CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

DESPERADO — RIHANNA
And you ain't leaving me behind
I know you won't cause we share common interests
You need me, there ain't no leaving me behind

STELLA FOUND HERSELF staring at the moon a lot in the past few weeks, finding comfort in the fact that it was the same one her loved ones admired. On the deserted island, she would look at it and think of her mother. Tonight, her thoughts belonged to her favourite person.

In some ways, JJ reminded her of the moon. His whole life, he existed in darkness. He kept parts of himself hidden away and many nights, he found himself incomplete. But he was still beautiful. A lifetime of struggle could never dim his light and if Stella was the sun, she would reflect hers onto him until she burned out.

Stella knew he was losing his mind and blaming himself for her being taken, pacing back and forth while rubbing his chest in anxiety.

He worried about her a lot. He always had, even when they were kids. Protection was an amenity to his love and the Pogues were the only family he had left. It was bad enough that Kie was kidnapped, but adding the love of his life to the mix would have sent him over the edge.

Being apart under normal circumstances would have caused discomfort. They were best friends before they were lovers and like any pair of best friends, they rarely spent time apart without keeping in touch. When Stella was busy volunteering at the hospital, she would message JJ between tasks. When he was at work, he would call her on his breaks. When she started hanging out with the Kooks during her first year at the Kook Academy, she still made an effort to see him after school. The longest time they had gone without speaking were the weeks following their break up, but even then, they still responded to the others in their group chat. At least they knew the other was breathing.

JJ had no way of knowing if she was okay. She didn't know if she would be, and that was the scariest part. Stella knew that at any given moment, somebody could walk through the bedroom door and shoot her. Or Kie. Or Rafe. If Singh decided that they had outlived their usefulness, he had no qualms about killing them. He made that clear when he shot Portis on the porch earlier.

There was a real possibility that she might never see her friends or family again. If she died here, her mother might never know. JJ would never recover. He would blame himself until the day he died and no amount of consoling from John B, Sarah, Pope, or Cleo would help. He would have lost one of the only things he had left. He would feel like a failure.

The thought of dying never scared her. It wasn't like she looked for the silence, but she knew that it was the only thing life could guarantee. The moment passed in the form of a bullet and machete pressed to her neck, and each time Stella remained eerily calm. She wasn't scared of dying, but leaving the people she loved behind terrified her.

"Are you okay?"

Stella looked away from the window she was facing. Her eyes followed the voice until it led her to Rafe, who was lying on his makeshift bed on the floor. He gave the girls the bed with minimal complaint and Kie was fast asleep on top of it, exhausted from the events of the day.

He looked at her expectantly, but all Stella could remember was the way he pointed a gun at their lifeboat when they escaped the Coastal Venture.

"Like you care," she replied, her voice soft but heavy with disdain.

Rafe rolled his eyes and sat up, moving to rest his back against the footboard of the bed. "You know that I do," he defended. His voice sounded louder in the quiet of the night. "I doubt you've ever had a guy killed in front of you before. I'm just trying to be a good friend."

Stella's brows furrowed. She couldn't believe that after everything they've been through, everything he put her through, he was still adamant about them being friends. "We're not friends, Cameron. We've gone over this, like, a hundred times."

"I know." His eyes closed as he tried to find the right words. When he opened them again, all Stella could see in them was sincerity. It was severely off-putting. "I know what I did to you was bad. And I-I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for... for everything. I'm trying to be better, it's just hard."

Stella wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and shout until her throat turned raw that she wasn't the only person he hurt. That people were dead because of him. That Sarah flinched whenever someone brushed against her neck. That John B's life was ruined because he framed him for murder. But even in a vulnerable state, she knew that strategy and forethought were her friends. She had to be smart and being an asshole to one of the only two people who could help her get out of here was far from that.

Instead of arguing, Stella swallowed her pride and nodded. Her lips pursed as she questioned, "How did you end up here?"

"I've been trying to sell the cross." He sighed and rested his arms on his knees. "I met with this French guy, some antique dude. I didn't understand a word of what he said. His translator said Singh was a serious buyer."

