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It was a sunny day, and Kiara was gardening outside her house, the Maybank property, while little JJ was napping on the porch. It had been ten days since John B and Sarah’s wedding, and they were still away on their honeymoon. Pope had been the one to suggest they take some time by themselves, and Kiara had jumped at the opportunity to keep their baby: she loved him, and sometimes the house felt too big for her. The company was very much appreciated.
The brunette was wearing brown flowy pants and a striped tank top with a V-neckline. JJ’s necklace was back around her neck after John B gave it back to her. Her hair was tied in a loose bun on top of her head, allowing her to work without trouble. Her white Converse were full of dirt, and she was getting all sweaty. Nevertheless, she felt content planting tomatoes and listening to Bob Marley’s latest album on her little speaker.
She was lost in thought when she felt a breeze on her skin. She looked up to see the Poguelandia flag, the one her late boyfriend had insisted on putting up back when they were building their home, floating around. She smiled, her lips tight, her chest clenching as she remembered him again. She then checked on little JJ on the porch before going back to her plants. The breeze turned into wind and hit her face. Kiara took off her pink gardening gloves and closed her eyes. She liked to think it was JJ’s new way of touching her, of caressing her face. So she let herself feel.
The girl didn’t know how much time she spent on her knees like that, but it was probably a few minutes. Lately, she had more trouble feeling him. The first few weeks on the OBX, it was easy. He was everywhere, all the time. The whole island was haunted by his presence. The grief was just so loud and so gut-wrenching. But since she had tried to bring him back with the Blue Crown, it felt different. She still saw him and heard him at all times, but she didn’t feel him, not in the way she used to anyway. Kiara thought it was her fault and was angry at herself for losing that connection with him, until her therapist told her it was time passing and her grief changing forms. She was not okay with it, but she accepted it anyway. What other choice did she have?
That afternoon, with the sun on her skin and the wind hitting her, though, it felt just like in the beginning. It wasn’t just the memories resurfacing or her imagination bringing him back. No. She felt him, as if he was there, invisible, behind her. That’s when a tear rolled down her cheek, and she let out a deep sigh. She didn’t dare open her eyes, too scared the feeling would be gone.
And Kiara was so absorbed in her thoughts, so immersed in her feelings, that she didn’t hear someone’s steps behind her back. She didn’t notice a shadow on the grass. She didn’t see a soft smile, one that she would’ve died for gladly. And JJ, feeling like a ghost, just stood there, watching her.
When he heard her sigh, he finally found the courage to speak. “Nice tomato plants.” He intended it as a joke, a little tease, just like old times. But his voice was trembling, his hands shook with nerves, and he gulped loudly.
On the floor, Kiara opened her eyes instantly. She heard it, his voice. How could she ever forget it? Confident it was all in her mind, she shook her head, trying to regain composure. She looked up at the sky, to see him, to talk to him. But the sky felt empty, too empty for her own good. And strangely, she still felt him. That’s it, she thought, I’m going crazy.
Still unsure of how to do this, the blonde boy spoke again. “Cleo’s peppers were nicer tho”. That’s when Kiara’s brain started screaming. She was hearing him. She stood up, on shaky legs, breathing heavily, as if she was doing her best not to fall apart. She counted to ten, in a vain attempt to steady herself. That’s when he took a step forward. And Kiara heard it this time, neat and clear. With blurry eyes and shaky limbs, she turned around. She could swear her heart stopped at the sight of him, standing there, in her backyard.
“JJ?” Her voice was barely above a whisper and choked with tears that were now running freely down her face. It wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be.
“Sup” he said in a taunting tone, his blue eyes looked on hers. Only JJ would say something like that after coming back from the dead.
“I- How- You-” Kiara’s mind was going in all directions, she couldn’t believe it. She didn’t understand. She was scared to move, scared to speak, scared to even breathe. She thought she was dreaming, or that she might be dead too. It couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be him.
“You’re dead”, she ended up saying, with her voice still low, her entire body on the verge of collapsing.
