𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦 ; 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

17

Chapter Seventeen
Campfire Conflict

Riley and the rest of her friends made a small camp fire in the woods and began to warm up around it. The air was cold, the grass was went and some people would have preferred to be at home but this was exactly were Riley wanted to be, surrounded by the people she cared about more then anything else.

"Can I talk to you on your own for a minute" JJ asked her as she nodded slightly. The two of them began walking in the opposite direction of the camp fire.

"I know what your going to say JJ... Rafe is obviously the topic of conversation right now" she spoke as he turned around to face her.

"Yeah he is and rightfully so... do you not think it was abit odd the way he confessed in front of everyone how sorry he was... I get that you like him but come on Ry he punched all of us around a few days ago and now your all over him" he explained as she stood there listening.

"I understand what your saying I really do but he apologized and I've forgiven him... I'm sorry about everything he's done but everyone deserves a second chance you've had plenty if I'm remembering right... so why shouldn't he get another one" she muttered as JJ paced back an forth.

"We're different okay... no matter what he says he cannot be trusted he's a kook and no matter how hard you try you'll never be one of them... you'll always and I mean always be pogue" he snapped.

"Don't you think already I know that... what just because I wore a nice dress tonight you think I'm trying to be one of them... I thought you knew me better then that" she exhaled as she turned to walk away from him.

"Riley wait that's not what I'm saying I do know you better then anyone else and because of that I know how trusting you are and I also know that you always try to see the best in people but what I'm trying to say is maybe Rafe doesn't have a good side to him at all... I just don't want you to get hurt. I'm trying to look out for you" he mumbled softly.

"The keyword in that sentence was maybe, maybe he doesn't have a good side to him but what if he does JJ and what if he meant everything he said to me tonight... is that so hard to believe that he could want to make things work with me" she asked him while he shook his head repeatedly.

"No no of course not he'd be damn lucky to be with you... I'm just saying be careful that's all and make sure you're intention's are the same as his" he explained shortly.

"I can take care of myself" she huffed before walking back to the group sitting by the fire.

Riley sat down beside her brother while everyone listened intently to what John B was saying.

"The gold never went down with the royal merchant" he uttered excitedly.

"Here we go again with this" Pope replied as Riley looked around trying to understand what was going on.

Riley was massively behind on all of this royal merchant stuff mostly because honestly she thought it was a dead end. Her dad spent his entire life obsessing over treasure that ultimately lead to his death so she didn't see the point in getting in over her head over gold that probably never even existed in the first place.

"It's been here the whole time" John B smiled as he looked over at his sister.

"If that's true how come dad didn't find it sooner" she asked skeptically.