❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Cali got home late—again—after trudging back from the beach, having completely forgotten her bike at Sarah's house. By the time she finally made it through the door, her feet felt like lead, aching with every step. She tiptoed quietly, hoping not to wake her brother. The disgusting smell of beer clung to her shirt, making her want to gag. God, I hate beer, she thought, eager to shower and wash away the day. But, of course, luck wasn’t on her side.

"Calista!" Andro’s voice boomed from the top of the stairs, stopping her dead in her tracks. She slowly lifted her head to meet his hard gaze, arms crossed over his chest, disappointment etched into his features.

"Come up here."

Her stomach dropped. Great, just what I need. She gulped, stalling as she took slow steps toward the stairs.

"Hurry!" His sharp tone made her sprint the rest of the way, standing in front of him with her head lowered. The way he looked at her—like she was a child who’d just broken a priceless vase—made her bristle. She hated when he got into "father mode."

He wrinkled his nose, sniffing the air.

"God, is that beer? Were you drinking?" he asked, shock and concern lacing his voice. But he didn’t need her to answer—the smell was enough. Her alarmed expression didn’t help.

"...No?" she replied, the word sounding more like a question than a confident denial.

"Don’t lie to me, young lady." His voice was stern, cutting through the air like a knife. "Why do you smell like beer, and why are you coming home in the middle of the night?"

"I swear, I’m not lying. I was at a party with Sarah and her boyfriend, and yeah, there was alcohol, but I didn’t drink," she said truthfully, frustration creeping into her voice.

"Then why is your shirt drenched in beer?" His confusion morphed into irritation, and he leaned closer, expecting an explanation.

She didn’t want to mention the fight. "Some guy bumped into me," she shrugged, trying to sound casual. "Can I go shower now? I’m so tired."

"Fine." He dismissed her with a sigh, though the tension still hung in the air. "But we’ll talk in the morning." He was still angry that she had come home so late, and she could feel it radiating off him.

Cali groaned internally. He’s not going to let this go.

---

Cali couldn’t sleep from the heat. Even in a thin tank top and shorts, it felt like she was suffocating. She sat up in bed, wiping the sweat from her forehead with disgust. "Fucking Agatha," she mumbled, cursing the stifling air that felt like it was closing in on her.

The events of the previous night flooded back, each memory crashing over her like a wave—Topper almost drowning someone, the chaos of the fight, the gun. And worst of all, the thought of her brother, and how she’d let him down.

She threw her head back against the pillow, groaning. She didn’t want to tell him about the fight; he’d make a big deal out of nothing. It’s not like I’m scared of him—he’d never do anything to hurt me.

Andro could be a tad overprotective. Okay, not a tad—a lot. And as much as she loved him, his constant vigilance could be unbearable.

A knock at her door startled her from her spiraling thoughts.

"Come in."

Andro entered, already dressed in his business attire, casting her a disapproving look as she lounged in bed. "You’re not getting away that easy. Come downstairs," he commanded, his tone a mixture of authority and concern. Cali tried her infamous puppy dog eyes, but Andro quickly averted his gaze.

"Uh-uh, not falling for that again. I learned my lesson. Now, I’m not saying it again—come downstairs." He tried to sound authoritative, but his voice softened slightly. "I made your favorite waffles."

The mention of waffles almost made her smile, but she knew better than to let her guard down. He walked out before she could respond.

---

Sitting at the kitchen table, Cali devoured her waffles with enthusiasm, the warm, sweet syrup melting her tension away. Andro sipped his coffee, hiding a soft smile behind the mug. He wasn’t ready to let her off the hook—not yet.

"Okay, that’s enough. You can finish after we talk." He slid her half-finished plate away from her, a hint of playfulness in his sternness.

"Hey!" Cali protested, reaching for her plate.

Andro raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching. She sighed, realizing she wouldn’t get her waffles back until they had the dreaded conversation.

"Fine, what did you want to talk about?" she asked, attempting to play dumb.

He narrowed his eyes, seeing right through her excuses. "I know about the fight, Calista."

Cali sighed, knowing it was pointless to hide anything from him. She braced herself for the inevitable lecture.

"What were you doing in the Cut, C?" He set his mug down and crossed his arms, his gaze hard as he waited for her response.

"Sarah insisted we go to a party there," she replied with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant. "Why does it matter, anyway?"

He raised an eyebrow at her casual tone, clearly unimpressed. "Why does it matter?" he repeated, his voice rising slightly. "You were in one of the sketchiest parts of town, at a party full of idiots getting into fights. Of course, it matters."

Cali rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "It wasn’t a big deal, Andro. I wasn’t even involved."

"Not involved?" His voice hardened. "Topper almost drowned someone, and there were rumors about a gun being pulled. That’s not ‘no big deal,’ Calista."

Cali froze for a moment, guilt gnawing at her when he mentioned John B. She hadn’t expected him to know that much. "How... how do you know all that?"

