"Aria." Rafe spoke as he watch her stare out at the ocean. She hadn't said much, her dad deep in the ocean for nearly fifteen minutes now, "Aria, we have to get back."

"I always wanted this to happen." she finally spoke, the wind blowing her hair as she looked out at the water, "But now that it has..."

Rafe wrapped his hand around her arm when she trailed off, "It's gonna be okay."

"I know it." she nodded, inhaling, "What if someone finds out? I'll go to jail."

"No ones gonna find out." Rafe shook his head, clutching her shoulders as he bend down some to be on her level, "I'm not gonna let that happen."

Aria stared, "How come you felt like you couldn't tell me what happened with the sheriff?"

Rafe seemed taken off guard by her words, sighing, "I know you don't believe me."

"I do." Aria corrected him, "Do you believe me? Why I killed my dad?"

"Of course I do." Rafe reassured her with a nod, "No one is gonna find out, I promise."

Yet neither of them knew that a certain pair of Pogues saw the entire thing happen from inside the storage.

Sarah's escape had Rafe freaking the fuck out. Aria promised she'd find her, heading through the boat in search of a certain blonde. The speaker rung above her head as she walked out to the deck again, "Attention all passengers and crew. Report to the tween forward hull. Attention, all passengers and crew, report to the tween forward hull. That's an order."

"Fuck you." Aria mumbled under her breath, continuing her search for Sarah, "Where are you princess?"

Her voice echoed slightly, grabbing the attention of two from not too far away. Aria rounded the corner, looking around alarmed. She heard a foot step behind her, swinging around and getting hit in the face. Aria groaned at the slap, yelping when her body was thrown against the wall.

"Back again, Pretty Girl?" Cleo asked, holding Aria up against the wall with the knife in her hand, "Miss me?"

"Obviously." Aria grunted, throwing her head forward and head butting Cleo in the face. The taller girl stumbled back, Aria wrapping her hands around her body as they tumbled down the stairs. The pair fell with a good distance from the other, Arias head pounding. Cleo crawled on top of her, pinning her down, "Get off of me!"

"You don't look like you're up to any good." Cleo commented, holding Arias down as the small part of her blade grazed her face, "Would hate to mess up that pretty face."

"You won't." Aria laughed, smiling up at her as the blood from her nose stained her face, "You like me too much."

Cleo huffed as she grabbed Arias shoulders and hit her on the ground, "You're in the way!"

"Get off of me!" Aria repeated, trying to get out of Cleos hold but she'd been a lot stronger, "I said get off!"

Cleos grabbed Aria tightly as she stood up, "Whatever you want, pretty girl."

Cleo gave Aria a hard push, locking her in the emergency exit door. Aria threw her body against the door, trying to get out as she hit the side, "Let me out! Open this door!"

"Sorry." Cleo spoke from the other side, "You put up a good fight though, i'll give you that."

"Cleo!" Aria hit the door, hearing her run off, "Come back and let me out!"

"Aria!" Rafe called as he walked past and heard her yelling, "Ar!"

"Rafe!" Aria yelled from the other side, "She locked me in!"

"Dumbass pogues are on the ship." Rafe said, removing the board from the door as it flew open. Aria threw her arms around him tightly in a hug, "You alright?"

"Yeah." Aria breathed out, holding him a second longer, "Let's go get em."

Rafe lead the way, the pair crouching down slightly as they looked at Pope and Cleo, trying to lower the cross down.

"They've got our gold." Aria said in disbelief.

"Just do it!" Pope yelled from inside the control manual.

"Are you sure?" Cleo called, tugging on the rope.

"Drop it!" Pope called back.

"Okay, fine!" Cleo yelled, letting the rope go as the cross began to fall.

"No, no, no!" Rafe panicked, running forward and grabbing the rope, the cross pulling him down and sliding across the boat as well.

"Rafe!" Aria called out in a panic, running forward.

"Go to him, go!" Rafe called back to her, holding the cross up. Aria realized he'd been talking about Pope, her eyes moving toward the Hayward boy. She ran over, Cleo going after her.

"Get down here, come on!" Cleo called to Pope, a crew member shooting at him. Cleo had lost sight of Aria, trying to keep a eye were she's ran to but had no clue where she went. Pope climbed out of the hatch, dangling before dropping down. He stumbled when he hit the deck, holding his balance only to be attacked from behind.

Aria took Pope down, rolling him over. Pope groaned as she punched him, grabbing her hand. Aria yelled out in anger when Pope latched onto her hands and held them away from him, not letting her punch him. Just when he thought he had control, her knee hit him in the ribs.

Pope groaned as Aria grabbed his face, "Kie's not here to save you? Too busy talking shit about me after she became my replacement freshman year? When she left you?"

Pope huffed when Aria held his hands over his head, trying to get out of her grip. Aria smiled, blood in her teeth as her nose bleed dropped down onto his face, "She isn't gonna like what I do to you, gorgeous."

