GLITCH.
021 | jealousy

JJ RESTED HIS HEAD ON RENEE'S THIGHS. Her fingers softly running through his locks of soft hair as they all recovered from the mayhem  of the hour beforehand.

The sound of the music from radio was harmonised by the rumbling of everyone's stomachs. They had all been so swept off their feet today that it went almost unnoticed that any of them had barely eaten more than two hundred calories (combined).

It was Kiara's idea to hit up her dad's restaurant, although a small part of her hoped it would be so busy and swamped that her dad would have to turn away his daughter and her friends for free food and somehow she and Renee would be roped into doing a shift.

the van pulled up to the vacant car park. The beam of the street lights hit JJ's face as he groaned waking up from his half-asleep nap.

" we're here," Renee spoke softly, finally letting go of his hair whilst he sat himself up and rubbed his eyes.

" oh god, stealing drones doesn't half make you hungry." Renee said, hovering towards the van door as she used her arm to pull it open.

" what I'd do to a beer, shrimp and grits right now." JJ moaned. Keeping his hands on the girl's body as she dragged both of them out of the van behind Pope.

" I don't think I want to know." Renee hummed, Pope nodding his head

" yeah it would not be pretty," Pope spoke in almost a hint of disgust at the pure thought of JJ's insatiable hunger. Earning amused laughter from Renee who still was holding jjs hands that sat on her waist.

The five of them made their way up to the front of the restaurant. Kiara's face dropping as her dad counted the minimal amount of cash that he had profited that night. Despite the door still opened as the five of them ushered themselves in.

Renee noticed the boys b-line for a free table and Kiara head over to her dad. She turned her head to JJ who grinned at her like small child.

" can you go and get us a seat." JJ groaned at the idea, earning a small amount of quiet laughter from the girl who ruffled his hair with her fingers.

" pretty please?" she continued, to which he rolled his eyes caving into her. Once again.

" don't be long okay?" he slid his arms off of her waist and wandered over to his two friends, although he looked displaced without Renee nearby — like a lost puppy of sorts.

Renee set her eyes on the two Carrera's who when she approached seemed to be in the midst of Kiara persuading to her dad to let her and her friends stay.

" look at them, their greedy pelicans." he told his daughter who rolled her eyes whilst he continued with his parental lecture, " I thought I told you stay away from these guys?"

Kiara sighed, " well everybody at the kook academy hates me, dad." her voice breaking slightly as she did so.

Renee looped her arms around Kiara's neck, nuzzling her chin in the crook of her shoulder,

" all except one, the best one I like to think." Renee spoke in a sarcastic honour of herself earning a small chuckle from Kie.

She moved herself to stand next to her best friend, smiling softly at her best friends dad.

" good to see you Mr C." it was only a few moments before he brought Renee into a hug. To which she gladly accepted like always.

" finally, the only one of Kiara's friends I like." he mumbled lowly, hoping none of the boys heard which was successful since they didn't.

" hey, popes not too bad." she smiled softly at the older man.

" dad." Kiara warned, obviously not liking the words he used against the rest of their group.

Renee let go of the man and slid back into her position next to Kiara, " all I'm saying is that you never gave them a chance, a real chance."  he continued to tell off his daughter.

" I did give them a chance! they care more about shoes than surfing., what am I supposed to do with that?" she spoke back, defending her choice of friends.

Her eyes drifting to them as did the other two pairs of eyes belonging to Renee and Kiara's dad.

Although the blondes eyes didn't ponder, instead found sanctuary looking at JJ who she wasn't too surprised to find out was already looking at her. A smirk toying on his lips as their gazes met.

" these are my friends." she told him.

" look- I mean I'll have to throw it out, so you might as well take it." his words distilled joy in both Renee and Kiara as well as their stomachs which continued to rumble.

Kiara launched into a bear hug on her father, soon joined by Renee who couldn't deny the invite of the small space Kiara had saved.

" thank you!" Kiara grinned,

" you're the best Mr C." Renee told him in confidence, both pulling away from the embrace.

Whilst Kiara went command the boys to a table, Renee reached into the front pocket of her backpack. Reaching out for a few fifty dollars bills before offering them to the man who look slightly stunned at the cash the girl kept on her.

" Renee..as much as I appreciate it-" he was cut off her the girl who sighed.