Just to be annoying, Stella decided to exercise the little French knowledge she had from her years of taking it in school. "Tu ne comprends pas le français?" When Rafe stared at her without a single thought behind his eyes, she shrugged. "Hm. Maybe if you did, you would've seen through their bullshit."

There were a few moments of silence between them as Rafe tried to decipher what she said. When his own knowledge from high school french class failed him, he opened his mouth to throw a bitter comment. Though the words never came because Stella cut him off with a quizzical glare.

"Hold on, you're selling the cross?" Her tone was nothing short of disbelief and her eyes held judgement. "It's not yours to sell. It belongs to Pope's family."

Rafe could feel his temper rising. The constant tug of war with the Pogues grew boring. If the cross belonged to Pope's family, then they should have worked harder to keep it that way. He worked hard for the cross, so in his eyes, it was his to sell. But he knew Stella didn't think the same. 

Multiple factors contributed to what he said next. Stella was insanely smart. It was a known fact throughout Kildare, and not only was she academically gifted, but she possessed street smarts as well. Her time with the Pogues gave her a perspective on life that he didn't have. She could handle any situation thrown her way with the grace of an angel and he needed her brain to get out of here.

Instead of arguing, Rafe swallowed his pride and shook his head. "I don't want to fight with you, Star."

A scoff fell from her lips as a sardonic look crossed her face. "And everything Rafe Cameron wants, he gets. Right?"

The underlying insult was stripped raw as he stared at her. He noticed the slight differences in her appearance. Her skin looked clear but the high points of her face started to peel from the harsh sun. Her hair was dry and brittle. From the circles under her eyes, he could tell she was tired.

When he let her go that day on the Coastal Venture, he swore that he would wait for the Pogues to mess up. It was the only way Stella would realize how far she had fallen from the pedestal of her golden girl status. The only way for her to know that it wasn't too late to join his side.

His gaze ran over her again before meeting her stare. "Not everything."

The Pogues let her get kidnapped. He really hoped she knew that.

Stella turned her head, unable to feel comfortable with the way he was looking at her. She watched as the tall grass in the distance swayed in the wind and counted the guards walking back and forth along the perimeter of the estate.

The longer she sat with her thoughts, the more violently they consumed her. Fourteen guards, at least fourteen guns. Fourteen guns, thirty rounds each—more if they had after-market magazines, which they probably did. That was a minimum for four hundred and twenty rounds that could be used on her. A part of her wished she paid less attention to JJ when he talked about the guns in his video games. She wouldn't be so anxious if she lived in ignorance.

The thought of death came around again as she imagined escaping, running through the tall grass until she found herself back in JJ's arms. Dying didn't scare her, but it didn't appeal to her either. She had so much left to do, so many goals to accomplish, sights to see, people to meet, discoveries to make. She had a life with people who loved her. Would they forgive themselves if she never made it home? 

Pulling her knees to her chest, Stella felt a heavy weight tie itself to her heart. "I have," she said suddenly, replying to one of his previous statements. "I watched your dad's old pilot, Gavin Barnstead, get shot. Him and your dad were fighting and your dad, he— he killed him."

The memory was blurry, her subconscious blocking it out in defence. Truthfully, all she could remember about the actual murder was the rain and initial shock. The guilt didn't come until later when she tried to fall asleep and she carried it with her to this day.

Rafe could see on her face how much it bothered her. He didn't know her as well as JJ did—no one ever would—but he knew enough. From the times they spent together during her Kook year, he could remember how prone she was to overthinking.

"We're going to get out of here," he promised. He hesitated before continuing. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

An impulsive thought crossed her mind and she almost said, 'No, you'll just do that yourself.' But instead, her hand brushed against the scar on her stomach and she suppressed the urge to be petty.

Rafe was oblivious and glanced over at Kie. "We need to work together," he said turning back to Stella. "You need to convince Kie. I know she hates me, but it's the only way we're getting out of here. Can you do that?"