Andro sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I have eyes and ears everywhere, C. You know that. You think I wouldn’t hear about something this dangerous?"

She bit her lip, frustration bubbling to the surface. "I wasn’t in danger, okay? I can take care of myself. I’m not a little kid anymore."

"No, but you’re still my responsibility," he shot back, leaning forward. "And if something happened to you... I don’t even want to think about it."

The room fell silent as they stared each other down, the tension thick. Finally, Andro softened his tone, the anger giving way to concern. "Cali, I’m not trying to control you. I just want you to be smart about where you go and who you’re with."

She looked down at the table, picking at her cuticles. "I get it, okay? But you’ve got to stop treating me like I’m fragile. I knew what was happening, and I knew how to stay out of trouble."

Andro’s gaze softened. "You’re not fragile, but you’re not invincible either. I’m just asking you to be careful." He paused, then added, "If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t forgive myself."

He cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional weight of the conversation. "Anyway, Sarah’s coming over."

Cali seized the moment, sneakily taking back her waffle. She stuffed a big bite into her mouth, only to choke slightly. "Sarah? Why?" she coughed, trying to recover.

"To give you back your bike, since your clumsy ass forgot it at her place," he said, turning to make another cup of coffee.

Cali rolled her eyes between bites, embarrassed. "Right... totally forgot about that."

Andro smirked as he stirred his coffee. "Yeah, I figured. You’ve got a real talent for leaving things behind."

---

After a very awkward exchange between Sarah and Cali—and her brother leaving for work—Cali found herself alone. Being left alone with her thoughts was never a good combination.

Now, here she was again, pedaling around the Cut. She knew her brother would be furious if he found out. Key word: if.

"This is so stupid," Cali mumbled to herself as she rode her bike to John B’s house. She debated turning around, but guilt gnawed at her—after all, a guy had almost drowned because of her.

She finally stopped in front of his house—or what could barely be called a house—and propped her bike against the railing. Looking around, she saw no sign of anyone.

"Hello?" she called from the porch. "John B?"

The silence was eerie. As she moved to knock, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. Hesitantly, she pushed it open.

---

Inside, Kie stood alert, her head snapping toward the door. "Wait. Did you hear that?" she asked, tension thick in her voice as the door clicked shut behind Cali.

Everyone in the room froze, their bodies going stiff at the familiar sound of a female voice. JJ furrowed his brows, confused. "What is she doing here?" he whispered, slipping out of the office to investigate.

When JJ stepped into the living room, he spotted Calista standing awkwardly, her wide eyes darting around as if she didn’t quite belong. It was almost surreal—Calista Collymore, standing in the middle of the Chateau, looked like a fish out of water.

"What are you doing here?" he asked suddenly, his voice startling her. She let out a small yelp, clutching her chest. "Dude, you scared me!"

The others poured out of the office at the sound of her scream, all wearing the same confused expression. John B didn’t say anything, but Kie’s sharp gaze landed squarely on Cali, her tone full of suspicion. "What are you doing here?"

Cali bit her lip, her eyes flicking between them, embarrassment creeping up her neck. "I just came to talk to John B, but... never mind. I’ll leave." She turned toward the door, feeling out of place, but before she could step out, John B’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm gently.

"Wait—someone’s here," he whispered, his expression tense as his eyes flicked toward the window. Two men had just stepped out of a black car parked in front of the house.

The mood in the room shifted instantly. The others gathered around the window, their bodies tense. Cali stood frozen, unsure of what to do. "Okay... I’m just gonna—"

"Is that them?" Kie’s voice trembled, cutting off Cali mid-sentence. The fear in her tone sent a chill down Cali’s spine.

"Come on, come on," John B urged, his voice hushed as he guided them toward Big John’s office. JJ grabbed Cali’s arm and pulled her along with them.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Cali protested, completely clueless as to what was happening. She felt like a puppet, her heart racing as JJ dragged her into the cramped office.

Inside, JJ closed the door behind them, pacing anxiously. "John B, I told you, man! Why—"

"Hey, hey, look at me!" John B pressed JJ against the door, his voice steady despite the panic in his eyes. "Where’s the gun?"

Cali’s eyes widened in shock. "Gun?! What the hell is going on?" Her voice wavered as the tension in the room thickened, her panic rising by the second. No one had bothered to explain anything to her, and now there were men outside and talk of guns.

JJ was struggling to focus, his hands trembling as he tried to think. "It was in the backpack—the backpack—"

"The porch," John B interrupted, his voice urgent. "It’s on the porch."

JJ didn’t waste a second. He bolted out of the office, sprinting toward the porch to grab the bag. He came scrambling back in seconds later, nearly crawling through the door. "They’re at the front porch!" he whispered harshly, locking the door behind him.

Panic rippled through the room. Cali’s hands shook as she ran a hand through her hair, her mind racing. What the hell did I get myself into? She had just wanted to apologize to John B, but now she felt like she was trapped in the middle of something much bigger than she could have imagined.

