"Elle! Oh my god, you need to see this!"

She'd not really done much but cry since Tyler left.

That was six hours ago.

She'd done fuck all since. She'd stayed at the Chateau, in case Sarah turned up with Wheezie or JJ somehow managed to get John B out, but she hadn't heard anything.

She'd even texted Tyler.

She knew it was stupid, and it looked desperate, but she didn't know what else to do. It had only really sunk in after he'd left that he was going to be a Kook again, and wasn't coming back.

And maybe this was finally the straw that broke the camel's back. The straw that made her realise she'd been an idiot this whole time, that maybe she was good enough for him.

So she'd been texting him all day.

Tyler, I need to speak to you!

Please don't go back to figure eight, we need to talk

I've been an idiot, just please come back

Just reply, please! I need to know you're alright!

We need to talk!

The sky was beginning to darken by the time Kie and Pope raced back up the Chateau steps, eyes wild and cheeks faintly red.

"What's up?" Elora asked.

"Look at this!" Kie said, chucking Elora a- a key?

"What the hell...?" The girl asked faintly as she studied the golden key the girl had thrown to her, disbelief written all over her face. She looked up at Pope. "Is this-?"

"I don't know," the boy said, knowing what she was going to ask. "I asked my dad earlier and he gave me it. Said it was my great-grandma's."

"Holy shit," Elora let out, holding the golden key tightly.

"That's not all, though," Pope said, scrambling up and turning out the lights.

"What-?" Elora started as the room went dark.

"Just trust him," Kie spoke over her, giving the girl a small smile.

Pope grinned, taking one of the dusty-ass couch cushions and pulling it onto his lap, saying. "Elle, hold the kie just above this."

"Okay..." Elora frowned, as Kie got a torch out.

She wasn't really sure what to expect, as she shone the torch on the key and Pope slammed his hands down on the cushion, sending a shower of dust up in the air.

"What the hell...?" She muttered.

"Just look!" Kie prompted, pointing at it.

And holy shit was it impressive. Clearly there was some sort of imprint on the key, because when a torch was shone on it a message was projected onto the dust.

THE PATH TO THE TOMB BEGINS IN THE ISLAND ROOM

"Oh my god," Elora breathed, eyes wide with shock as she looked from the projection to Kie and Pope.

"I know, right?"

"Holy shit!"

"I know!"

"How did you even figure this out?!"

"It's so freaking cool-"

"Wait, do it again, do it again!" Elora said, and Pope bashed the cushion again, sending more dust spiralling. This time she frowned at the words, reading them aloud. " 'The path to the tomb begins in the island room'. What the hell does that mean?"

"So, uh- we think Denmark Tanny has something to do with it," said Pope. "And an angel. Cause I remember Limbrey saying something about an angel that led to the cross."

"Guys, this is insane!" Elora said with wide eyes. "But wait- what on earth is the island room?"

The two looked from each other back at Elle, the same defeated looks on their faces.

"We haven't exactly figured that one out yet," Pope sighed. "But once we do, Elora, we're gonna be-"

Buzz!

Elora's head snapped up at the sound of the vibration. She was so surprised that she stumbled up, eyes wide as she practically ran over to her phone.

She knew it would be Tyler, because he was the only one that she'd texted that day. She hadn't been expecting a reply, though.

However, as she ran through the dark room and over to her phone, she realised that maybe she was wrong. Maybe he wasn't tired of her bullshit yet, and was coming back for more.

The message was concise and demanding, yet her heart burst with relief when she saw it.

I'm fine. Meet me at my boat dock at 7 to talk.

"Elle, what is it?" Kie asked, frowning at the girl.

Elora checked the time. 6:42. The Thornton's dock was ages away in Figure Eight, she needed to go.

"Listen, I have to go," she said.

"Elle-"

"I'll be fine, I just have to go!"

She ran out of that house with a small smile on her face,

If only she knew what was to come.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

He hadn't meant it.

As soon as Tyler Thornton walked away from the Chateau, he knew he hadn't meant it.

He just didn't know what else to do. It wasn't getting into Elora's head that she was worth anything, and nothing he was doing was helping. So in the heat of the moment, he'd done what she wanted him to do. Go back to being a Kook and caring about nothing more than homework and the latest model of car.

