When someone was pissing her off, Elora often turned to three options, each with increasing severity.

The first was snapping back at them, rolling her eyes or just being generally rude. This was what Kooks usually got.

The second was shouting at them. She did this when people began to argue with her, and she knew she was right.

The third was descending to violence. This was when things really got bad, and someone did something to annoy her to the point that shouting wasn't going to work. Tyler Thornton and Sarah Cameron were the main victims of this back in the day, and now they had changed, there was no one to take their place.

But standing, muddy and cold and soaked and aching in the police station, Shoupe looking up at them with an amused expression, she was tempted to bypass snapping and shouting and skip straight to violence.

"So y'all are telling me that this is the firearm Rafe Cameron killed Peterkin with?"

"That's exactly what we're telling you, Shoupe," JJ shot back instantly.

"And the exact same firearm Ward just used to kill Gavin," Pope added.

Shoupe shrugged. "Where's that corpse again?"

"Didn't you look?" Kie pressed.

"I checked the hospital, I went by his house," Shoupe shrugged. "He was out."

"Out?"

"No fucking shit! He's DEAD!" Elora screamed.

"Just listen to yourself! It makes perfect sense-"

"Okay, just because he is not in his damn home, does not mean he was the victim of a homicide," Shoupe raised his voice.

"You're fucking deluded," Elora gripped the sides of the chair she was sat in.

"What are you talking about?!" Kiara exclaimed.

"You gotta be kidding me," Tyler snarled.

"Are you at least gonna send it in for ballistics and shit, or are you just gonna sit on your ass?" Kie demanded.

JJ scoffed. "Of course not, he'll sit there and wax that damn moustache!"

"Shut up, JJ!" Pope got in the boy's face as Shoupe stood up, his expression now angry. He walked round his desk and out the office for a second.

"You're insane!" Elora yelled after him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt his feelings?" JJ asked sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Pope yelled in his face.

"No, keep going," Elora said, burning with anger. "He fucking deserves it."

"Get out!" Shoupe said as he got back in. "I got work to do, and you lot are smelling up my damn office."

Kie turned to him, tears in her eyes. "Did Ward bribe you or something? This doesn't make sense."

"You're being so stupid, Shoupe," Tyler also put in on his way out.

Pope dragged JJ out so he didn't have to say anything, leaving just Elora to come.

"You know," she snarled, getting right up in the sheriff's face. "We may be from the Cut, but that does not mean we aren't worth listening to."

Shoupe just looked straight back. "Get outta my sight, Elora."

She was two seconds away from hitting him. She was going to hit him-

It was Tyler's eyes on her that made her stop.

She hated that he had that effect on her.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The mud was all washed from her skin. Her hair was still drying, but all the sewage water was out of it.

Yet as she stood in front of the cracked mirror, sporting a messy bun and wearing a huge hoodie and sweatpants, she didn't feel clean.

Nevertheless, Tyler was waiting outside to drive her back home. She had insisted she shower at the Chateau, due to the fact it was slightly bigger.

(That's what she said. The truth of the matter was that the shower at her house was in her mother's bedroom, and she hadn't been in there since she'd disappeared).

Tyler was staying at the Chateau anyway, with JJ most nights as well. His offer to drive her home was quick, and she'd been too tired to fight it.

So she walked outside now to find him in the darkening night, ready to go home and sleep. She was pissed at Shoupe and having a serious self worth crisis, and all she wanted to do was curl up and forget today ever happened.

Tyler, however, was in no hurry. He was sat on the steps outside the Chateau, looking out at the marsh with a contemplative expression on his face.

And Elora couldn't help but stop in her tracks as she saw him, her want for sleep stopping with her.

She'd not been fair on Tyler today. She'd realised that in the shower, the cold water streaming down her dirty body. He had been concerned about her, and she'd just brushed him off. I mean sure, he shouldn't have been that pressed or feeling that terrible over what her fate was going to be, but she shouldn't have done what she did, either.

So she sighed heavily, fiddling with her fingers slightly before sitting down next to the blonde boy.

"Hey," her voice was hesitant and shaky, and didn't sound like her at all.

Tyler turned to her, his eyes slightly wary and also amused as he sighed too. "Hey."

She couldn't do this. His eyes were sparkling in the dark sky, his hair was dirty yet still ruffled in a way that made him look adorable. His face was toned and perfect. She could see the muscles in his arms ripple as he turned towards her.

Shit.

She could only hope the dark sky concealed her reddening cheeks.

(She could do this. He had feelings for someone else, and she was slowly trying to terminate her feelings for him).

"So, uh..." she stilled, looking out at the marsh favoured over looking at him. "That was crazy, huh?"

Tyler nodded, unsure of what to do or whether to say something back.

"Yeah," he said eventually, taking nervous glances at her.

