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PULLING YOUR SWEATSHIRT DOWN AND OVER YOUR FRAME AS YOU SAT IN FRONT OF YOUR VANITY, YOU SCANNED YOUR EYES ACROSS THE MULTIPLE MAKEUP PRODUCTS SCATTERED ACROSS THE SURFACE. You were running late to meet your brother and your friends at The Wreck to hang out. You’d told Pope not to wait up and head out without you.
You’d all been pretty busy lately and even though no one would admit it verbally, you missed each other. So, Kie invited you all to her dad’s restaurant near closing to catch up. Lightly pampering your face and giving yourself a once over in the oval-shaped mirror, you grabbed your phone off the bed and rushed out of the house, wanting to get there before it got too dark and knowing Pope would give you one of his Papa Heyward style dad lectures about, one, being late and two, walking alone in the dark. Especially on The Cut…
YOU WERE MET WITH PLAYFUL CHEERS AND GREETINGS THROUGH MOUTHFULS OF FOOD AS YOU ENTERED THE WRECK, EVERYONE ALREADY GATHERED AT THE TABLE NEAR THE BACK.
You turned to the left to see Mr. Carrera wiping down the counter where the register sat. Flashing him a warm smile, he returned it with a small, tight-lipped one of his own and a welcoming wave. Heading towards the group of island delinquents you called your friends, you took a seat between your brother and JJ.
“Look who finally showed up.” John B teased to which you rolled your eyes.
“You said you’d be here in thirty minutes.“ Pope scolded. "That was an hour ago.” He reprimanded with as much sternness in his voice as possible.
You simply rolled your eyes and smiled, snatching the baseball cap off the top of his head. “Sorry, my favorite big brother in the whole world. I got held up.” You jested, putting the hat on your own head and crossing your arms over my chest before kicking your feet up on JJ’s lap. The blonde glanced down at your ankles across his thighs before raising a curious brow in your direction, throwing a fry into his mouth.
“I’m your only brother, you…moron.” Pope shot back, swiftly taking his hat back for himself, scoffing.
You scoffed in return, reaching forwards to grab the untouched glass of water that you assumed was ordered for you. After taking a long sip, you held the glass in your hand as you used the other to stir the straw mindlessly. “Soooo…What’d I miss?”
“Well,” JJ started, swallowing a mouthful of the burger he had taken an unnecessarily huge bite of. “This guy,” He started, pointing at JB. “Got back with Sarah. So, we don’t have to pick sides anymore. Well, at least you and Kie don’t.”
“No surprise there.” You chuckled.
“Wha-Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” John B babbled, his face contorting in mild frustration.
You drew your lips into a thin line as you sat up straight, removing your shoe-clad feet from JJ’s lap. “Be honest with yourself, JB. You and Sarah are like.. a light switch. One minute you’re on, the next you’re off.” You spoke honestly, John B only giving you a sour look in return. “Don’t look at me like that. You know it’s true. I may be the youngest here, but I think you all could learn a thing or two from me. I speak nothing but wisdom.”
You were met with a chorus of muffled chuckles beside you, turning to see JJ trying to hold back a laugh. A look of bewilderment etched itself onto your face. ”…What?”
He looked at you sideways, cocking a sarcastic brow. “All this talk from a girl that I had to bail out of jail last week for vandalizing a house on Figure Eight. Do you know how crazy you have to be for me to be the one bailing you out of the dog pound?”
You groaned and threw your head back. “…You what?” The voice of a stunned Kiara pitched in.
“And you still owe me for not telling dad.” Pope reminded me to which you waved him off as he lightly pushed your head to the side.
You lowered your head to turn to the scruffy-haired blonde next to you with a death glare. “What happened to covering for me?” You whispered. "You’re the worst.” You pouted, leaning back in your chair.
“You say that every time.” He smiled mischievously, shaking his head.
“Okay, we are not brushing past this.” Kiara spoke up, hands splayed out on the table in frustration, face scrunched in confusion. “When did you get arrested? And whose house did you vandalize? And why?”
“I’d like to know, too.” John B added, raising his hand with a look of innocent curiosity.
“For one, I wasn’t arrested. I was detained. They are…drastically different” You denied.
“…Vaguely different.” Pope added, shrugging condescendingly.
“And two,“ You spoke over your brother, shooting him a pointed look. "They over exaggerated the whole thing. I spray painted a kook’s garage because she messed with me during gym. The bitch tripped me when we were running laps and her friends stole my shirt from my locker.”
JJ’s eyes went wide and you could see his entire body go tense beside you. “You didn’t tell me that.” You looked at him for a brief second without responding, only shooting him a regretful, sheepish smile.