And he was seriously, seriously regretting it.

He hadn't gone straight to his mother, because he wasn't sure if he could take that. Instead, he'd gone to his old friends.

He didn't know what he'd been thinking. Maybe that because he'd become a better person in the past couple months, they had as well. Maybe that by showing Elora she was being fucking insane by expecting him to like these people she'd finally get her priorities straight.

Whatever it was, he hadn't got it.

He'd approached Topper first. A few bad words towards the girl he was in love with and his brother had taken him back onside immediately.

He'd been at a small firepit on Figure Eight where Kook parties were usually held for a few hours now, and most of the boys and girls there had pretty much not brought up his brief 'stint' as a Pogue.

(As if it wasn't what he wanted to be for life).

But by about half past six he was getting bored, and wanted to go back. A beer was in his hand, and a blonde girl was sat next to him, making flirty conversation.

He didn't want to be here anymore. He didn't want to pretend to be interested in a girl that would never even be on the same level as the blue eyed, red haired girl who'd taken his world by storm.

So it was only understandable that he excused himself a second later under the guise of going to get another beer. Topper nodded, eyes slightly unfocused, as he got up and left.

He wasn't aware of leaving his phone with the Kooks.

He hadn't even seen all the texts from her that had popped up.

"Yo, look!" Kelce said with a laugh, as they all saw Tyler's phone buzz and light up. "Ty's got an admirer!"

"Oh, please," a brown haired bitch called Ruthie (who had bullied both Elle and Kie in the past) scoffed, getting up and picking up Tyler's phone. She scoffed when she saw it, hand coming up to cover his mouth.

"What? Who is it?" Another guy asked.

"It's the one and only slag, Elora Easton," Ruthie said with a huge amount of sarcasm, rolling her eyes and smirking as the people around her laughed.

"No way!" The blonde girl, who was called Lily, who'd been flirting with Tyler got up, looking at his phone and then letting out a disgusted noise. "Ew! Why the fuck's she texting him? Thought he blew her off."

"Yeah, obviously," Ruthie said, chuckling slightly as she turned the phone towards Topper. "Help me with this, Top? I need to text this bitch back before she gets any ideas."

"No, wait!" Lily said, smirking slightly. "Why don't we have some more fun with this?"

"Look, guys..." Topper sighed, unlocking Tyler's phone for them. "I don't think you should go too far, okay? Just-"

"No, I wanna get this girl back as well for all the shit she and her little punk friends have put us through!" Kelce said, joining Ruthie and Lily as they both looked through the latest messages.

Tyler, I need to speak to you!

Please don't go back to figure eight, we need to talk

I've been an idiot, just please come back

Just reply, please! I need to know you're alright!

We need to talk!

"Ha!" Ruthie laughed. "She wants to meet with him, isn't that the stupidest thing you've ever heard?"

"Right, I'm out," Topper announced, raising his hands up and dumping his beer down. "Night, guys."

"Oh, come on, Top!"

"Yeah, party's just started!"

Topper ignored them, walking away and back towards his house.

"Anyway," Ruthie laughed, going back to Tyler's phone. "Let's see... I think we should definitely call her a bitch, for one. Say she's getting ideas way above her station with Tyler, and-"

"Or," Kelce said with a grin. "Instead of doing any of that, we could give her what she wants."

The girls just stared blankly at him.

"What the fuck, Kelc?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I think you've had too much coke-"

"Shut up and listen to me," Kelce snapped, pointing at the last message. "She wants to talk, right? So why don't we just pretend to be Tyler and reply? Get her to meet somewhere and then jump her, and pay her back for all the times she and her little friends have got one over on us?"

There was silence for a second, all of them taking this in, smiles growing on their faces.

"You know, Kelc," Lily grinned. "You do sometimes come up with good ideas."

"Yeah," nodded Ruthie. "Let's get this bitch!"

"Whoo!"

There were a whole load of chants and cheers as Kelce wrote the message into the space, checking it with them before he sent it.

Once it was gone, they grinned down at the phone, unable to stop themselves.

