The fireworks blasted off in the distance. I ignored them. Right now my childhood best friend was standing beside me. He'd crashed the fourth of July party to come and see me. I knew that all too well.

"I'm sorry to drag you away from the party." Jack said. "I just didn't feel right telling you this over there."

"Telling me what?" I asked.

"Ever since I first saw you, I knew there was something about you. And I couldn't put my finger on it…" -he put his finger on the dock railing – until now. Look, sometimes, you get a boat out on the open water, and you catch a wind, and the sails fill. And, she comes to life under you and it feels like more than just wind, and water, and vessel, it feels like there's something else… going on. Something… pulling you forward, a-and surrounding you at the same time. Am I making any sense?"

I could hear his heart beating through his words. "You're making perfect sense." I whispered with a smile.

"Just, you're saying it to the wrong girl, Jack. I'm seeing Daniel, I thought you knew that."

"I know. I know, and normally I wouldn't do anything like this. But I feel like this feeling… comes along once or twice in a lifetime if we're lucky. Tell me I'm alone in this. Tell me I'm alone in this, and I won't bother you again."

Tears were starting to well up in my eyes. I desperately wanted to reciprocate the feelings. I couldn't.

"I'm so sorry, Jack." I whispered.

He nodded. "No, that's okay. I just thought… let me walk you back to the party."

"No, you don't have to do that." He started off. "Jack…"

"No, no. Don't feel like you have to say anything. Daniel is… he seems like a nice guy, and I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that." He paused. "I'm really sorry."

I ran off after him. Whispering his name behind his back, I got him to turn around. Before he could reply to me, I was already crushing my mouth to his. His hands went up to mine and he started rubbing circles with his thumbs.

After we broke apart, he said, "Y-You didn't have to do that."

I simply kissed him again.

"No. I did." I looked behind me, at the water, and then back at him. "Come to my house. I have something I need to tell you."

When the two of us had reached my beach house, I opened the door and then gave him a chair at my table. I walked to my living room, pushed aside my couch, lifted the carpet and opened up the secret floorboard.

"What is that?" he asked when I put the Infinity Box on the table.

"Everything." I replied. I opened the box and pulled out the photo of Amanda Clarke and Jack as children. I gave it to him and sat down.

"Emily…" he whispered, tracing Amanda Clarke's face on the photo. "Why?"

It took me a second to talk. "The Graysons framed my father. They were the ones responsible for that plane going down. While my father was rotting away in federal prison, I was rotting away in juvie. Nolan got me out, and he gave me the box. So that's why I'm here. I came back to avenge my father's death, to destroy the lives of everyone who had a part in it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jack asked.

"Because I didn't want to put you in danger. I knew you might want to help me, and it was too much of a risk." I paused. "What you can do, however, is not believe the word of Amanda Clarke."

"…I'm sorry, I'm confused."

"I traded names with my juvie cellmate. She is Emily Thorne." I gave him a photo I had of her. "If you ever see her, and she finds out who you are, don't believe her. I just let her pretend to be me."

Jack took my hand and started rubbing circles into it, again. "Amanda Clarke… that's a better name than Emily Thorne."

My phone started to buzz; Ashley texted asking where I was. I ignored it.

"I need to go back to the party, Jack. Thanks for listening." As we walked out, I gave him one last peck on the cheek before leaving.