You didn’t tell him because you knew how he could get. The pogues were all over protective of you and, although you appreciated the sentiment, you thought yourself fully capable of handling your own. If the girl wanted to pull some grade school prank on you, so be it. You didn’t want your brother and your friends to come to your aid every time something happened.
They already saw you as the baby of the group, as did everyone else. But you weren’t a baby at all.
Before you could even attempt to elaborate further, Mr. Carrera was calling over for two of you to go help him put stuff in the back so he could finish locking up. John B and Pope practically jumped from their seats, Pope wanting to get on the older man’s good side, totally not because of his crush on Kiara, while John B just wanted to get more food.
Your attention was pulled from the two fools racing towards the front of the restaurant when a warm, firm hand landed on your shoulder, gathering your full attention. “Why didn’t you tell me that happened?”
You just shrugged sheepishly. “So you could get in trouble with me? Yeah, no thanks.” You explained. “You don’t have too many chances left with the law yourself, blondie.” He remained silent, knowing you were more than right and he would’ve encouraged your behaviors rather than trying to avoid them. It was the dynamic you two had. Partners in crime, as some would opt to describe it. You backed one another with no question and no hesitation. You were closer to JJ than anyone in the group, sometimes even your own brother.
You didn’t really know, there was just an instant connection. Almost like you met each other in a past life. There was something between you two that couldn’t be ignored. But it had to be. For Pope’s sake.
“Just…” He sighed, his hand dropping from your shoulder to your thigh in, what seemed to be, a subconscious movement. “Just tell me the truth from now on. Can’t be the Robin to your Batman if I’m not in the loop.”
You rolled your eyes and laughed shortly at his cheesy and childish analogy. “I’m totally the Robin to your Batman. I just go AWOL from time to time. For the thrill of it, y’know?” You joked.
You laughed with one another before letting it fade into a comfortable silence, his thumb rubbing your thigh mindlessly. The action didn’t go unnoticed, but you feared if you acknowledged it that he would retract his touch.
JJ was your friend but anyone would be a fool to deny the tension between the pair of you. You’d had a crush on him for years but he was Pope’s best friend and you were Pope’s little sister. You lived with the presumption that JJ was off limits in that sense, and so were you. But in recent years, it seemed that the Maybank boy had started to develop deeper, less platonic, feelings for you.
He liked you, at the very least. And deep down, you knew it. But you didn’t mind because you liked him, too. More than you knew you should.
You don’t know when you settled on that conclusion or came to the realization. Maybe it was the way you’d catch him staring at you from time to time, or maybe it was the times you’d make eye contact and he wouldn’t look away, even allowing his eyes to roam your frame on occasion. Or maybe it was the fleeting touches that walked the fine-line between friendly and romantic, similar to the way he was touching your thigh now.
All you knew was that somewhere down the line, the wall between friendship and something more than that had started to fall for you. You were no longer Pope’s little sister than he hung out with because Pope brought you along. You were your own person. You were his best friend, his partner in crime.
You were too lost in your own thoughts to realize that his hand was inching further up the skin of your thigh and his entire body grew closer, your eyes flickering down to his lips.
Was JJ about to kiss you?
“…Guys?” Kiara piped up, making her presence known once again. Too caught up in your wordless exchange and the feel of JJ’s fingers on your skin, you’d completely disregarded the third person still sitting at the table. JJ immediately straightened himself out before removing his hand from your leg, leaving a cool sensation in its wake. “I don’t know what I just saw. Or what I was about to see. But Pope is right there…” She said cautiously, shooting a glance across The Wreck before eyeing the both of you skeptically. “…Is there something I should be aware of?”
JJ just adjusted in his seat, attempting to feign nonchalantness. “I thought there was something in her eye, Kie. Chill.”
She looked between the two of you before admitting defeat, throwing her hands up in surrender but not before raising a curious brow at the both of us. Quiet and flustered, the moment was now gone and replaced with a heavy awkwardness.
IT’D BEEN A DAY SINCE YOUR ALMOST-KISS WITH JJ. Kie tried to question you about it after you all had left The Wreck but, surprisingly, you’d managed to convinced her to drop it. That didn’t stop her from shooting you suspicious glances anytime you and JJ were together.
John B had thrown a kegger and you were currently nursing your cup, filled with whatever concoction he had thrown into the keg tonight. You were hot and fatigued from dancing with Kie and Sarah for practically half the night, leaning against the trunk of a tree near the shore. The breeze brought a welcomed chill over your warm, damp skin.
Your eyes scanned over the party-goers, not looking for anyone in particular yet, your gaze seemed to find him, as it always does.