" this is still a business, one that I love and know how much it means to Kie." she spoke softly

" and god knows the storm hasn't helped-" she took a breath "please just take it, it's the least I can offer you after all you've done for me over the years."

If Renee Lowe hadn't already been Mr Carrera's favourite person his daughter had aquatinted herself with, she was now.

" thank you Renee." He spoke as the girl handed him the money with a small smile.

SOON AFTER THE GROUP HAD BEGAN TO EAT, The restaurant had emptied. Leaving it to be their own personal playground — minus the few staff that still remained.

Although, much to the girls predictions- they had both been wrapped into being waitresses although it wasn't as tedious as usual. This singular time it included Renee filling water cups up and occasionally kneeling down to steal some of JJ's food before he had the chance to eat it.

That was before another caught his eye. A waitress at the restaurant — Renee didn't care enough to ask Kiara for her name and she didn't know her so she must have been new.

She didn't like the way she looked at JJ but she didn't like the way JJ was sending smirks over to the counter whenever she exited the kitchen even more.

Jealously was the emotion but Renee didn't want to call it that. What she wanted to know was if this was just some game: for JJ to form how he thought Renee felt about him — because if it was, the blonde was going to be successful.

Renee sometimes got into the middle of the glances, speaking to pope who sat on a table alone — she'd turn her head and notice JJ and the stranger, but then JJ would look at her and notice the look on her face and his smirk would widen just a little bit more.

Whilst Kiara took the more serious approach, and had scolded John B and JJ for childish antics that at some points she was on the verge of kicking them out.

Although Pope remained polite and proper as usual — and hadn't been putting his feet up on tables and throwing food into his friends mouths.

The familiar sound of the song on the radio send tidal waves in Renee's body. Almost persuading her to dance.

She looked to Kiara who was already asking John B to dance with her. Pope who already could read the girls mind and adverted all eye contact with her. And then there was JJ, who was still gesturing to girl who luckily was about to leave.

" fuck this." she muttered to herself, pulling the claw clip she had put in her hair out — letting the hair fall to her shoulders. She tugged at the upper part of her dress so it rose to show more thigh that it had been.

She rested the water jug that she had been carrying for the majority of the night on the counter top, not even apologetic as the contents splashed onto the counter, leaving the waitress to clean up.

Her feet sliding over to stand behind JJ's chair, bending down enough to run her hands down his chest which send shudders down his skin.

" dance with me?" she asked, his head turning to peak at the small hopeful smile on her face. Her eyes glowing under the light of the restaurant.

" I don't dance Ren." he told her, bringing his water cup to his lips and taking a sip.

The girl pouted and leant more forward as he knew his teasing was getting to her.

" please? you won't even dance with me?" her voice became a fake sadness in her way to persuade him, his tongue pushed against the side of his mouth.

He would do anything for her, which she would have been able to see with her eyes only just the teeniest bit more open and see through the transparency of his lingering gazes with a girl who without Renee watching he would've even glance twice at. But both were still placed under the illusion they were still just friends, friends with added benefits that it.

Both their eyes wandered as John B wandered over to Kiara. Whom seemed to have had shared Renee's idea,

She continued to use her puppy eyes on JJ who finally grunted and pushed out of his chair,

" one dance, it's all I'm doing." he spoke in defeat,  meanwhile Renee celebrated with a small whoop.

JJ noticed her excitement and found it almost impossible not to match her emotions in some way even if it was just a simple smile.

He grabbed ahold of her hand and spun her into him, girlish giggles filled the air as the two danced.

Remaining in close proximity to one another whilst not taking to too seriously, for the first time their attitudes were carefree — there weren't any crazy square groupers chasing after them with guns.

They just felt like kids for once. His hands on her waist and his around her shoulders — dancing slowly to an upbeat song all for an excuse to be close to one another with reason.

" found yourself a new girlfriend then?" Renee asked, speaking quietly so the others didn't hear as they continued to sway " gonna crash at her house instead of mine?"

" jealous much baby?" he smirked, Renee rolled her eyes but still didn't answer — because her answer would've been yes. she was jealous and the feeling that she wanted JJ to only look at her like that was bubbling up from the darkest pits of her heart to the surface of her brain.

She opened her mouth to counter his suggestion as he moved in to hover his lips over her ear as he smiled " you don't have to worry, I'm yours."

JJ's lips moved back slightly as they caressed her cheek as they continued to sway slowly, despite it not matching the tempo of the music. Renee resting her chin on his shoulder — unable to stop the smile on her lips.

