so much.

"Yeah, dude, what's wrong?" Kiara followed in her sister's questioning.

Pushing himself off of the counter, John B tugged a hand through his hair. "It's JJ," he declared, eyes dark.

Something gripped Charlotte's heart. No matter how angry she'd been at JJ earlier, it terrified her to know someone might have been wrong with him. "What about him?" She wondered, looking from John B to Kiara. Her sister just cast her gaze downward, shoulders tensing.

"I told him about the baby and he just—he's gone off the deep end," John B answered, clearly not giving them all of the details about the interaction.

Charlotte looked to Kiara again, waiting for her to move, to say something. But Kiara did nothing but sit there with a distressed look on her face.

"Where is he?" Charlotte finally asked after giving her sister more than enough time to react.

John B nodded toward the door. "Lower deck."

Another glance toward her sister, another chance for Kiara to be the one to get up and go to her boyfriend. But the youngest Carrera still didn't move. She didn't even look at her sister. Charlotte tried to give Kiara the benefit of the doubt in the whole matter. It was never easy to deal with your boyfriend when he was drunk, Charlotte of all people knew that, but it was almost worse to pretend nothing was happening. Again, Charlotte of all people knew that.

Letting out a low sigh, Charlotte tore he gaze from her sister, brushing past John B as she made her way toward the door. "Charley," John B said quietly, catching her wrist as she moved past him. "He's...he's probably going to say some pretty volatile shit to you. Just..."