Across the beach, JJ was in a stance similar to your own. Back against a tree except there was a joint his hand, lifting it up every now and then to take a hit. His eyes scanned the beach like yours had just moments prior.
When his blue eyes landed on your own from across the party, you sent him a smile and went to take a step with the intention of joining him, before a big, brawny frame was blocking almost your entire view of the beach.
“Heyyy! How you doin’?” The guy drawled. "I couldn’t help but notice you looked a little lonely over here all by yourself.” He didn’t seem drunk but his ego alone was enough to nauseate you.
“I’m not.” You attempted to side step him, only to have your view blocked again. Huffing harshly and squeezing your eyes shut for a moment, you looked up at the guy. He was creepy, and that was you being polite. He had this unsettling smirk on his face and some kind of stupid, preppy haircut that swayed you all the wrong ways.
“Look, I’m really not in the mood.” You sassed, crossing your arms with your cup still in hand as you shifted your weight.
“There are a whole lot of things I need and you are one of them.” Ew. Ew ew ew. I couldn’t stop myself from visibly cringing at this guy’s lame and unwanted advances. I just wanted to go talk to JJ.
“Then let me help you loosen up a bit, hm? This is a party after all…” He pressed. You dismissed him with a tight-lipped smile, not sparing him another glance. You attempted to walk around him only for him to follow your every step. You were growing more and more agitated as the moments passed. This guy had seconds, at best, before you showed him just how uninterested and unamused you were.
“C’monnnn…I thought you island chicks were supposed to be easy…” He trailed off, his eyes traveling down your body without a trace of shame, stopping at your semi-exposed cleavage. Your eyes caught sight of his hands coming up and reaching out for your waist.
You bit the inside of your cheek before tossing your cup to the sand — Kie could kill you later. When his hands hit the skin of your exposed waist, you slid your arms over his shoulders as his lustful gaze shifted to yours. You gave him a sickly sweet smile before bringing the boy closer and kneeing him in the crotch.
He soon retracted from you, doubling over in pain with a deep groan as you bent down to level your lips with his. “I said… I’m not in the fucking mood.” You spat maliciously in a whispered tone.
Standing to your full height before walking off, you heard the guy yell after you.
“Bitch!”
“Appreciate it!” You called back over your shoulder, straightening out your top.
Your eyes scanned the crowd once more, which had seemed to grow more dense in the moments you were distracted, looking for JJ.
But this time when you spotted him, he wasn’t alone. He was leading some girl up to The Chateau, holding her hand as he guided her up the steps. At the sight, you felt a sharp pang in your chest before turning around to get your sights off the scene, refusing to cry in the middle of a party.
There was only one reason why he would be taking her up there. You weren’t stupid. You knew you weren’t anything, that you never could be. But JJ’s revolving door of hookup’s never failed to bring burning tears to your waterline. But you also weren’t going to have a shitty night because the guy you liked left with another girl and some asshole wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Spotting Sarah and Kiara chatting with John B and your brother, you made my way over to your group of remaining friends and continued on with your night as normally as possible.
JJ’s actions only served as a harsh reminder of why you two would never work out. Why you couldn’t.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, AFTER THE KEGGER, WAS NORMAL AS ONE WOULD EXPECT. Although, the thought of JJ with that girl had crossed your mind practically all day and all night, as much as you hate to admit it. You knew he’d slept with her. It’s JJ. He wasn’t exactly celibate, in any sense of the word.
Despite your racing thoughts, the school day had ended and Pope had waited until the last minute to text you that he left early to help your father with catering and couldn’t take you home. You sighed, throwing your head back as your shoulders slumped. You shook myself off before dialing your mother.
You were met with her voicemail after a full two rings and a text following right after.
Busy with customers. Can’t talk. Call your pops if it’s important.
Thinking about other options that didn’t involve walking ten miles, you knew Kie had a shift at The Wreck right after school and you had already seen John B and Sarah run off as soon as the dismissal bell rang — leaving you with really only one other option.
Scrolling to find the contact that stuck out, you hesitated slightly before pressing ‘call’, nerves jumping as the phone barely rang before the click of the line being picked up sounded out.
“Hey, what’s up? Are you alright?” JJ’s sleep-ridden voice came through the other end of the line.
“Uh, yeah, JJ, I’m fine. Are you…busy?”
“Um…”
“…JJ?” You asked, hiking your backpack higher on your shoulder. “Y'know what? Nevermind-”
“No! No, …’m not busy. Why? What’s wrong?”
His uncertainty through the phone had you uneasy but you ignored it. “Look, Pope left early to help our dad and I need a ride home. Would you mind?”