"Guys, guys—the window," Kie whispered, snapping everyone out of their frantic thoughts. They rushed toward the window, but JJ and Pope struggled to pry it open.

"What’s happening?" Kie asked, her voice frantic as she stared at the stubborn window.

"It’s stuck," Pope grunted, frustration seeping into his voice.

"It’s painted shut!" JJ hissed, his tone equally tense as he tried to wedge it open with no success.

"Wait, move aside." Cali stepped up, her voice unnaturally calm despite the chaos swirling around her. She pulled out her father’s pocket knife—her most cherished possession—and began working on the edges of the window. Kie fell beside her with an envelope opener, and together, they worked to loosen the painted seams.

"Come on, come on," JJ urged, his eyes flicking nervously between Cali and the door as the banging on the front porch grew louder. The deep voice outside was a growl now, full of menace. "You better not be in there!"

"I’m going as fast as I can!" Cali snapped, her hands trembling as she struggled to wedge the window open.

Suddenly, with a small groan, the window gave way.

"It’s open, it’s open!" Cali whispered in relief, her voice shaky as she looked back at the others. The tension eased slightly, but it was short-lived.

---

Cali sat in the back of John B’s truck, staring out at the road as it blurred past. Her body still trembled, her mind replaying the crunching sound of JJ breaking the rooster’s neck. The thought made her stomach churn, and she fought the urge to throw up. Unlike the Pogues, who were chatting like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Cali was still processing everything.

How did I even get into this? She glanced at the group around her. The reality of her situation hit her hard—she had just gotten swept into something dangerous, something that made her old life feel worlds away.

Suddenly, a hand thrust into her face, making her flinch. JJ chuckled at her reaction, amused by how easily she startled. "You scare easily, you know that?"

Cali narrowed her eyes at him, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Oh, excuse me. We were almost killed. It comes with the territory."

JJ winced, though a grin still played at the corner of his mouth. He extended the hand again, this time holding a small hip flask. "Right... forgot you don’t drink."

He was right. She usually didn’t. But after everything that had just happened, bending the rules didn’t seem so bad. She grabbed the flask, took a deep swig, and immediately regretted it. Grimacing, she handed it back to him. "God, that’s disgusting."

JJ chuckled at her expression and took a swig himself. As he did, Cali’s attention drifted to the conversation happening between Pope and John B in the front.

"It’s possible you’re just making up wild theories to cope with your... you know, your ‘sad feels,’" Pope said, fiddling with a compass in his lap. Kie shot him a look that told him to shut up.

JJ chimed in with a grin, turning toward Cali. "Bro, do you know how I process my sad feels? Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies."

Cali raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the absurdity of the conversation. Before JJ could elaborate, John B cut in defensively, his voice tense. "I’m not making anything up, okay? My dad’s trying to send me a message."

Cali shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling like an outsider in their conversation. She tried to zone out again, but one sentence snapped her back to reality.

"You don’t know what it’s like to have the person closest to you vanish," John B said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror for a brief second, and in that moment, Cali’s chest tightened. "And then have no idea what happened to them."

Her body went rigid. She stared down at her hands, picking at her cuticles to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes, afraid that if they looked too closely, they’d see right through her. The tension in the truck was palpable.

Kie, noticing Cali’s discomfort, suddenly spoke up. "Should we really be talking about this right now?" She gave Cali a pointed look, her distrust clear in her tone.

Cali kept her gaze down, though she knew Kie’s comment was aimed directly at her.

"Can you stop for a second?" Cali said quietly, lifting her head to look at John B. Her voice was firmer than she intended, but she didn’t care.

"Oh, I can take you home after we—" John B started to say, but Cali cut him off, her voice sharp.

"No. Just stop here. I’ll walk." There was finality in her tone, leaving no room for argument.

Pope and JJ exchanged awkward glances as John B reluctantly pulled the truck over. As Cali climbed out, JJ couldn’t help but call after her, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Hey, what were you doing at the Chateau today?"

"I just came to apologize to John B," she replied without looking back. "If I’d known I’d almost get killed, I wouldn’t have come. ," she muttered  before walking off, not giving them time to respond.

As they watched her leave, all eyes turned to Kie. She threw her hands up in exasperation. "What?!"

JJ sighed. "Did you really have to do that?" he asked as John B started the truck again.

Kie crossed her arms defensively. "Do you really want a Kook in on our business now?"

"She’s not that bad," Pope muttered, avoiding Kie’s glare.

"She’s a Kook. And she’s friends with Sarah. They’re all the same," Kie retorted, turning her gaze out the window.

JJ rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to point out that Kie herself was a Kook. Instead, he stretched out in the backseat, kicking his legs up where Cali had been sitting. As his foot brushed against something cold, he glanced down and saw her pocket knife.

A small smile crossed his face as he picked it up and slipped it into his pocket.

She really does have a talent for leaving things behind.

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ : Nadia speaking: :;

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