"It's pretty good right?" Kelce grinned.

"Shut up," Lily rolled her eyes, as all the other ones were directed down at the text on the screen.

I'm fine. Meet me at my boat dock at 7 to talk.

"Now," Kelce grinned round at all of them. "Let's go lay our trap. Seems like our longtime revenge is coming."

𔓘𔓘𔓘

"Tyler?"

Something was wrong.

Elora was at the Thornton's, her hands and body shaking as she looked around.

In hindsight, she should've known something was wrong the second she didn't spot Tyler down at the dock, because he was always early for everything. That was her first mistake.

"Tyler?" She chanced calling again, as she spun around, scared of being caught out here by Cynthia, the mummy he'd probably ran back to earlier.

The thought of that made bile rise in her throat. She needed to make sure Tyler would come back. She needed to stop him from doing this, but by doing that, she'd probably have to tell him-

"Come on, Ty, where are you?" Elora muttered, turning slightly as she did. She even checked her phone. She and Tyler hadn't texted since he sent her that message asking to meet, but she knew if he was in trouble and couldn't make it, he'd say.

Second mistake.

"Tyler, come on!" Elora tried to not shout, but it was hard. "Where the fuck are y-?"

"Probably looking for you."

Her third mistake was not running as soon as she saw Kelce standing opposite her, arms crossed, smirk plastered on, a glint in his eyes that told her he wasn't here just to talk.

"Hello, Elora."

But she didn't run, because that wasn't her. Instead, she swallowed the lump in her throat, straightening herself up to full height.

"Where's Tyler?" Her voice was raspy and scared and vulnerable, and she hated it.

"He couldn't make it," Kelce shrugged, taunting her by now, his tone telling her Tyler had had no part in this.

That made her relieved, sure, but also terrified. Because if Tyler didn't know she was here-

"I believe we have a score to settle," Kelce smirked slightly, pulling his sleeves up. "You see, you and your little friends have messed with us too many times, and now... we want revenge."

And she could see the way their hands were clenching into fists, and the way they were looking her up and down like she was a piece of meat they could mangle.

And she still stayed.

If she was going to go down, it wouldn't be without a fight.

"You the only one here?" She asked, managing a feeble scoff and a twitch of the lips. "Doubt it. You've probably got a whole gang hiding here somewhere. Very brave."

"Yeah, too right," Kelce snapped. "You've messed with too many people, Elora."

"You mean too many Kooks like you?" Elora asked, her voice betraying her with a small wobble.

"You know what? Yeah," Kelce snapped, taking a step closer. "To be honest, it's actually a shame you had to become a Pogue. Your mother was always pretty pally with Ward, you could've managed to work your way up the ranks."

Elora's whole body was locked up. She wasn't moving an inch.

"Don't speak a word about my mother," she snapped, eyes narrowed, a spark lit inside her.

"Oh?" Kelce grinned. "Touched a nerve, have I?"

"Shut up."

"You know, you look just like her," Kelce taunted, digging the knife in further. "She was hotter, though."

Anger burned inside her, and tears pricked her eyes.

"Shut. The fuck. Up."

Then Kelce went for the jugular, taking another step towards her, now in punching distance.

"That's why Ty came back, actually," he grinned. "Said he couldn't stand you, that you were too much like her. So he left. Suppose it's only a matter of time before they others do the same."

And she knew Tyler wouldn't say that.

Deep down she knew it.

But she couldn't help but let her doubts creep in, finally taking a step back from Kelce, her whole body feeling like someone had poured lead in her veins.

"He didn't say that," she hated how small and frail her voice sounded, but she couldn't help it.

"Maybe," Kelce just shrugged. "Maybe not. It's not important. The important thing is that we have a problem. And right now, right now, Elora... is when we're gonna fix it."

Elora was frozen in place watching him clench his fists, her eyes frantically searching around for an exit. Water surrounded her on one side, and the Thornton's boat on the other.

But as she watched Kelce look at her, she realised she couldn't stuck around.

She ran, ducking past other boats and trying to get off the dock-

Only to be stopped by two Kook girls, one of whom she knew was called Ruthie because she'd bullied her when her mum had died, the other a blonde she didn't know.