She honestly hadn't believed she'd ever been this happy. Equally JJ wanted this moment to loop on forever, the song would never end and he'd hold onto her for the rest of his life.

But as Renee twirled away and offered to dance with Pope again. who she had noticed looked a bit envy ridden and glum, JJ couldn't help but smile as the two began to sway together, Pope more reluctant than Renee.

THE NIGHT HAD SLOWLY DREW TO A CLOSE. Renee had driven JJ 'home' like always, the two blasting music as they drove down the streets of her neighbourhood on figure eight — although it made little difference since their was a party only a few houses away from her own.

As much as the pair of them dreamt of falling asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow, the vibrations of the music from said party kept them from completion.

Although they both instead found peace in spending their time sitting on the balcony smoking and tirelessly attempting to make some beaded jewellery. which with JJ's short threaded temper and persistent need for perfection, didn't last long to be an enjoyable experience.

So as the two faced eachother as they lay in bed whilst in the midst of their highs. Renee had a wide grin on her face, pure serotonin pulsing through her body as JJ watched her in awe with a dent of a smile carved into his lips that seemed to occur naturally every time they were around each other.

" why are you looking at me like?" she asked in a gigglish tone. Which was result of the drugs beginning to overwhelm the logical control of her brain.

JJ shrugged his shoulders, " like what?" he teased earning a scoff from her.

" fine I'm not talking to you-" she began before the boy abruptly cut her off.

Her body beginning to turn over to face away from him, although JJ's apologetic nature kicked in— his hands taking ahold of her bare forearms as she pulled her back to lie in the same position.

Moving in to kiss her; which she allowed. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders and deepening the kiss. Letting JJ lie on his back whilst each of her legs sat on each side of his body.

" I need to tell you something." he told her, a sudden flutter of nerves distilling in him as she was oblivious and nodded, pulling away completely.

" you can tell me anything J, you're my best friend remember?" she egged him on to tell her, to which he swallowed dryly only intriguing but concerning Renee more.

Her body sat up slightly as she suddenly realised the predicted severity of the situation but hands still pressed onto his chest, " oh shit J, whats happen-" she began before he abruptly cut her off.

" I like you Ren." he spoke in almost an inaudible whisper, although she could still hear him. This was his second attempt at biting the bullet only with this one he had far more to loose.

" w-what?" her lips curving as the consequence of shock as well as disbelief.

JJ smirked, obviously not reading the signs on her face as he wriggled himself closer to her. " I-" he moved his hands to cup her cheeks as they both looked at one another in the eye.

" like you, Renee. I mean I really like you." he finished, letting loose a unknown cage of butterflies in her stomach. " and I know we said this morning that sex is all it would be, but I'm not gonna lie to you - I can't lie to you!"

JJ noticed her lack of words since she could even fathom what was happening, instead her beautiful big eyes stared into his eyes.

" I can't just be your friend, wether we fuck or not." he said, " I want to stand on a rooftop and tell people that I'm dating Renee Lowe, that I'm the luckiest guy in the Outer banks, in the world!."

Renee remained shocked, flattered but nevertheless shocked.

" how about you let me just show you, yeah?" his voice deep as he spoke to her — waiting until Renee nodded.

He finally caved into his emotions that until that very moment were dug deep into his soul, put in the back of his mind, banished because of the rules. But when had JJ Maybank ever listened to rules?

His lips colliding hungrily with Renee's who out of instinct kissed him back — but this time it was much gentler than before. It wasn't an act of desire or lust, it was actual feeling and a feeling of care.

It was so wrong to attach feelings to it? But for some reason it felt so right, the feeling was euphoric hence why Renee nearly melted into him. Her body pushing against his in desperation as a ache of a moan left her lips.

" steady on." he chuckled, speaking as he temporarily pulled away from her although she was still craving the taste of the forbidden fruit which was so irresistible now that she had taken one bite. If  the  starting of their intimate relationship was a bite, then this whole actual relationship was just swallowing it whole.

JJ sat up, his hands moving to sit on waist. Her lips hitting the cold air the AC was piping around her room and almost instantly wanting the feeling and taste of JJ's lips again.

" God..you're so fucking beautiful Ren." he spoke in a rasp. Placing one of his thighs on each side of her body, her cheeks began to burn up. " I swear.."