Stella didn't give an answer. She knew better than to make promises she couldn't keep and she wasn't going to commit to something that could potentially backfire.

Whatever answer Rafe assumed from her silence had to be good enough for him because when Stella stood from the chair by the window and walked towards the bed, he didn't say a word.

After getting settled in next to Kie, she said, "Try anything stupid and I'll smother you with my pillow."

STELLA FELL ASLEEP after the sun came up. After talking to Rafe, she tried to sleep but ended up turning restlessly to the point that Kie groaned and hit her in her sleep.

Stella was too anxious. So to calm her nerves, she crept into the bathroom. With eyeliner she found in the makeup bag Singh had provided them with, she wrote the directions back to town on toilet paper and started planning their escape.

Rafe got onto the island somehow. He either came by plane or by boat, and she was betting it was the latter. If she played her cards right, she could probably steal it from him. The only problem was that she had no idea how to twist their situation so it would allow her to do so.

"Stella."

A groan fell from the golden girl's lips as she turned her body and buried herself further into the blanket. She was exhausted and four hours of sleep wasn't enough time for her to feel rested.

"Stella," the voice whispered again.

When she didn't respond, she felt a hand shake her shoulder.

Letting out an annoyed whine, she pushed the hand away. "What, Kie?"

"I need to talk to you," she replied. The mattress dipped as she moved to shake Stella again. "Come on."

Stella let out a dramatic sigh and when she opened her eyes, they narrowed at Kie in a glare. Though, she didn't take much offence to it and stood from the bed, leaning over to make sure Rafe was sleeping before beckoning her over to the bathroom.

Rubbing her eyes, Stella accepted defeat and followed her into the small room. Once she was inside, Kie shut the door and turned the faucet on so they wouldn't be overheard.

"What is it?" Stella questioned, moving around Kie to splash her face with cold water.

Kie handed her a small towel. "I have an idea," she said. "The only way we're getting out of here is if we give Singh the diary, right?"

Stella nodded. "Yeah, but we only have a copy. Do you think that's good enough for him?"

"It has to be. We'll tell him about it, say we'll get it for him, and when he lets us go, he'll never see us again."

"It won't be that easy, Kie. He'll send his guys with us, he wouldn't let us go alone."

"I know, but it's our only shot."

As much as Stella appreciated Kie's optimism, there were too many problems with her plan. Too many points at which everything could go wrong. And Singh wasn't an idiot. It wouldn't take both of them to retrieve the diary. He did kidnap both of them, after all. If one didn't comply, he could use the other to threaten them. Only one of them was making it out and Stella was going to make sure it was Kie. She cared about her safety more than her own.

"Alright," Stella sighed, preparing herself for what came next. She turned and dug through the makeup bag for the folded piece of toilet paper she had hidden. When she found it, she handed it to Kie. "Here, it's a map back to town. I memorized the turns when they brought us here yesterday."

Kie furrowed her brows. "Why are you giving it to me? You keep it."

Stella shrugged and pointed to her pants. "Your pyjamas have pockets. Mine don't." It wasn't a lie, but it was an excuse. Her head turned to the door and she remembered who they were hiding from. "What about Rafe?"

"What about him?"

"Should we tell him about this?"

Kie looked at her like she grew a second head. "Should we tell— No, we're not telling Rafe. Are you crazy?"

"I was just asking," Stella said, raising her hands in defence. "Good karma and whatnot. No need to call me names."

"I heard you two talking last night." Kie was half-asleep when the pair started whispering, and at first, she wasn't sure if she dreamt it or not. But from the way Stella considered helping him, she knew that she hadn't. "Stella, I know you and Rafe have this weird friendship-not-friendship thing and I do believe he cares about you in his own twisted psychopathic way, but if it comes down to it and he has to choose between us or him, who do you think he's picking? We can't tell him."