Ruthie was smirking, her arms crossed as she blocked the way.

"Where you gonna go, bitch?"

Elora backed up, fear pulsing through her veins, her whole body on fire. She was hyperventilating, the anger she'd felt a few seconds ago turned to stone cold fear.

"You-"

She didn't know what to feel when she felt a stone cold hand clamp over her mouth, a pair of unyielding arms holding her as she kicked and struggled, screaming into the hand.

The Kooks had multiplied by the time Kelce got her back to the dock, throwing her to the ground, where she stumbled backwards into someone else, grunting, the world spinning around her. There were at least six of them now, all laughing and grinning and hi fiving each other.

"Get off me!" She screamed, as Kelce manhandled her round to face him, his face creased in angee and disgust.

"This is for Topper, and me, and all the others you've been a little bitch to," he snarled at her, before launching a punch to her face.

The world started to spin even faster as his fist made contact with her jaw, sending her face sideways. The pain blossomed from the point immediately, and she swore she could hear a crack.

She felt her ears begin to ring and her legs start to shake, but she couldn't give up, not now.

"Fuck you," she snarled, tasting blood.

"Seems she still hasn't learned her lesson, boys!" Kelce mocked, grinning round at his friends. "How many do we reckon it's gonna take to teach her?"

"Come on, Kelc, give her another!"

"Yeah, get her, Kelc!"

They were wanting him to hit her. They were encouraging it.

The second punch hit in the eye, and she had to fight not to give in to the pain. Her body screamed at her to give up, to stop fighting, as the Kooks screamed at Kelce to hit her again, to make an example out of her.

"Come on Kelc, harder!"

"She's not a fucking ragdoll!"

"S-stop-" Elora got out, because although she was angry, she was also scared out her mind.

The third punch silenced her, hitting her on her cheekbone and sending her to the ground, the world tilting upwards towards her as Kelce let her go.

The Kooks clapped and cheered, crowding in around her, and she just lay on the ground, grunting as she tried to get up, her body weak.

"That's what you get!" She heard yelled at her through her ringing ears.

"Yeah, you Pogue!"

The kick to the stomach hurt. She didn't know who had administered it, but she knew that she didn't need to, because everyone was getting in on it now.

"Stop-" her voice was choked up as the blood and bile rose up her throat, and she was kicked to the side, all the Kooks yelling to each other and her.

"Fuck you, Pogue!"

"Come on, get her!"

"You gonna try and run now Elora, huh?"

Black spots clouded her vision. Her whole body ached. She was pretty sure one of her ribs was broken. She could feel blood dripping down her face.

It was over.

And far away, John B was feeling the same, a man strangling him with a cloth in jail, his feet lifted off the ground.

JJ was, too. He was in the back of a stolen ambulance, his whole plan having gone to shit.

And so was Sarah. She was being downed by Rafe out at the Cut docks, head deep under the water, her brother's hands on her neck, preventing her from getting out.

It was over.

For all of them.

There was no coming back from this.

Then-

"ELORA!"

Things started to look up.

John B got one over on the man strangling him, managing to get him off.

Pope and Kie saved JJ, buying him enough time to escape.

Topper got Rafe off Sarah, letting the girl come out the water and stopping her getting drowned.

And as for Elora... well, she got saved, as well.

Tyler's voice was loud, and it echoed in her ears. Unbidden relief filled her aching body. The concern in his voice made her tear up.

Because she'd done everything in her power to push him away, and had actually thought she succeeded.

And then he'd come back for her.

For Tyler, the moment he'd seen the message on his phone that he somehow sent, he'd been furious. He'd rushed down to the dock, more angry and concerned than he'd ever been in his life.

And when he'd seen Elora on the ground, bruises and blood on her face, Kooks kicking her left right and centre, he lost it.

Her name tore from his throat before he could stop himself, and then he was sprinting forwards, his anger that someone would ever dare hurt her powering his every move.

Kelce, who was headlining the group, looked up and fucking grinned. "Hey, Ty!" He yelled, gesturing proudly to Elle, on the ground. "Just getting a little revenge, you know, I bet you'll be hap-"

THUMP!