“Seems like someone wished me back to life” said JJ, biting his bottom lip and taking his hands out of his pockets. “You brought me back, Kie”.
She let out a sob. And then another. She pressed her hand over her mouth, in disbelief. “Kie”. The nickname coming out of his mouth almost sent her to the ground. Everything felt unreal. She tried to wipe her tears in order to see him, to really see him, but she just couldn’t.
“No. No, it can’t be. It’s been over a year, how-” Another sob broke and stopped her.
JJ took another step toward her. And when she didn’t move, he took another, and another. Before she noticed, he was standing right in front of her, only a few inches apart. She was looking down, shaking her head, trying to understand. He grabbed her hand, and she flinched, surprised she could feel him, surprised he was made of flesh and bones and not a ghost. JJ smiled at her and brought her hand to his chest, putting it right above his heart. And Kiara felt it, the fast but strong and unmistakable heartbeat. She closed her eyes again and pressed her palm harder into his chest, to make sure it was real.
He spoke again, putting his hand on hers. “It worked, Kie. The crown worked. It was just hella hard to get out of the desert and figure out a way to get back here by myself and without any money or passport.” He let out a sigh. “Sorry for making you wait, baby, I’m sorry.” His other hand was cupping her face, trying to get her to finally look at him.
That’s when she finally opened her eyes, dark brown meeting light blue. She brought her left hand to his cheek to collect the tear there, her fingers barely touching his skin, too afraid he might just vanish under her touch, before her eyes. But it didn’t happen. Suddenly full of courage, Kiara pressed her forehead against JJ’s. They breathed each other like that for a few seconds, until she broke the silence.
“Don’t be. I don’t care about that, Jage, all that matters is that you’re here now.” Her voice was hoarse and so sincere, he couldn’t hold back anymore. Just like that, he closed the remaining space between them and kissed his girl. She reciprocated immediately, her lips pressing against his before opening slightly to give him more room. That’s when she knew it was real, he was real. His lips were warm against hers, his hand was steady on her face, his breath hot in her mouth. For both of them, the world stopped. And they poured all their love, all the unsaid words, all of themselves into that earthshattering, groundbreaking, breathtaking kiss.
They only pulled apart when JJ needed air, and even then, Kiara held him as close as she could, still not being a hundred percent sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Her arms then circled his neck, and she launched herself at him, her legs wrapping around his waist. He was definitely thinner and stumbled back at the newly added weight on his legs, but he didn’t let her go. His arms wrapped around her upper body, holding her there as his hands rubbed circles on her back. Kiara hid her face in her boyfriend's neck, smelling seawater, sweat, and him. God, had she missed this… New tears escaped her eyes, but happy ones this time. And JJ buried his nose in her hair, letting himself soak in that coconut scent he never thought he’d smell again.
“I love you”. The words came out of his mouth naturally, as if he had been holding them back all this time. And honestly, he has. “Always have, always will. I love you.” Kiara could hear the pain in his voice and felt his tears on her neck. She looked at him, and one of her hands came to cup his face, the way he did before. “I love you, Jage. Forever.” And just like that, they were kissing again, tongues fighting and teeth grazzing against teeth, as if there was no tomorrow. They only stopped when a cry erupted from the porch.
JJ pulled away, his eyes questioning her. Kiara only laughed before giving him another kiss and putting her legs on the ground again. “I’m on babysitting duties, let’s go”. He didn’t say anything, just let her hold his hand and drag him to the porch, his small backpack long forgotten on the floor. Her grip was firm, too firm, and she kept looking at him, as if to make sure he was with her.
Once they reached the porch, she sat him down and said, “Don’t go anywhere.”, before kissing his forehead. “Never again.”, he said back to her with a big smile, one that almost took her breath away. Kiara moved to the crib and picked up the crying baby in her arms, rocking him to calm him down. Every couple of seconds, she looked back at her JJ, her smile getting bigger every time. When their best friend’s son stopped crying, she came up to her boyfriend and showed him the baby.