You could hear mutters and shuffling over the line. “Nah, I don’t mind- What? No, she’s my…It doesn’t matter, I’m goin’ to get her. You can come or not, that’s not my problem…“ He interrupted himself as he whispered to someone. "Hey, I’ll be there soon, alright? Stand in front of the school. Be there in 10.”
“Okay.” And with that the call ended.
Just as he’d promised, ten minutes later the distinct rev and rumble of his beat up truck was heard as it pulled up to the front of the school. You smiled brightly but it soon faded when you got a full view of the sight in front of you.
Sitting in the passenger seat was the girl you saw him disappear with last night. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she barely had time to wipe the remnants of her makeup off of her face.
You felt an unfamiliar feeling bubble in my gut at the sight of them. JJ had slept with many girls. But you’d never had to face any of them. Certainly none that… reminded you oddly of yourself.
It was like looking into a warped mirror. You didn’t notice you were still standing on the curb until JJ piped up. “Yo, Y/n?” He seemed hesitant, as if he knew his error. You were sure he did. “Hop in, kiddo.”
You raised a brow at him with an incredulous expression. “Kiddo?” You spat, reeling back. Kiddo?Was he serious?
His face pleaded with you to just get in the car and you did, but not before shooting the blonde a vicious glare and slamming the door shut.
The ride was tense and silent. Dreadful, really. You and JJ’s eyes met in the rearview mirror every 5 minutes, exchanging wordless glances. The girl shifted awkwardly in her seat, speaking every few minutes to tell JJ where to turn.
We ended up in front of some huge house on Figure Eight, the girl hopping out and shooting JJ a shy smile. You couldn’t stop yourself from audibly gagging in the backseat and muttering, both of them shooting completely different looks your way.
Once the door was shut and JJ was changing gears to pull off, you climbed over the center console to sit in your seat — the one that was now oddly warm and felt tainted. Were you being dramatic? Yes. Did you care? Not nearly enough.
It was unusually silent during the ride back, with you only speaking once to tell him that he could take you back to The Chateau, since being home alone was something you hated.
However, you couldn’t help but break the ice when it became unbearable. “Is that why you weren’t at school today? Screwing some kook you picked up at the party?” You retorted, not even attempting to hide the malice in your voice.
He sighed, glancing at you as you stared out of the window watching the houses and trees pass by. “Her name is Angela.”
“Angela…” You mocked in a disgusted tone. “I didn’t ask for her name.” You spat harshly, snapping to face him as his focus remained on the road, almost as if he was avoiding your gaze. “I asked if she was the reason you bailed on school today. But I think I’ve got my answer.”
“…Do you not like me hooking up with other girls or somethin’?” JJ asked, brows pinched in frustration as his hand tightened every so slightly on the wheel. “I mean, everyone jokes about it but you don’t. And sometimes, I swear you seem genuinely pissed by it.”
You just huffed and slouched in the seat, planting your face in your palm. You stared out of the window once more, gathering the courage to lie. “…I don’t care who you screw, JJ.” You said, tone despondent. “You’re not…my boyfriend or anything.” You reminded, the sentence catching in your throat. “…Why the hell would I care?”
IT HAD ONLY BEEN A FEW HOURS SINCE JJ PICKED YOU UP FROM SCHOOL WITH HIS RECENT RENDEZVOUS IN THE CAR. You’d gone home as soon as Pope had texted you that he and your dad were back home, wanting to escape the awkwardness of being with JJ alone in The Chateau after your odd exchange in the car.
The only thing that made this worse is that you were headed back there because you’d forgotten it was Friday and John B planned a movie night. Even though he always talked through them while you all told him to shut up, they were one of your favorite ways to hang out. Especially during the weekends where you could doze off in his living room and wake up to head down to the beach.
Walking up the porch of The Chateau, you could hear a couple of voices inside. Pope didn’t knock, instead walking in as you followed behind, knowing the door would be unlocked.
When the two of you walked in, you immediately wanted to walk out and burn Kildare to the ground. You hadn’t realized how loud your moan of vexation was in that moment, your brother turning to you as his expression turned into one of worried confusion.
“You okay?”
Shifting your gaze to his instead of the three people in front of you, you locked eyes with Pope. “’M fine. Just wasn’t expecting her to be here…” You spoke lowly, throwing your head in the direction of the girl you saw earlier as she stood talking in the kitchen with JJ, not able to hide your disdain.
You could only pray that he didn’t invite her here.
“What? You know her?” Pope asked quizzically, probably sensing the frustration radiating off of your frame.
“…You could say that.” Was all you replied before walking further into The Chateau, making your presence known.