Tyler wished he didn't feel such pleasure in decking Kelce to the ground, knocking him over in a punch stronger than he thought he could muster.

"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH HER AGAIN!" He roared. dragging Kelce back upwards before he could even fight back, pummelling his face hard with his fists.

The other Kooks saw fit and bolted, all running in separate directions. Kelce wasn't so lucky. Tyler grabbed him and dragged him roughly back upwards, pummelling his face again and again with his fists.

Tyler was beside himself. How dare someone even think of laying a hand on Elora? It didn't matter if he was mad at her, it didn't matter if she would never speak to him again. All that mattered to him was that she was safe.

"Tyler-" Kelce's voice was a rasp, and he was coughing up blood, and his face was already unrecognisable, and Tyler did not care. He didn't care if he was suffering, he deserved to suffer, to die, for hurting his girl.

(She wasn't his. But god, did he wish she was).

He didn't even answer, continuing to cave his face in. His hands were beginning to hurt, but he didn't care. What he was feeling was nothing compared to Elle.

"T-T-Tyler-"

It was at that voice, at that broken, choked up, pained voice, that Tyler finally looked at Elora.

Like, properly looked at her. At her bruised face, her beautiful blue eyes that seemed to have lost their shine, at her crumpled body, trying to drag herself upwards.

It made him realise he couldn't continue to beat up Kelce. He wanted to, by god he wanted to, but he couldn't. He had to check on his girl, and see what she needed.

"Stay down," he warned Kelce, who was lying motionless, nose and mouth bloody, his voice dangerous, before rushing over to his girl.

"Elle," he murmured as he kneeled down next to her.

It was crazy, how his whole demeanour switched in a matter of seconds. With Kelce he'd been angry, and his hands had thrown punches. With Elora his hands were gentle as ever, running up and down her arms, his voice softly comforting her.

"Hey, hey," he murmured. "You're okay now, alright? You're okay, I won't let them come near you again."

"T- Tyler," she just repeated his name again, clutching her sides and wincing heavily.

"Elle," Tyler said back, his voice shaking. "Listen, I- I know this is gonna be hard but I need you to try and stand up for me, okay."

"You came back."

Elora was just staring at him, eyes unfocused, head lolling to the side. But her lips moved and she said those three words.

Tyler was in shock for a second before his hand with its split knuckles and bloody palm was cupping her cheek.

"Of course," he told her, his voice gentle as ever as he stared at her. "I'll always come back for you. I'd do anything for you, Elle."

And it was true. He'd known it for a long time, and she had, too, but neither had ever really said it.

But right now, looking up at him in her dazed state, Elora had never heard any words truer.

"Right, I'm- I'm gonna try and lift you, okay? To get you back home," Tyler said.

"Home?" Elora's voice was weak and vulnerable.

"Yeah, to the Chateau."

"But you... you went back to Figure Eight-"

"Yeah, and I'm never doing it again," Tyler vowed. "I'm a Pogue, okay, Elle? And I always will be."

I love you.

She knew by that point that there was no running anymore.

She loved him. And he loved her. And if tonight had proved anything, it's that he'd do anything for her, and she would just have to learn to accept it.

He wasn't going anywhere. And he had proved that.

So maybe, she should just try and be a good person, and see where this leads.

And as he helped her up, his arm gingerly around her waist and his other hand firmly holding her's, helping her walk home, she knew she needed to take the leap and fall.

Because otherwise she'd regret it.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

She woke up in her own home, in her own bed, wearing last night's clothes. However, she had bandages and plasters on all over her face and body, and she had no idea how they got there.

She hadn't remembered much since she passed out on the way back to her house, Tyler carrying her back fully. She remembered bits of it; his soft words of comfort, his fingers tangled in her hair, his clammy hand in her own.

He was a miracle. Her miracle.

And when she woke up, he was there.

"Hey," he said with a soft yet concerned smile. "You okay?"

"My-" her voice was croaky as fuck. "My- body hurts-"

"I know, I know," Tyler told her gently. "I tried my best to help you, I'm sorry-"

"Don't be sorry," Elora's voice was weak, but the way she was looking at him meant something. "Wasn't your fault."