“Meet little JJ.” Her eyes were shining, and her smile made JJ’s heart skip a beat. He then looked at the baby, immediately recognizing John B’s features and Sarah’s eyes and hair. He was beautiful, just like the woman holding him. “Hi, buddy”, he said in the sweetest voice before pecking his cheek. Kiara then proceeded to place little JJ in his uncle’s arms and sat on his lap, careful to not crush the little one.
“They really named him after me?” The boy asked, with a tone of disbelief. “Of course they did, you were, are, like a brother to them” said Kiara with a gentle smile. She then ran a hand through his blond hair. JJ transferred little JJ to his left arm and wrapped the other one around her hip. They stayed like that for a few minutes, watching the baby sleep, until she broke the silence. “I should call them. They’re gonna go crazy when they see you”. She said it while giggling. JJ looked at her. He liked seeing her like this, smiling, happy, at peace. “Where are they anyways? You live in this big house all by yourself now?” His eyes were full of questions.
“Huh.. yeah, I do. I was thinking about getting a dog actually but… We’ll see. Sarah and John B rebuilt the Chateau. They finally got married like ten days ago and are on their honeymoon right now.” Kiara kept playing with JJ’s hair. “Pope and Cleo are probably home, they live at Tannyhill.” Her boyfriend raised an eyebrow. “What? That’s new”. He let out a chuckle. However, it hit him. He was gone for more than a year. He missed everything. All of a sudden, the young man felt guilty for missing out on his friend’s, his family’s lives.
Reading him, as always, Kiara kissed him and brought a comforting hand to his shoulder. “It’s okay, babe, we’ll go through the details later.” He forced a smile. “The only important thing is that you’re back.” Her smile made his worries go away. “Are you okay?” She was just noticing the dark circles under his eyes, his calloused hands, his thinner body. Now, she was the one feeling guilty for not asking earlier.
It was his turn to reassure her by squeezing her hip. “Yeah. I’m fine. I think.” She looked at him and crossed her arms. “Okay, maybe not fine. I’m tired, and I feel like shit. But I’m okay. As long as I’m with you, I’m okay, Kie.” The look he gave her was convincing enough. She uncrossed her arms and kissed him once more. “Good thing you’re stuck with me then.” Now she was teasing him. “Thank God”, he laughed, and she punched his shoulder lightly.
The baby started crying again, and Kiara brought him inside to change his diaper. Once it was done, she placed little JJ back in his crib on the porch. Her boyfriend was standing against the door, eyes fixed on the ocean. She came up behind him, wrapped her arms around his torso, and placed her forehead against his shoulder blade. JJ turned around and hugged her. Kiara’s ear was pressed directly to his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat. After a few minutes, he kissed her head. She then said “I’m gonna go and call Pope. When he’s here, we’ll figure out a plan to shorten the lovebirds' honeymoon”. JJ just laughed. “What do you think?”.
He started tickling her. They both started running around the porch, laughing, carefree. Then they lay on the floor, just like old times. “I think it’s a great idea. I miss my family.” She hugged him tighter. “But can we wait a little? I want a few more minutes with just my girl.” And Kiara was about to protest, but when she saw the grin on his face, she couldn’t say no to him. After all, no one was going anywhere. She would get Pope and Cleo in a couple of minutes. John B and Sarah would be back in the OBX probably by the next day. But for now, it was just them. JJ and Kie. Because it was always meant to be them.
“I can work with that. I like having you all to myself”. She pushed herself on top of him.
“Us against the universe?” He asked, looking right into her brown eyes. His smile was so full of love that Kiara felt like exploding.
“Us against the universe.” She kissed his lips, with more patience this time, and let herself be comforted by his warmth. After all, the excruciating pain and the endless fights for revenge had all been worth it. She had her Jage back. And JJ, with his Kie laying in his arms, her weight grounding him, swore that nothing or anyone would ever tear them apart, never.
Together, they are infinite.