" you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

Her heart was thumping at what felt like a million miles an hour. She desperately wanted to pinch herself to realise this wasn't a dream, or at least wake herself up if it was to save herself from any more torment of this reality being false.

" I'm yours Renee." the kiss had opened a can of worms that his intoxicated state wasn't helping, although the sound of what he was saying made Renee fall even further for him. " just yours."

his lips pressed against hers again, growing accustom to it so he couldn't go to long without it.

" I've been yours since the day I met you...on John B's porch."

" JJ" she began to speak, cut off by the boy himself hovering down to kiss her again. Tasting the flavour of her chapstick, it was passion fruit. Oh how quickly he fell in love with that also.

" sat in John B's T-shirt, staring at me because I was staring at you like I'd just seen a deer in fucking headlights-" he said, kissing her again.

" I was an absolute goner." They pulled away, staring at eachother. waiting for whatever she was going to say — JJ predicting he had said too much, spilled out too many emotions.

" do you mean it?" she asked, " because it's a lot at stake if this is just some bet or joke."

JJ furrowed his eyebrows and smiled at her,

" I mean every single syllable."

This time, Renee kissed back harder. She wanted to provoke him and she achieved that wish. JJ placed his hands on her waist as the kissing became more vigorous; the seconds that they pulled away were filled with inhaling enough breath to last until their lungs quaked for more.

They were addicted to each other. They were each other's nicotine, hooked but yet they would be the death of one another. They were sure of it.

" JJ." Renee mumbled, using her hands that sat on his bare chest to push him back slightly. His eyebrows furrowed when their lips connected.

Their breaths were heavy. JJ leant his forehead against Renee's, he feared what she was about to say- wholeheartedly hoping he wasn't going to be placed in the friend zone in the worst way possible.

" do you not want this?" he asked, his heart aching at the thought of making such a fool of himself.

" fuck, no JJ I want this but-" that was the word he had been dreading. But- it was never a good thing to hear after admitting his love for someone.

" what about the rules?" she asked him in a slight concern, to which he just stifled a small quiet laugh.

She swatted his chest gently which gave him a small sting of pain in that area, Renee became sterner but couldn't help but copy JJ's laughter.

JJ leant down again to briefly press her lips against his.

" but it feels good doesn't it?" he murmured, continuing to tease her with the brief touch of his lips. Which was driving her crazier by the second.

" the way I kiss you." his lips pressing against the skin of her neck, the small kisses that Renee willingly relished in made her hum — tasseling her fingers in his hair. Everything that they had done before amplified with the emotion now invested in it.

" the way I taste on your tongue?" the words becoming more sensual. A new light hitting JJ from Renee's eyes.

" doesn't it feel good..doesn't it feel right?"

The girl couldn't answer with actual words and merely hummed as response.

" then...I guess some rules are just made to be broken."

An undeniable wave of pure euphoria filled every crevice of her body from her brain to the ends of her toes. he wanted her equally as much as she wanted him, maybe even the teeniest bit more.

But she had finally recognised that she liked him. That she needed JJ Maybank in her life more than a friend and more than a friend with the benefits of a relationship. She needed him as a lover, a partner.

And she couldn't fathom how she couldn't see it until he said it himself. The glances across rooms, the smiles, the jealousy that brewed in her stomach when he paid attention to other girls.

They continued to kiss, each moment becoming more vigorous, lust filled whilst it began to lack delicacy and the sickly sweetness that it had always been depicted as in movies and books.

Instead it began an urgency — all the time they had spent staring at each other's lips. It was like making up for all the time that they had lost wondering.

Although she enjoyed it and that she was exhilarated by the fact this broke every rule that her friends had ever told her, or at least one of the biggest. It made it all the more scandalous. Which after years of watching gossip girl and the real housewives Renee had grown to love a good scandal.

" wait JJ-" Renee mumbled against his lips, breaking the heat between the two of them. Their foreheads once again pressed against one another as he grinned.

" yeah?" he smirked,

She swallowed her fears as her eyes searched JJ's. It was him, she could tell him this. It was JJ.
J.
Her J.

" I-" she began before cutting herself off, JJ furrowed his eyebrows before she finally spoke.

" i like you too, I mean really like you." she told him quietly, to which he still heard, the blissful sound filling his ears. "..too."

AUTHOR NOTE
so it finally happened!!!
also don't hate me for the next few chapters.
- elle <3