Tyler shook his head, biting his lip harder than ever, clenching his fists.

"I can't believe they did that to you," he snarled, his eyes clouding over angrily. "It's- they had no fucking right, Elora-'

"Hey," Elora raised her voice slightly, imploring him to listen. "I'm okay now, alright? I'm okay, you saved me."

You saved me. She felt like she had to reiterate that. She never would've made it out if it wasn't for him.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make it right," Tyler fought back.

"Tyler-"

"Elora, you don't understand," Tyler looked her directly in the eye, which was glittering as usual, but with anger and pain. "When I saw them hurting you, I wanted to kill them. All of them."

Elora was frozen, gaze locked on his.

She didn't understand why someone would go to those lengths for her. She didn't know why someone would go out their way to protect her, or to make her feel safe.

But somehow, a god she didn't really believe in had blessed her with Tyler Thornton, who did all of those things.

She wanted to tell him she loved him. She didn't have that much courage. So instead, she just swallowed, tears coming to her eyes, and said in a small voice. "Thank you."

"Hey," one of Tyler's hands came up to cup her face again, his face showing concern and love and everything in between. "Hey, don't cry."

She lay like that for a moment before he asked. "Do you wanna sit up?"

She nodded, and he helped her slowly get up from her position, wincing slightly at the pain in her ribs as she did so.

Once she was up, Tyler handed her a steaming mug, saying. "There you go. Your house is sorta thin on the ground for cocoa powder, but... I tried my best."

Her heart lit up at the small smile he gave her, and as she lifted the mug to her lips and drank, she couldn't help but think of how he did all this for her. He really did love her. She understood that now.

"Thank you," is all the told him, hoping her face conveyed how deeply she meant it.

"No problem," Tyler smiled slightly, just before it disappeared off his face and he looked down. "I guess it's just my way of... y'know, saying sorry."

Elora almost choked on the cocoa.

"What?" She exclaimed. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"For leaving," Tyler said. "For leaving you when you're in such a hard place. For giving up on you so easily."

His eyes clouded over as he spoke, and Elora's heart clenched.

"I love you so much, Elle," Tyler repeated for the hundredth time, yet he was just as sincere as the first. "I'm not kidding when I say I'll do anything for you, and if you don't think you deserve me, then you're just going to have to live with it, because I love you, and you're nothing like your mum, and you're the best person I've ever know and I-"

The second kiss wasn't like the first.

The first had been chaste, and his lips had been cold, and five seconds after it happened he'd ran back to his friends, grinning and laughing about how he'd got Elora Easton to put out.

But right now, as Elora damned her bruised ribs and split lip, leaning in and kissing him softly, she didn't feel any of that.

His lips were warm as they moved against her's, and his hands were soft, coming up to cup her cheeks. He kissed back, wasting no time in deepening it and kissing her harder and harder.

Elora's whole body was on fire, her stomach alight with butterflies, her eyes fluttering closed. She felt so strongly for him in every single move that she made, and the fact that she was finally kissing him?

And it wasn't like what she had imagined. She didn't feel inadequate, or terrible, or even undeserving. She felt like his equal, kissing him passionately in her room that once meant nothing but pain and hurt, yet now would be a place of happiness and joy.

When they came up for air, she didn't open her eyes straight away, instead murmuring with a certain levity. "So there you go, you've kissed me. Where's the Kook welcome party?"

Tyler chuckled slightly, shaking his head as he reached a hand up to cup her cheek, and she finally opened her eyes. He was still there, right in front of her, looking at her like she hung the stars in the sky.

"I'll get them in next time," he joked, drawing her in yet again for another kiss. She let out a small gasp against his lips, and he swore he was going to die there and then.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this," he whispered to her when they parted again. "You drive me fucking insane, Elle."

She blushed, her cheeks turning a deep crimson, and yet couldn't find it in her to be embarrassed.

She still hadn't told him she loved him yet. And they hadn't defined what they were.

But that bit would come later. For now, she was content to sit here with her mug of cocoa, her bruises and cuts on the mend, kissing the boy she was in love with, and never thought she'd have.