“Yooo!” John B hollered excitedly as he stood in front of one of the only TV’s in his home, crouching as he looked for a movie to watch. “Surprised you’re on time, Pope. Considering that one is with you.” The brunette boy jested.
You walked over to him, a playful smile on your face, before gently swiping one of his crouched feet from under him causing him to slip and fall on his behind with an audible, but not seemingly painful, thump.
He huffed harshly, squinting his eyes as he glared up at you. “And you wonder why I bother you.” He uttered, plucking your calf.
“You started it.” You shrugged with a smug smile. John B just mocked you in a high pitched, borderline unintelligible voice that made your face scrunch, prompting you to tell him that you don’t sound like that before walking off. It was all jokes, though. John B was like your second brother. However, unlike Pope, he couldn’t go five minutes without teasing you. You think he liked how much more immature he could be around you sometimes.
Taking your time to stroll over to the kitchen and lean against the counter of the kitchen, JJ, who had been oddly silent and not greeting you with a bear hug as he normally would, wasted no time in lifting his stare to meet your own.
It looked like he and his honorary movie night invitee were preparing a bowl of popcorn and drinks.
“Hey.” You said, jutting my head up in a small greeting as you leaned your elbows against the rough surface of the counter.
But JJ didn’t have time to reply before the girl was answering in a cheery tone, her demeanor and personality doing a complete 180 from what you’d seen just hours ago. “Hi!” She squealed. “I’m Angela. We met earlier, right?” She asked as if it was a real question, obviously knowing it was you she’d seen in her less than put together state from her place in your seat- the passenger seat of JJ’s truck.
She began to round the corner to get closer to you, dusting her hands off against each other, until she was mere inches in front of you. You moved to lean off of the counter with an odd expression etched all over your face. You weren’t a fan of new, and frankly uninvited, people — especially kooks.
But having a closer look at Angela now, you could see now that she wasn’t just ‘some kook’. No, she was the same kook that you’d seen around school tormenting all the pogues in her grade. Despite being a kook, she went to Kildare High with the rest of you. And you were ninety-percent sure she ran in the posse run by the girl who tried to punk you during gym that later landed you in a holding cell.
So this little miss perfect, happy go lucky act that she was bombarding you with suddenly filled your entire being with disgust. You were unable to hide the unamused, and rather uninviting, expression on your face.
And you weren’t treating this girl this way because she had slept with the guy you probably had a thing for. Your best friend. She just stuck around too long for your liking. Angela swayed you the wrong way the second you saw her. Maybe it was your gut all along, trying to stir up the exact memory that you hadn’t exactly committed but suddenly made itself known again.
You were stuck in your head but was quickly pulled out of it when you saw she was going in for a hug. Before you could stop her, she was encasing you in her arms. It didn’t last long before you were shimmying the girl off of you.
She hesitantly let you go, her hands still resting on your shoulders which you swiftly brushed off. You shrugged and sent her an effortless, half-assed smile. “Not much of a hugger.”
You could see JJ tilt his head and speak before he could think. “Since when?”
Your annoyed gaze snapped to his in an instant, face contorting in mild anger. “I don’t know. Since when did you started trying to integrate your one-night stands into our friend group?” All three of you fell silent, John B and Pope too caught up in their own conversation to even hear the one happening in the kitchen. You could hear Angela scoff and saw her retreat back around the counter to stand next to JJ.
“Y/N.” He said firmly, not knowing where this sudden agitation came from.
You glared at him, scoffing bitterly before running both of your hands down your face. “Yeah…I’m gonna get some air.” You muttered, leaving the two of them behind as you walked by John B and Pope.
“Where are you goin’?” Pope piped up inquisitively.
“Outside.” Was all you said as you stepped foot onto the back porch, the flimsy door making a loud noise as it shut behind you.
You sat myself down on the steps of the wooden platform, legs stretched out in front of you, crossed over one another as you let your thoughts wander.
You don’t even know why you were so worked up over this. Technically, you just assumed JJ liked you. He never said he did but all of the signs were there. And yeah, you get that you’re at fault too but this was hard to manage. You knew why you hadn’t acted on anything.
You didn’t want to jeopardize your relationship with my brother. Pope always had a hard time making friends and the pogues were like your home away from home. They’d stuck by you two through thick and thin and you didn’t want to complicate that, for him or yourself. And getting romantically, or sexually, involved with JJ? Well, that was a sure-fire way to complicate things.
But in protecting your brother, you were hurting myself. As conceited as it may sound, you had an inkling that if you said the word, JJ would be with you. Same with you, if you were being honest. All he had to do was say that he wanted you and you’d go running off into the sunset with him.