He wanted to tell her how he felt. He almost lost her today, and he never ever wanted to be in that situation again without her know.

"Look, I..." Elora paused, suddenly nervous. "I'm sorry I, er... shoved you off earlier."

She didn't say anything else. Her fists were clenched in frustration at how cringe worthy she sounded, and she was also feeling a considerable stir in her stomach that could be attributed to butterflies, which she had to keep under wraps. She couldn't say anything else.

"It's alright," Tyler told him. "You'd just, um... you'd just gone through all that, I had no right to be touching you."

He was so good. If it was Elora who had been  treated that way, she'd one hundred percent be arguing right now. Tyler, meanwhile, was just taking it, being so understanding he was able to simultaneously help her and comfort her.

"No, I'm sorry," she said. "I had no right to do that."

Tyler shook his head, turning to her with a fucking radiant smile on his face. "You've had no right to do other things to me, Easton, don't think it's ever stopped you."

It was supposed to be a joke.

It didn't hit that way with Elora.

Because it was true. She'd been horrible to him. She'd slapped him, she'd cursed him out, she'd hated him. And what had he done to merit any of that?

Even now, what he'd done paled in comparison to what she was. She was horrible.

(She was just like her mothe-)

Stop it. Stop thinking that!

And all of this must have flashed across her face in an expression of pain and hurt because Tyler's eyes widened and he shook his head. "I didn't mean-"

"Yeah, you did," Elora's voice was hurt but also edged with frustration. "You absolutely meant it. And you're right. Some of the stuff I've done is terrible."

"That doesn't make you terrible, Elle," Tyler told her honestly.

(But that's exactly what it meant).

Elora was so confused. Why did Tyler have such an amazing opinion of her? She knew herself she was far from however he described, whether it was about loyalty or bravery or even confidence.

When she didn't say anything back, Tyler turned away, bracing himself.

He was going to tell her. He was going to tell her despite feeling that she wouldn't like him back, despite feeling like she would hate him forever.

Because having her in his life hating him is better than not having her in his life at all.

Elora, meanwhile, was sat next to him, thinking about how inadequate she was compared to him. She didn't deserve to even be in his presence, let alone-

"Look, Elora..." Tyler took a deep, shaky breath. "I have something to tell you."

Elora stilled.

(It was that she was like her mother, and he didn't want to be around her anymore. It was that he didn't want to be a Pogue anymore, and was going back to Figure Eight. It was that he liked a girl, and needed some advi-)

"Okay," she nodded, her body locked up as she stared out at the marsh, the hammocks, the dark sky. "Shoot."

Tyler was about to run. He was terrified, and she wasn't making it much easier, just sat there not looking.

"Listen, I-" he began to speak. "I-I don't know how this is going to go down, and you might hate me forever, and this is stupid and rash and terrible, but we almost lost you today, and- I need to tell you."

"Tyler..." Elora turned to the boy, forcing herself to look into those eyes. They sat on the steps, him freaking out, her just confused. "What are you talking abou-?"

"I love you, Elora."

What?

Elora faltered, her whole world spinning around her. Tyler was looking at her, his beautiful blue eyes pulsing with hopefulness and slight fear as he watched her.

She wanted to run.

She wanted to get up and run into the woods and hide because she was a danger to people. She was a danger to good people who had bright futures ahead of them, getting them into stupid gold hunts and making them fall in love with her.

But maybe not.

Because Tyler didn't love her. He couldn't, because she was a bitch who had slapped him and yelled at him and would wind up just like her mother in the end.

He was a boy from Figure Eight with a bright future ahead of him. A future away from the OBX, with a shiny PHD, huge house, at least five kids running around and a wonderful wife, who provided more than she could ever imagine.

(Who cares if the thought of that made her stomach crawl? It was about him, not her).

She was still looking at Tyler, who was looking right back, their faces inches apart.

"Wh... what?" She asked him, her voice shaky.

Tyler looked back at her, his heart fully open and on show for her. He could only hope she would take it. "I love you."

She needed to get away from him. She was corrupting him even now-

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice raised slightly as she got up, running her hands through her hair as she swallowed a huge lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, I... what?"

"I love you, Elora Easton," Tyler put emphasis on the word.

Elora just shook her head, letting out a small scoff. "No, you don't."

She didn't know what she was thinking, walking away. She just knew that she needed to get away from him, to save him from her-

"Yes I do, Elle!" Tyler got up as well, chasing after her. When he got to her, he gently grabbed her arm and turned her round so they were facing each other, his height meaning he was looking down. "Of course I do, I... do you not love me back?"

He hated how vulnerable his voice sounded.

Elora hated how sad he looked. As if the prospect of being loved by her was so amazing he'd be sad if she said no.

"This isn't about if I love you back or not!" Her voice was harsh, and loud, but she didn't care. Maybe if she made him hate her he would snap out of this-

"Elle, what?" Tyler just looked confused as he stared down at her, his mouth wide open.