Stella mouth opened and she felt mildly offended. She didn't care about Rafe that much. Sure, he was nicer to her than most people and maybe she still held onto the more sane version of him from her Kook year. But that didn't erase the fact that he was also a murderer, a thief, the source of most of her friends' trauma, and the reason she had a nasty scar across her stomach. She only asked about telling him because she needed his boat. If they weren't telling him about the plan, then she'd have to figure out where it was docked sooner rather than later.

"If you heard us talking, then you also heard the part where I threatened him." Stella turned the faucet off and faced the door. "Come on, let's go put your plan into action."

The two girls left the bathroom without another word and carefully crept around Rafe as not to disturb him from his sleep. When they reached the window, they saw that a guard had posted up outside. They tried their best to get his attention, tapping and whispering for him to get Singh. But their efforts were going unnoticed and their tapping turned to knocking.

Unfortunately, Rafe was a light sleeper.

"What are you doing?" He asked, sitting up from the ground with a groan.

The girls ignored him and continued knocking on the window. "Hey, you," Kie hissed. "We need to talk to Mr. Singh!"

Rafe rushed over and tried to stop them. "Shut up, shut up." His hand reached for Stella's shoulder but she stopped him with a glare. "What are you doing?"

"Like we owe you an explanation," Kie scoffed.

He rolled his eyes. "Stella?"

"Don't look at me, I'm not telling you shit." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him reach for Kie's arm next. "And don't touch her. She'll bite your hand off."

He ignored her warning and grabbed Kie's arm anyway. "What are you doing?"

"Don't talk to me!" She snapped, causing Stella to suppress a smirk.

The guard outside turned to leave and they could only hope he was telling Singh that they were ready to talk.

"You're lying about this diary thing," Rafe realized. "You two know where it is."

Kie shook her head. "We don't."

"You don't," Rafe scoffed, unconvinced. He watched as Kie walked away before following closely behind. "Okay, listen, I wouldn't tell me either. But he's never gonna believe that we don't know something, alright? Look around, Kie. Me and Stella are the only friends you got. Teaming up is the smart thing to do and you're not stupid."

With her arms crossed over her chest, Kie glared at him. Stella could feel the hatred radiating off her and she was glad that she had never been on the receiving end of her wrath.

Behind them, the sound the door unlocking caught their attention. A slow creak pried itself through the air as the door opened to reveal another guard.

Stella was the closest to the exit, so she was the one the guard looked to. "We need to talk to Singh," she said. "We have something to tell him. It's important."

He nodded and spoke something into the radio on his chest. Moments later, another guard appeared behind them and beckoned the girls out of the room. Stella and Kie were escorted down the hall, hearing the faint sound of Rafe throwing a tantrum behind the now closed door.

They walked in silence with the two guards in front of them. Stella spent most of the time analyzing them, her eyes following the smallest of their moments.

When they turned the corner, her foot caught on a raised floorboard and she tripped, falling into the guard in front of her. She let out a shout of surprise as she grabbed onto his arm in an attempt to stop herself from falling. The two guards turned and found her on the ground, one hand on the ground in front of her and the other beneath her leg.

Kie glared at them as she moved to help her up. "You good?"

Stella nodded and turned to the guard. "Sorry 'bout that," her eyes squinted as she read his name patch, "Bailey."

The pair didn't say anything as they turned and started to walk down the hall, and they were completely oblivious to the way Stella tucked Bailey's cellphone into the waistband of her pants.

Singh was eating breakfast when they met with him. There was an array of fruits laid out on the table before them with two extra plates set. He looked at them expectantly as the guards left the room.

Kie stepped forward. She was nervous, but she couldn't let it show. "We lied," she said. "We know about the diary. We don't have the original, but we can get you a copy."

A small smile broke across Singh's face and he nodded. "I'm relieved to hear you say that, you know." He pointed to the plates set out for them. "May I offer you something to eat?

Kie shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

Stella, on the other hand, moved closer to the table and grabbed a short vine of grapes. Kie gave her a look, but she shrugged. She was hungry.