But now, you weren’t so certain. With him bringing this girl around, one who reminds you eerily of yourself? You hated it. You hated the way it made you feel. And maybe you were being an ass to her because you knew she wasn’t half the saint she was pretending to be. But most of it was the fact that you were so similar, yet JJ was fooling around with her.
It was making you doubt yourself, in all honesty. Trying to pinpoint what was so drastically different between you two that he picked her in one night. What was she displaying that you lacked? And for you, someone who found themselves to be relatively self-assured and confident, it was a hard pill to swallow.
If JJ wanted you, he could have you. Not some carbon copy of you. Was he as scared as you were? Of hurting Pope? Was this his way of finding some kind of loophole around that? And if it was…was it working? Or was this whole thing a simple cliche? Younger, delusional sister falls for her brother’s best friend who just sees her as a friend and nothing more?
Suddenly, you heard the front door of The Chateau close, pulling you from your thoughts, the cheery, unmistakable voices of Kiara and Sarah booming. A small smile came to your face as you took a deep breath and stood up to head inside.
And it seemed you had re-entered the home at just the right time, seeing Kie squeal your name and run up to Angela, bear hugging the girl from behind with her hands around her neck.
And, honestly, you had noticed it before but when you couldn’t see her face, even you thought she was you. Angela had her back turned as she poured the drink into the glass, Kie making her spill it slightly on the counter. You could see JJ try to reach his hand out and warn the cheerful girl but it was too late.
“What the hell?!” Angela screeched, slamming the can down and turning as she pushed Kie off of her. Angela had soda on her top and was eyeing Kiara with a death glare.
“I…I thought you were…” Kie trailed, her eyes searching for you before they found you, standing at the door in the back of the house watching this whole thing unfold as the house fell relatively silent.
She stared at you briefly before whipping back to the fuming, soda-covered girl in the kitchen. “Who are you?” Kie asked with her eyebrows furrowed, A stunned Sarah standing right behind her, mouth slightly agape and eyebrows raised, holding a bag full of candy and chips.
“I’m JJ’s girlfriend. Who the hell are you?” Angela spat back and JJ’s eyes went wide, you mean extremely wide. He suddenly put his hands up and backed away from the girl as if she had burned him, shaking his head.
“Woah, woah,” He looked around to gauge our reactions, that’s when he caught sight of you by the door. It almost seemed like he was speaking to you, and you only, when he opened his mouth again. “She is not my girlfriend.”
Angela swiftly redirected her fiery gaze from Kiara to JJ. “Oh, I’m not? Not even after you slept with me and drove me home?”
JJ looked utterly confused, as did the rest of you. He lowered his eyes to look at the girl. “You asked if I could take you home. I could, so I did. Doesn’t make you my girlfriend. Are those, like, high standards or somethin’?”
“Then why did you invite me here?” She spoke defensively.
“I didn’t…” He trailed off frustratedly. “You caught me at the gas station when I was picking up the sodas, asked where I was goin’ and when I told you, you hopped in my truck and said ‘count me in’. I didn’t invite you here, you invited yourself.” He explained. “I didn’t wanna be an asshole and turn you down. I…honestly, I had no intentions of ever seeing you again.”
This elicited a laugh from John B that he quickly covered up with a cough when Angela looked at him. She laughed bitterly, prodding the inside of her cheek with her tongue. “Y’know what…” She muttered, snatching her purse and phone off of the counter. “That’s fine by me. I don’t know what I was thinking coming to this shit hole on this side of town anyway. Hope you pathetic ass losers have fun watching your little movie.” She quarreled.
“Will do.” You shot back at her with a lazy, two-finger, mock salute that came off as more of a wave and a smug smile, her gaze whipping to yours as she curled her lip and elicited a sound of disgust. She swiftly walked out the front door without another glance back, making an effort to slam the door behind her that had John B calling out in desperation.
“Could you be careful?! I just fixed the hinges!”
With Angela gone, along with her brewing storm of rage, the house was still.
“Well…” Sarah spoke, shaking the bag of goods in her hand for us to see. “show’s over. Can we start the movie?
The room broke into an infectious laughter as you all grabbed your snacks, drinks, and rushed to the couch to start your marathon.
YOU DON’T REMEMBER WHEN YOU ALL HAD FALLEN ASLEEP. All you knew was that you woke up, your head on Kie’s lap and her head on Pope’s shoulder. John B and Sarah were entwined with one another, so much so that you couldn’t tell where he started and she ended.
Sitting up slowly with a quiet groan, you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes. The sun seemed to have risen not too long ago, casting an orange hue over the sleeping figures in the living room.