"I said, this isn't about if I love you," saying those words filled her with more fear than ever. "Because you and I wouldn't work."

She needed to get it into his head that she was a bad person. She needed him to understand that.

So she turned and tried to walk again.

She didn't get far. Tyler, confused and vulnerable, grabbed her again, turning her back round and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Elora, I almost lost you today," he said, his eyes boring into hers. "And you do not understand how scared that made me."

She let this hang between them, looking up at him, feeling more unworthy than ever.

"I love you, Elle," Tyler repeated for the fourth time. "I love you so much! So much that it hurts me to think that something's hurting you, so much that I dream of a future with you everytime I look at you! So much that-"

"-that you're willing to ruin your life for me?" Elora questioned, her eyes narrowed, her body shaking. She threw his arms off her and stared at him, hissing. "Because I don't know much, Tyler, but I do know that loving me will ruin your life-"

"What makes you think that?" Tyler asked, eyes pinched in confusion as he raised his own voice. "Because to me, you're the most beautiful, brave, clever girl I've ever seen, and I'm so fucking scared to-"

"You know, being a Pogue is a fun thing to do for a summer," she was just being mean now, but she needed to. She needed to make him hate her. "But how long did you think it was going to last? You live on Figure Eight, Tyler, not the Cut."

A flash of hurt crossed Tyler's face and she thought she'd been successful. She'd finally made him see what everyone else saw when she looked at her.

But then he said. "I changed, Elle. I wanted to change. And if I fell in love with you along the way, then sue me because-"

"YOU DON'T FUCKING LOVE ME!" Elora screamed at him, louder than she meant to. She was panting, her cheeks red and her tone angry.

Tyler just stared at her, shaking his head. "How do you know that?"

"Because I'm me," Elora said, her tone becoming more vulnerable, her eyes glassy. "And you're you."

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "Exactly."

"No! I mean-" Elora stopped, shaking her head. "You're- you're good-"

"So are you-"

"No I'm NOT!"

Her tone was sharp and her eyes flared with anger as she stared up at him.

"You're good," she continued, fists clenched. "You're a boy from Figure Eight with a whole-ass future ahead of him, and I'm a shitty girl from the Cut with no future, no real home and a mother who's god knows where that I'm going to end up just lik-"

She stopped herself abruptly, teary eyes wide.

She'd said too much.

She knew this because Tyler's face clenched with understanding and he shook his head.

"Is that what this is about?" He asked her, looking at her meaningfully. "You think you don't deserve me?"

"I don't deserve you," Elora muttered, scuffing the ground with her shoe.

"Elle, you have no idea how amazing you are," Tyler stated simply. "No idea. And as for you being worried about turning into your mother, well anyone could tell you you're nothing like he-"

"But am I, though?" Elora took a step forward, her voice raising higher and higher. "Because just look at me now, I'm doing exactly what she did! And soon enough I'll be trapped in a loveless marriage because my husband can't stand me and I'll start to cheat every other night and then I'll fucking KILL HIM because he can't take me anymore, and you'll be out here glad that I did this to you so that wasn't how you ended up!"

She was furious and panting and she couldn't even see because the tears were blinding her. But it was true. It was all true, and he needed to hear it.

But Tyler wasn't looking mad at her. Or rethinking his decision. He was just staring at her, shaking his head.

"You're not your mother, Elle," he stated simply.

"Really?" Elora scoffed, sarcastic smile on her lips. "Just look at this! I'm already corrupting Kooks with good futures!"

Tyler stared at her, opening his mouth but no words coming out.

"I'm not a Kook," he finally decided on, taking a step towards her. "I'm a Pogue, because I chose to be one. And you're a Pogue too and you're not your mum."

She didn't believe him.

He wasn't telling the truth.

He didn't love her.

She wasn't amazing.

She wasn't strong.

She didn't deserve his love.

"When I saw you in that sewer almost drowning I lost my mind with worry," he told her. "And I promise myself I would tell you this, no matter what you'd say."

Elora shook her head. "Tyler, you're fucking insane-"

"Yeah, insane and in love with you, Elle!" Tyler fought back.

Elora looked at him, unbelieving.

"No," she said simply, shaking her head. "You're not."

She needed to get away from him.

He wasn't driving her home anymore.

She almost ran away, tears in her eyes falling faster and faster.

She was fucking sobbing by the time she got back to her house, her heart aching and her head throbbing.

She knew she'd done the right thing with Tyler, because she couldn't be with him ever, but she also knew things would never be the same with him now.

And that she'd lost a friend for life.

So yeah, she was just like her mother.

She was living up to that Easton name proudly.

Tyler would just have to deal with it.

She could only hope she'd pushed him far enough away that he wouldn't come back.

(But who was she kidding?)