CASTAWAY ⚓ R.C, J.M

F O U R T E E N

┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓

D A R K   D E E P   D E P T H S

┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛

The sweltering sun had been beating down on the island all day. It rose with a vengeance this morning, heating the air whilst the pogues accompanied Mr Routledge and Harley to the hospital to have her stitches removed and head wounds checked. All had been fine.

Mr Routledge had to go off to do some work. Pope also had to go help his dad at work, leaving JJ, John B, Kiara and Harley. John B mentioned going into the marsh in the afternoon, so they had all agreed to meet up for that. Somehow the group had split up. Kiara had gone off with John B, and nobody questioned Harley going off with JJ. The two had planned to hang out so that JJ could show Harley his bike, so it seemed like the perfect time.

"Do you not think it's strange?" JJ asked aloud eyes up in the clouds as they strolled side by side.

Harley's eyes followed his with a slight frown. She couldn't see whatever he had spotted. The clouds looked just like clouds: soft and fluffy. The sky was it's usual perfect blue with the golden glare of the sun.

"What is? I don't see anything?"

JJ's eyebrows crinkled as he spared a glance to the bubbly brunette beside him. Once he noticed she had been staring intently up at the sky because he had been watching a flock of birds, his amused chuckle filled the air around them.

"No, I meant. Don't you think it's strange how your medical bills are always paid for? It's like you've got some kind of guardian angel out there... a very rich one might I add."

"Oh." Harley's eyes drew away from the sky and to JJ. He had warm eyes. "I thought that was normal the first time round, until John B questioned me about it."

The more Harley now thought about it, the more peculiar it became. Who would want to spend their money and pay for her medical bills? Nobody had known of her existence at first. Word travels fast on a small island, but could it really travel that fast? And whoever it was, why would they not just say? Why be anonymous?

"Maybe somebody from my life before is doing it. Maybe my family." Harley pondered with a new sense of hope.

"Your very rich, New York crime family. It makes sense."

"I don't understand why you think I'm from New York."

"It's all in the accent, Harley."

"But I don't have one. The others even said I don't sound like that."

JJ hummed his disagreement and flipped off his hat to comb his hair back. "Forget the others. I'm well versed in the art of accents, so I can hear things they can't. Trust me."

Harley simply laughed at JJ unsure whether to take him seriously or not. He always said the strangest or most abstract things.

"Maybe somebody on the northside is trying to do something charitable to look good you know. Rich folk always want to make themselves look good by helping people with less fortune. Maybe it's Ward Cameron..."

"Ward Cameron. Is he Rafe's dad?"

"Yep. He's the richest Kook on the island. And he's always busting his ass to help people from the Cut. The dude acts like he's a God."

"Oh." Harley wondered if that was why Rafe and his dad didn't get along that well, because he 'acts like he's a God'. She supposed it would make sense if he didn't like his dad because he was controlling. "Why would he help me. And why wouldn't he come forward if he wants people to see how philanthropic he is."