At Kie's reluctance, Singh sighed. "Relax. Nothing's gonna happen to you now. You're cooperating, and I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"We just want to get you what you want, and then we want to leave," Kie stated. "Look, we know where it is. But we have to go alone."

A chuckle sounded through the room. "But how would I know that you'd come back? I need some collateral."

Stella knew it wouldn't be easy. Singh wasn't an idiot, but he'd never met her. "Rafe's here." She shrugged, knowing she'd have to convince him that the boy was somewhat important if both of them were going to escape. "Keep him."

"Rafe," he repeated in amusement. "Didn't he shoot you?"

"He also bought me lunch throughout my first year of high school, knows my favourite flower, loves astronomy, hates green olives, and has a scar on his arm from a dirt bike." Some statements were true, just little things she remembered from her Kook year, and others were completely made up. She learned that if she said something with enough confidence, people were likely to believe her. "I know it's complicated, but believe it or not, Rafe is my friend. Even if he did shoot me. I don't take offering him up as collateral lightly."

Kie could see the way Stella's words convinced him as belief washed over his face. She really hoped that the older man would let them go. "Look, we know where the diary is, and if you let us go, I promise you, we can get it for you."

Singh stood from the table and ran his hands over his face. He passed them and stopped at the door. "I built this fortune myself, you know From nothing. From absolutely nothing. Do you know how that happened, Miss Carrera? I can assure you it was not by being a fool." When he turned to face them again, his expression had turned serious. "My men will take you were you need to go, but Miss Marx stays here."

"What?" Kie's brows furrowed and she shook her head. "No."

Stella's stare fell to the ground, having expected something like this to happen. It was convenient for him to have kidnapped both of them. He could use one as leverage and that was exactly what he was doing.

It was either her or Kie, and Stella knew what her choice was.

"Deal."

Kie's head turned to her in shock. "Stella," she started to protest.

Meeting the older man's gaze, Stella requested a moment. "Can I talk to her for a second?"

He nodded and moved back to his seat at the head of the table. "Make it quick."

Stella took Kie by the arm and pulled her to the opposite side of the room, far away from where Singh was eating breakfast. With her back facing him, she was able to take the phone from her pants and tuck it into Kie's waistband without being seen. To an outsider, it looked like she was going in for a reluctant hug, pausing before wrapping her arms around her friend's waist.

"What are you doing?" Kie asked. She didn't want to leave her. She couldn't.

Stella let out a shaky breath. "The town is small. Ask around for the others but lay low because he's gonna have his guys following you. When you see JJ, tell him I'm okay. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I'll find another phone and when I do, I'll message you. Hopefully this Bailey dude is close with his coworkers otherwise—"

"I'm not leaving you."

Stella pulled away from her and their eyes met. "Yes, you are."

"No—"

"Yes, you are," she pressed. "You have to. The others don't know who they're dealing with. They probably think Ward took us. They have to know what's going on."

"Then I'll stay and you'll go," Kie negotiated, hoping that for once in her life, her best friend wouldn't be so stubborn.

Stella shook her head. "Listen to me. It doesn't matter if we escape if we don't have a way off the island. I have a plan and it relies on Rafe trusting me. He got here on a boat. I can figure out where it is and when I do, I'll text you."

Kie knew that if anyone could swindle Rafe Cameron out of a boat, it was Stella. And as much as she didn't want to leave her, she knew that the chances of her succeeding would be higher if she was gone. She also knew that finding the Pogues and telling them about Singh would expedite their rescue mission.

She let out a sigh of defeat. "You've gotta stop with the self-sacrifice shit, Stella." First on the Coastal Venture, now here. She wished the girl would stop and realize that her safety was just as important. 

Stella huffed and hugged her again. "Yeah, I love you too."

"JJ's gonna be pissed," Kie said, her voice muffled by Stella's hair. "At me and you."

The door opened and Bailey walked in twitch two more of his friends. "Time's up," he said, taking Kie by the arm. "Let's go."

She resisted but Stella gave her a reassuring nod. "I'll be okay. Go."