Aria rose her fist, a hand latching onto it and yanking her off. Cleo fought against Aria again, shoving and waving her knife at her. Aria cried out as Cleo sliced her arm, grabbing the girl as she tried to shove her away. Cleo lost her balance, Pope jumping in and attacking Aria.

"Hold her!" Cleo called, Aria hollering as Pope fought against her.

"What do I do with her?" Pope asked in a panic, Aria oddly strong as he nearly lost his grip. Cleo grabbed Arias wrist, holding them to the railing of the boat. The nearby rope was tied tightly around Arias wrist, keeping her still.

"Let me go!" Aria yelled, her lower body thrashing to get free, "I'll kill you!"

"Kie didn't replace your life her Kook year." Pope commented as he stared at her, catching his breath, "It wasn't her fault everyone turned against you."

"Like she did you?" Aria glared up at him, "You won't win, Pope. That gold is ours!"

"No, it isn't." Pope said, checking the rope as he nodded to Cleo, "Come on."

Aria met Cleos eye, her nose twitching, "They won't protect you."

"I don't need to be protect." Cleo laughed as she stared at Aria, "You do."

"I don't." Aria shot back.

"You do." Cleo corrected her once again, "And that guy? All he's gonna do is hurt you and destroy your life."

"You don't know shit!" Aria shot back at her, yanking against the rope, "You don't know me, you don't know Rafe."

"You're right." Cleo said, inhaling as she looked back at Pope hurrying off, "I hope you see what everyone else does soon, pretty girl."

She hurried off, sprinting away as Aria yelled out, "Cleo! Cleo, get back here! Let me out!"

"Come on, help! Someone help me! Come on!" Rafe yelled, throwing his head back in pain as he held the cross. Aria stood up, her arms still restrained to the side of the boat, looking out.

"Go help him!" Aria yelled, crew members hurrying forward and grabbing the rope, pulling. Aria leaned over the side of the boat to get a look at the cross, only half in the water, "Come on, Rafe, pull!"

Yells echoed off the boat as the workers began to pull at the cross, getting in a good rhythm. Aria smiled as the cross came up from the water, "Yes! Yes! We got it! You got it!"

"It's up?" Rafe yelled back.

"Yeah, keep pulling!" she yelled back.

"No, no!" Pope yelled from the water, him and Cleo jumping off the boat not too long again.

Arias face was lit up in a beautiful smile, squinting to make out the tiny figures in the water, "You can't fucking stop us!"

"Someone go help her, go!" Rafe yelled, realizing Aria was tied up. A crew member ran her way, pulling his knife from his pocket and cutting at the restraints.

"Thank you." Aria commented, taking off in a sprint toward Rafe, jumping over the piles of rope, "Rafe! Rafe! I'm so proud of you!"

"Heave! Heave!" the crew yelled, Rafe letting go as Aria fell next to him.

"Hey." Rafe spoke out of breath as he took deep breaths.

Aria smiled, placing her palm on his stomach, were his shirt came up, "Are you okay? Let me see."

Rafe's hands were cut from the rope, slightly bloody. Aria pressed a kiss to his knuckles, "Guess what happens now?"

Rafe had to smile, chest moving as he caught his breath, "Private golf courses."

"Private fucking golf courses." Aria smiled, leaning down and kissing him as passionately as she had before. Rafe held her face as she sat up again, a smile on her face, "Our life is only looking up from here, Cameron."

"Well, don't go anywhere." Rafe chuckled slightly as he sat up on his elbows to be closer, "Seriously."

"I'm not." Aria reassured with a smile, "Those pogues are though."

Rafe shot up quickly, grabbing hold of the gun rested on the boat. He leaned against the railing, holding the gun out and aiming it at them. Aria was holding her breath, watching worried. She wanted to say don't do it, but then again she wanted to say do it. Aria got to her feet, walking toward the edge as she looked out at the six figures on a tiny life boat. Sarah and Cleo on the back, both staring at them while John B, Kie, and Pope were occupied with either helping JJ or getting the boat to start up again.

"Rafe." Aria spoke a second later, "I don't want-"

"I know." he said back, lowering the gun with a groan.

Aria grabbed his hand, "It's okay."

Rafe turned to her with a long exhale, "We're in control now. Your dads dead, mines hurt real bad. It's us now."

Aria had to smile, the golden sun shining down on her as her eyes looked slightly green, "We're gonna be good at this."

"Yeah?" Rafe asked.

Aria held his face, "Yeah."

Rafe finally smiled, nodding his head as he leaned into her. Aria pushed up on her new combat boots and connected their lips again.

He kissed her back, but his mind was only on the gold. Maybe he cared for Aria, but his plan was just as it always had been. He wanted her cut if the gold, and by pulling her in deeper, he'd be able to take off with it quicker.

•

kylie speaks

i'm gonna miss this
book until s3 ugh, i can
not wait and see my girl
again, hopefully getting her
the help she deserves and
continue in on with this story!
maybe even character development??
thank you all for the support
and reads and comments you
have given me, i loved it all just
as i love all of you!

and claria heart <3