Though, one of them was missing.
It wasn’t even seconds before your sore eyes spotted him across The Chateau, in the kitchen, hunched over the counter with his elbows on top of the surface, head in his hands with a glass of water next to him.
Standing from the couch, your sock-clad feet made a soft pattering noise as you made your way over to him. The tired blonde looked up from his hands when he sensed your shadow looming over him, you leaning your own elbows against the counter as you stood across from him on the opposite side.
“Mornin’, blondie.” You chirped, although your voice was still mildly raspy.
“Don’t start.” He spoke exhaustedly.
“What d’you mean?”
“Don’t bring up what went down last night.” He demanded in a tired tone. His gaze shifted to look you in the eyes directly. “I can see it in your…mischievous little eyes. I don’t wanna hear it.”
You sighed over-dramatically and stretched your hands out across the counter-top. “Well…” You drawled. “When you are ready to talk, and by talk I mean finally stop dancing around whatever is going on between us before they wake up, I’ll be outside.” You saw his eyes go wide and flicker to the sleeping figures on the sofa, specifically Pope’s. “It’s your move, blondie.”
And with that, you were making your way out of the kitchen area and through the back door of The Chateau.
IT WASN’T LONG UNTIL THE SOUND OF THE CREAKY SCREEN DOOR SHUTTING WAS HEARD BEHIND YOUR AS YOU SAT ON THE STEPS OF THE PORCH. It could’ve only been a mere five minutes after short exchange in the kitchen with JJ.
The Outer Banks breeze hit you almost immediately after you’d walked out of the door and plopped yourself down on the worn, wooden steps without caution as you waited. And it wasn’t long before your waiting was over.
You caught sight of the sleeveless tank and ruffled, blonde hair as he sat down next to you. A small smile made its way onto your face, for a reason you simply could not explain. It wasn’t long before you spoke, not wanting to waste time.
“…I was confused at first.” You started, looking ahead at the beach in front of you. “I thought we had something going on. A little brother’s best-friend, forbidden romance, will-they-won’t-they type thing goin’ on, y’know?”
At this he snorted. “You’re ridiculous, y’know that?” He joked, side-eyeing you with a small smile.
“But then,” you dragged, leaning back on the palms of your hands. “You fell back into a terrible habit of using sex to distract yourself from your life problems.” You spoke honestly. Bluntly. You saw his smile fall slightly at your veracity. “But something was different. I just didn’t know what it was yet. But what stuck out the most was your choice of hook up. She seemed familiar. Too familiar.”
You paused, letting him catch up to what I was hinting at.
“She reminded me of myself. Physically, anyway.” You shrugged. “Now, call me overly-confident, whatever — but you chose the worst replacement ever-” You began, cringing.
“Oh my god-” He groaned, running his hands down his face with a low chuckle. “Really? That’s where your head’s at? Seriously-”
“Uh, yeah, seriously.” You started, an astonished expression plastered on your features. “And she was a bitch. Plus, she only really looked like me when you couldn’t see her face.” You muttered in mock-offense, that was somewhat authentic.
The two of you laughed for a beat before letting it fall into silence, replaced by the sound of the water hitting the shore from afar and the wind whipping by.
“…So, what now? You basically told me everything that I could’ve said. Why did you want to talk out here?” He asked casually, trying to hide his nerves that shone through his leg that was bouncing furiously. You put your hand on his knee gently to halt the rapid movement.
“I want to hear it from you. I need to know that I haven’t been chasing ghosts this whole, JJ. I need to know that what I’ve been thinking has been real. ” You declared. Pleaded.
His eyes scanned your own, going from one to the other to assess your seriousness — more so, if you were in fact asking him to admit how he felt about you. When, you assume, he found no trace of humor or trickery, he took a deep breath and looked out in front of him.
And although you wouldn’t let it show on your features, your heart was racing furiously behind your chest. You could hear it. You could feel it.
“You’re… right. For the most part, anyway.” He kicked off his statement. “I’ve had a thing for you for a while now. It started as a small crush, I thought you were cute and feisty and we got along. I thought it would go away because all crushes do, or at least that’s what I thought. So when a year passed and nothing had changed, I knew I was in for it.”
He paused to pace himself, looking down at the hand you had yet to remove from his knee and placing his own on top of it.
“It was my freshman year when Pope caught me staring at you a little too hard, giving me the typical ‘gross, that’s my sister’ shit.” He mocked, prompting both of you to chuckle. “Then, John B made the stupid ‘no pogue-on-pogue macking’ rule and it seemed like the world was working against me. And when it came to thought of us alone, no rules or brothers in mind, I just thought we were too…different.” He said with a frown.