As Kie walked away, Singh looked up from his meal. "The diary holds the key to the ultimate conquest, and that, Miss Carrera, is my destiny. Do not play games with me, and do not waste my time. For the sake of Miss Marx."

With a final look shared between the two girls, the door closed and Stella was left alone.

"You're free to help yourself to breakfast," Singh said, though it sounded more like an order than a friendly offer. "Think of it as a reward for your cooperation."

Stella turned and slowly approached the table. "Do you treat all of your prisoners with this level of hospitality?"

He regarded her in amusement as she sat down. "You're eating my food and slept in silk pyjamas. I wouldn't call you a prisoner."

She shrugged and filled her plate. "A golden cage is still a cage."

He had to admit, she reminded him of himself when he was her age. Determined, scrappy, clever. It was a wonder how she got wrapped up in so much trouble at such a young age. But then again, people like them seemed to attract it like a magnet. "You've got a brain, you know. But I can't tell if you're smart, or just a smart ass."

Stella was about to make a retort when his phone chimed.

"Amazing," he mused with a chuckle. "A text from our friend Jimmy Portis. From beyond the grave, apparently. It seems Mr. Portis has captured your friends."

Stella's eyes widened as he turned the screen to her, revealing a negotiation text and a picture of John B and Sarah. She could feel her heart sink through her chest and she grew so quiet that if it fell out of her body, she'd hear it hit the floor. A countdown flashed in her mind, because now it was a race between Singh and Kie over who could find her friends first. She hoped it was the latter.

"Don't hurt them," she begged. "Please, don't hurt them."

Singh stood from his seat, shouting for some guards to escort her back to her room. She pleaded for them not to hurt her friends, fight valiantly against them as they dragged her up the stairs, and when they locked her back in the bedroom, all she could do was worry.

RAFE STOOD AS Stella was pushed into the room. He took one look at her powerless expression and instantly knew something was wrong. If her demeanour didn't startle him, Kie's absence certainly did.

"What happened?" He demanded, watching as she sat on the bed and placed her head in her hands. "Where's Kie?"

She looked up at him with a sigh. "She's gone."

His eyes widened. "What do you mean gone? Like gone gone, or gone like—"

"Singh agreed to let her go," she interrupted, "but I had to stay behind as collateral."

"Collateral? Why would she agree to that?" He hated the Pogues, but even he knew how loyal they were to each other. He found it hard to believe that Kie would just leave her here.

"She didn't. It was me or her and I made the choice for her."

Rafe looked at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious. You had the chance to get out of here and you didn't take it?"

Stella's eyes narrowed at his tone of judgement. She couldn't expect him to understand. The only people he cared enough to trade himself for were Wheezie and their father. Other than that, he was selfish.

He recoiled at her glare. "What did he agree to? Why did he let her go?"

"We have a copy of the diary," she finally revealed. "She said she'd get it for him."

Rafe's brows furrowed. "You said you didn't know where the diary was."

"We don't," Stella huffed. "We know where the copy is. There's a difference."

"You lied to me."

A scoff fell from her lips as he stared at her in betrayal. "You're the last person who should be scolding me for lying."

"When did I lie to you, Stella? Tell me, because I don't remember ever lying to you."

"No, but you've done worse, haven't you?"

Her words cut deep and she knew it.

Rafe stepped back like the words had physically shoved him and sat on the chair by the window. His lips pursed as he tried not to think about the weight of a gun in his hands or pulse of his sister's neck under his grip. He had a long list of regrets that kept growing and he hated the reminder.

"Peterkin, I was protecting my father." His voice was low and he couldn't look at her. "I did what I had to, so... don't. I'm as much a victim as she is."

Stella couldn't believe what she was hearing. "She's dead because of you. You are not the victim here."

"No?" He scoffed, meeting her stare. "Think about it. What did I get from shooting Peterkin, huh? Nothing. Okay? I had nothing against her. I mean, I... I... I liked her." Tears were collecting on his lash line but he found no sympathy in the girl sitting before him. "You think I wanted to make that choice? What I did was a gift from me to my father for... for him, and I got screwed because of it. So don't get that look when I say I'm a victim, alright? I am!"