“I had a random hook-up every weekend, chicks coming up asking if I remembered them or even their names and you were always on about how all you wanted was one person who would stick with you through anything and I just thought that I couldn’t…be that for you. So, I told myself that I’d let you go, or try to. But it was so much harder than I thought it would be. There was nothing you could do that could make me stop loving you, and I realized that. Angela…was a mistake, to say the least. But she was the closest thing I could find to you without her being you and that wasn’t nearly enough. She looked a little bit like you, sure, but she was selfish, rude as fuck, and she did not think I was funny, like at all. Kinda hurt my ego, not gonna lie.” He joked.
“I’m in love with you. And I should’ve said it sooner.” He spoke gently, finally meeting your eyes with his own. They were shining with vulnerability, a rare form of it you had never seen from him.
You weren’t sure of what to say. You had coaxed this long, honest confession out of him and were now too stunned to speak. Although, you had a few words on the tip of your tongue. “I love you, too.”
It was so much of a whisper, you’d barely heard it yourself. But the second a bright grin broke out on his face, you knew he’d heard it. And before you could process his actions, his lips were against yours in an instant.
You were about to kiss him back but the logical side of you pushed him away before you could, the last bit of guilt and doubt you had left bubbling in your throat. Your hands were on his shoulders with your eyes blown wide. “We…we can’t. Pope, he's…this isn’t-”
His hands pulled yours from his shoulders so he could hold them in his own. “Pope will be fine. I know he’s your brother, he’s my best friend, but you gotta make a choice for you.” He reassured you firmly.
You were silent, looking into his eyes as you weighed your options. Although, you knew there was only one you were going to choose.
Pope would get over it. Hopefully.
You took JJ off guard when you crashed your lips into his this time. His hands coming up to cradle both sides of your face as your own trailed up the length of his chest. You could feel him smile smally into the kiss before he murmured something on my lips. “Good choice.”
There was nothing else in that moment, except the pair of you.
…And the random camera shutter you both seemed to have heard as you pulled away with confused expressions and swollen lips. Looking over towards the door, there stood a grinning Kiara and Sarah leaning against the door frame. Kiara’s phone in her hand, held up landscape-style as you caught sight of it just as the flash went out.
Her eyebrows rose and she threw out a hand towards us. “Oh, by all means, please continue. I just needed a photo for the scrapbook I’m making for your wedding where I’m obviously gonna be your maid of honor.” She smiled sweetly with a wink before turning on her heels and going back inside.
Sarah shrugged with a smile and pointed a finger, wiggling it between the both of you. “I did not see this coming, at all, by the way.” She claimed before squinting her eyes playfully before following Kiara inside.
You sighed harshly as JJ tried to hold in a laugh. “It’s not funny.” You reprimanded, although your expression was full of humor itself.
JJ slid his arm across your shoulders to tug you into him, kissing the top of your forehead.
“Oh and small warning,” You started, looking up at him. “You let another person, girl or guy, sit in my seat in your truck again or call me 'kiddo’? I’ll demolish it in the worst way you’ve ever seen.” You spoke threateningly with a smile on your face.
“Noted.” He smiled adoringly, even though you had just threatened to utterly decimate his vehicle. You rolled your eyes at him but snuggled closer into his side as you both sat in comfortable silence, listening to the wind whip by and the waves crash on the shore.
“JJ WHY DOES KIE HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU KISSING MY SISTER?!” Pope’s voice boomed from all the way inside the home, his heavy and rapid footsteps approaching the door causing JJ to jump from his place beside you and nearly tumble down the steps as he flew down them.
When Pope came outside, he looked at you, sitting on the steps, unbothered for the most part but a hint of amusement that only he could spot in your face. “You kissed him?!” He asked as if he couldn’t believe it. But in all honesty? He didn’t even look upset, not really.
You were one-hundred percent sure he was just trying to be a protective older brother.
Then his gaze whipped to JJ who looked apprehensive. “You kissed my sister?”
JJ put a hand on top of his head to act as a shield from the sun as he looked around. “Y'know. It’s really nice outside. Been a while since we got sun like this. We should surf today. And the water? Oh man, the water looks amazing-” He tried to deflect in a ramble.
Then Pope was bolting down the stairs as JJ ran off, both of them kicking up sand in their wake. “I’m gonna kill you! And her, next!”
At that, your brows furrowed as you stood from the steps to lean over the railing and watch them run around like chickens. “Hey! Why me?!” You called in offense, throwing your hands out. A smile breaking out when Pope tackled JJ to the ground and they wrestled before breaking out into a fit of giggles themselves.