Shaking her head, Stella refused to back down. "No, you want to know who the real victim is? Sarah. Your sister." He looked away from her, but she refused to stop. "Not only did you try to kill her twice—one of which you actually succeeded for a few minutes—but because of you, she is homeless, penniless, and has no family other than the Pogues. So don't get all weepy when the consequences of your actions are the reason you're a so called victim in the first place."

He pushed air from his lips as he nodded. He knew he deserved it. "I will admit, what I did to Sarah... What I tried to do, um... What I tried to do to Sarah, I admit that was wrong. I know that, alright. You don't have to remind me."

The vivid memory of chasing her through the docks and holding her underwater kept him up at night. Her scream echoed in his mind every time he hear her name. And the slight relief he felt when he realized he had shot her was snuffed out by guilt.

Growing up, their father always reminded him that he was the oldest. He was the big brother. The protector. His job was to look out for his sisters. And he was pretty good at it until they got older and Sarah started looking exactly like their mother. After that, it became a constant competition for attention. He and Wheezie stood no chance against the ghost of woman they once knew.

He wished he could blame their relationship on their father's favouritism, but he was at fault too. Sarah was his little sister. She was annoying, and whiny, and a know-it-all. But he really did care for her and he regret hurting her, even if she deserved it to some degree.

Stella watched as Rafe started to cry and shifted her gaze, not knowing what to do. His shaky exhales broke through the air and were followed by the sound of his palm hitting the side of his head.

"She was family," he lamented. "I should've never touched her, you know? I should've never touched her, but, I just lose control in moments like that, and I don't know what happened. I'm trying... I'm trying to get better. I told you that."

Stella glanced at him and gave a small nod. "Sure."

The look on her face displayed every thought and emotion she had. Stella never knew what to say in the face of vulnerability. The only times she did was when she was with JJ. With JJ, comforting words came naturally to her.

There was a certain degree of compassion that resided within her, though, and empathy was a curse that she was plagued with. There was a small part of her that felt bad for the boy. He needed help and she hoped he'd get it.

Rafe found comfort in the fact that Stella didn't cursed him out or invalidate his feelings again. Standing from the chair, he crossed the room and kneeled before her. "It doesn't matter. All I'm saying is just that I'm not the bad guy you think I am, okay? But even if I was, even if I was just, like, bad Rafe Cameron or something... with Kie gone, you got no choice. You may not want to trust me, but I'm your best bet." He wiped the back of his hand under his eyes then rested it on his knee. "Look, I have a boat that can get us off the island. But first, we gotta get out of here, and it's better if we work together. You're smart, Star, you know that."

There it was. The boat. The easiest way off the island.

"How far is it?" she asked, mapping out the parts of the island she had seen in her head.

Rafe shrugged. "It's in town."

Outside, the sound of cars racing down the dirt driveway rumbled, causing the pair to look at the window.

"They're leaving?" he questioned, standing from his crouched position.

Stella pushed off the bed and approached the window. Lo and behold, several trucks were leaving the property, all filled with scary men and guns.

"Yeah," she nodded. "They're going to find John B and your sister. I just hope Kie makes it out before Singh realizes they're trying to find the same people."

He watched over her shoulder as the final car took off. There was a brief strike of worry at the thought of Sarah dying because of Singh. But then he remembered who she was with. He cared about her but he had no sympathy for the Pogues. Sarah was a Pogue now. The choice was there—him or her. And at the end of the day, he'd always pick himself.

"Sucks for them." He shrugged, turning away. "It's good for us, though. This may be our only shot at getting out of here."

RAE SPEAKS!
let it be known that stella is playing chess while rafe is playing checkers, she'll chew him up and spit him out before he even realizes what's happening! she just wants to get home to her man fr

also a few people have asked, and i have no intention of breaking up stella and jj again!

stella taking mental polaroids of rafe crying so she can tell jj about it later: