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𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼: 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

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Cassie woke up to a kiss on her temple a few hours later. It turned out she really needed the sleep after barely sleeping at Singh's and for the sudden exercise she got entangled in a few hours earlier.

And falling asleep in JJ's arms turned out to be a great way to sleep.

She had fallen asleep after changing back into her PJs and she woke up lying on her side with JJ's arm draped over her. She looked over her shoulder, seeing JJ behind her with a gentle smile. "Hi," he whispered.

She started to grin. "Hi."

"I didn't want to wake you. You looked so...peaceful," he began as she turned over on her side to fully face the boy. "But I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

She pouted. "You're leaving?"

"Only for a bit. I have to check on my place," he told her even though he really didn't. He wished he could stay here all day with the girl, but he knew he should check on his house. He had a feeling it needed to be checked on.

"Oh. Okay," she nodded, understanding the boy. "I understand."

He gave her a grateful smile before he got out of her bed, already missing the feel of it. She stayed in it, watching him get up with a look of admiration on her face.

"I'll text you when I get there, okay?" He assured her.

"Uh, Jay? Don't have a phone, remember?"

"Oh, shit, right. Uhh..." He trailed off before he thought of something. "You know what? I can buy you one on the way. The store ain't too far from here, right?"

"Well, no. But with what money?"

"Oh, shit, right."

She started to chuckle at the boy before she got up, remembering that kept a credit card in one of her drawers for emergency use. And this definitely seemed like an emergency because what's a teenager without a phone?

She searched through the drawer and pulled it out, walking over to hand it to him. He backed up. "Oh, no. I couldn't."

"Oh, come on. It's gonna be my phone anyway. And don't you wanna make sure I'm safe if something ever happens?" She guilt-tripped him into using her money as she pouted her lips.

JJ released a sigh, not being able to resist the look on her face before he planted a quick kiss on her lips as he swiped the credit card from her hand. She beamed as he said, "Fine, fine. You're right."

"I always am," she replied before she thought about it some more. "Sometimes," she added, causing him to laugh a bit.

"Okay, I'll get your phone, swing by my place, and come back a bit later. Sound good?" He planned out.

"Sounds good."

He went to go leave before he stopped at the doorframe, looking back at her. "Oh, and Cass? Before was...it was great," he told her.

She felt her face flush and her body beat up at the memory although it didn't happen too long ago. "Y-Yeah. It was—you were— I had a fun," she stammered before she cursed in her mind at herself.

JJ began to smirk at the effect he had on her before he walked out of the room, leaving the girl to reminisce what the two had done just hours before.

JJ practically skipped on down to the store to retrieve the girl a new phone, having a pep in his step after what had occurred between them. It was fantastic, magical even. And it was clear she liked it too by the way she couldn't even get her words out.

After he bought her a new phone, he passed by a store that had jewelry in the window. He passed by it before he did it a double take, his eye catching a shark-tooth necklace that looked similar to his.

He raised his brows, blinking at it. Cassie always kept mentioning his necklace or touching it. It was clear she liked it very much. He thought back to when they were outside the Camerons and John B had gifted back his bandana to Sarah, which acted as a wedding ring between to two of them.

JJ thought it was kind of tacky, but Cassie claimed she thought it was nice. Perhaps she would like a matching necklace then.

JJ started to smile to himself before he walked into the store, and exited with an even brighter smile.

But now it was time to go back home.

Great.

JJ made it back home, not that he would be able to call it that anymore. There was an eviction notice taped up because no one had been around to pay the bills. He had to be out of this place in three weeks and he only just got back.

JJ nostrils flared before he climbed inside using the window since the door was locked, seeing all of the beer bottles and trash left around. Thanks, Dad, he thought.

Even with his father out of his life, he was still fucking everything up for him. Even when JJ was on a high after what had just occurred between him and his girl, his father still had the power over him to bring his mood all the way down to an all-time low.

He was sick of it.

He spent some time in his place, drinking from the beer cans that were left lying around. They tasted disgusting, but hey, isn't that what he deserved? Nothing of actual worth?

That's what he thought, anyway.

Once he finally got around to hopping off his ass and placing the items he had bought in a backpack for his exclusive, secret partner who was a girl, he made his way outside to fix up his motorbike so he would be able to get to her place faster.

"Hey," someone called out and he looked up, seeing Kiara walking toward him.

Oh.

"What's with the sign?"

"Eviction notice. For, like, nonpayment or whatever," JJ answered dryly. "Doesn't matter. This place sucks anyway. Great to be back in the Outer Banks, right?" He voiced sarcastically.

Kiara didn't know how to answer as she watched him turn back around, working on his motorbike. "So get this. I, uh, had an email waiting for me when we got home. John B actually found Big John," she revealed to him and JJ immediately stopped working on his bike. "He's alive."

"Seriously?" JJ asked, looking over at her with a growing smile.

Kiara nodded, a small smile making its way up to her face as well. "Yeah. He's at the Château."

JJ blinked, chuckling in shock. "Damn," was all he said, completely speechless. He thought John B may have been up to one of his concocting schemes again, but no. Big John was actually alive, someone who used to act as a true father figure to him. He was alive.

"Yeah, he thinks we're close to the same treasure Singh was talking about," she told him and JJ's eyebrows raised, nodding at that before he started to work back on the bike.

Kiara's smile faltered, thinking JJ would be celebrating with her right now but he was doing the complete opposite of that.

"Hey, look..." She began, going over to sit in the stool next to him. "My parents didn't even wanna let me out of the house, but I told them I had to come check on you."

"Well, it's not me you have to worry about," JJ told her, releasing an exhale.

Kiara's raised her eyebrows for a second, looking down. "Jayj, what's up?" She inquired, looking back up still him. "Is it something Pope said? 'Cause I-I know he's not all obsessed about what happened between me and him. We're both past that, but something's bugging you."

JJ sucked in a breath, thinking about what happened back on the boat. Although he had been nowhere near kissing Kiara, the more he thought about it, the more he started to think that maybe Kiara did like him.

He didn't know how to go about this. He didn't like her, he liked her best friend. Now that was some complicated shit he just had to get himself into, of course. He just didn't know how to go about letting Kiara down gently without telling her about his relationship with Cassie and ruining friendships.

He had already told Pope, but if he told Kiara who may have liked him...Cassie would most definitely explode, and the girls' friendship would most definitely implode.

"It was just weird, what happened on the boat with us," he began, trying to make her get the hint that he wasn't into it in a subtle way. "It was just weird."

"Yeah, yeah." Kiara got up from where she sat, moving a strand of her small braid out of her. "Yeah, I mean it was...it was weird for me too, but...Not bad weird."

Definitely bad weird, Kiara. Fuck.

JJ watched as she took a step toward him, glancing down at his lips again. It was clear she was indicating that she wanted to do something with him, more clear than it had been back on the boat.

JJ was freaking out. He couldn't have Kiara liking him while he was with her best friend. That would ruin everything between his friendship with Kiara, and ruin everything with his relationship with Cassie.

He had to think of something. He had to think of a way to get Kiara to stop liking him for the sake of his relationships with the two girls.

And the only thing he could think of was being a total dick.

"Kie...We shouldn't be doing this," he began as he walked away from her.

"Yeah," Kiara reluctantly agreed, looking down at her feet.

"We shouldn't!" He raised his voice.

"If you say so."

He walked back over to her. "I mean, look at you. You got your new threads on. Look at me. What do I got? This?" JJ questioned as he pointed out at his run down house, getting more and more riled up the more he spoke. Although he was doing this to try to show her she shouldn't be liking him, it seemed to really anger him. "This piece of shit?!" He exclaimed, picking up a a beer can and throwing it at his house. "I'm getting kicked out of this place in three weeks anyway. Shit, I don't even got parents right now. But why would you care? Why would you care?! Like-like-like, I'm just some loser that—"

"JJ..."

"You don't care. No, you don't!"

"Hey, hey, I do care!" Kiara shouted.

He needed to go further. Further to stop her from liking him. "No, you got parents that live on Figure Eight, you know? You know...y-y-you..."

"That's not my fault," she breathed out.

"That's your future. You got that," he said, moving past her again.

She turned around to look at him, her voice wavering as she said, "Look, if you need us, we're gonna help you. I'm— I'll help."

He needed to go even further.

"Okay, it's that right here, okay?! Like...It's so easy for you to say that. You know why? Because you're a Kook. You're a Kook, Kiara!" He yelled at her and he watched as she slowly shut her eyes at him.

It hurt him to say that to his best friend that stuck by him for years, but it was the only way to get rid of whatever she had been feeling about him. Or that's what he thought would work anyway.

"Yeah, I'm a Kook," Kiara spoke up after a second. "I was such a Kook when I was, you know, living in a cave with you for a month. Soaking in the Kook life."

JJ quickly shook his head, grabbing his cap that hung from his motorbike handlebars and aggressively putting it on his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. God!" He said through clenched teeth, angry at himself for his plan not working.

Now he just had a best friend who liked him and was also disappointed with him. He hated feeling like a disappointment.

"Jayj, don't leave," Kiara tried, but JJ got on his bike and started to drive off. "JJ, what the hell?! Jayj!"

He had to go back to Cassie. He had to make himself feel better. He had to give her the phone he bought her and her necklace.

That'll help him not feel like a disappointment anymore.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Cassie heard a knock on her bedroom door a little while later since she had left the front door unlocked, knowing it was JJ by the sound of his bike outside just moments before.

She opened the door to be met with her favorite shade of blue and she instantly wrapped her arms around him, embracing him. "Oh, someone's happy to see me," he chuckled as he pulled away, noticing the jean shorts and light pink crop top she put on.

Oh, that light pink, he thought, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"Duh. I've been waiting," she said, pulling him inside her room. "What took you so long, babe?"

JJ scratched the back of neck. "Well, turns out my place is getting evicted," he revealed and her smile dropped. "Yeah."

"Jay, I'm so sorry," she told him.

"Nah, it's whatever. The place is a dump anyway," he shrugged it off and she gave him a lopsided frown. She wasn't sure if he was just saying that to make him feel better or if he believed it. "And, uh, Kie stopped by and we talked for a sec. Kinda-kinda got into a little fight."

Cassie furrowed her brows. "Fight about what?"

JJ pursed his lips. "Uh, I just overreacted. I was upset about the house and she came by at, like, the worst possible time," he explained, not wanting to dive deeper into the details. He was supposed to be coming here to make himself feel better.

Cassie crossed her arms. "Well, you need to apologize if it's your fault."

JJ sighed, "I know, I know. I will." He then clapped his hands together, not wanting to stay on the topic. "And another thing. Apparently Big John is alive."

Cassie's eyes went wide as saucers and her mouth fell open at his words. "What? He's-he's alive?"

"Yeah, I know, right? Crazy."

Cassie blinked. How come all these fathers were turning up alive and yet, her's wasn't? But now she wasn't even sure if she would want him to be alive after she found out how horrible he was.

"Anything else?" She inquired, not wanting to dwell on her thoughts.

"Big John thinks that we're close to the same treasure Singh was telling you about," JJ added.

Cassie hummed. "Interesting."

"Yeah." JJ took his backpack off. "Oh, I got you your phone." He pulled it out of his bag, handing it to her. "I wasn't sure what case you wanted so I just got you a blue one."

She smiled down at the phone before meeting his eyes. "Thank you. My favorite color. How'd you know?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "Lucky guess." She grinned at him. "The passcode is just 1111 right now. Didn't know what to put it at." She rolled her eyes playfully at him before she unlocked her phone, going to the camera app. She then turned her back to him, holding the phone up to get both of them in frame. "What are you doing?

"What does it look I'm doing? Smile, silly." JJ raised his brows before he started to smile, glancing down at her right as she took the picture. She smiled as she examined it, placing the phone in her back pocket, planning to input everyone's numbers later. "Thought the first photo in my new phone should be us, no?"

JJ felt his heart melt. "Y-Yeah, that's-that's great," he stammered and Cassie raised her brows, not sure if she had ever heard him stammer like that. He quickly focused up. "Oh, uh, that's not all I got you though."

She tilted her head. "Oh, it's not?"

He shook his head before he pulled into his backpack again, taking out a small box. Cassie arched her brow at it as JJ handed it to her.

"Open it," he urged as if he were a golden retriever waiting to play fetch.

She rolled her eyes light-heartedly at him before she opened up the box, revealing a...sharktooth necklace? She took it out of the box and examined it, blinking in disbelief.

He got her a shark tooth necklace that matched his?

"It's a matching shark tooth necklace," he piped up once she hadn't spoken. "I thought it would be nice for you to wear. You know, because we're exclusive, secret partners."

"JJ, I-I don't even know what to say. I love it," she expressed before she wrapped her arms around him again and he released a breath of relief, unsure if she would actually like it or not. Once she pulled away, she looked down at the necklace once more. "Oh, but, I'm-I'm sorry but I can't wear it. Not out, at least."

"Uh, what?"

"If I wear it out, our friends are gonna figure out we're together. I mean, who else wears a shark tooth necklace besides you? And they definitely know I don't have one," she pointed out, placing the necklace down on her bed.

JJ stared at her in disbelief. It made sense, but at the same time, he couldn't help but let was she was saying wound him. He had agreed to do this secret relationship with her in order to take things slow and figure out how they felt.

But hadn't they already reached that point? Way before a few hours ago as well?

JJ let out a scoff. "Are you serious right now?" He questioned and Cassie looked taken aback by the question. "I mean, you're serious?"

"Well-well, yeah," Cassie confirmed. "I mean, I love the necklace don't get me wrong, but don't you think it's a little too on the nose?"

JJ scoffed at again, looking up as he shook his head. "Sometimes, I really can't believe you," he began and she furrowed her brows at him. "Like, are you really that embarrassed of me that you won't even wear a goddamn necklace that may make people think we're together? Are you really that embarrassed?"

"JJ, what? I already told you I'm not embarrassed by you," she responded, not knowing where this was coming from.

"Oh, really? Then why the hell are you so hellbent on keeping this relationship we have a secret?" He finally confronted and she swallowed thickly. "I mean, I've been begging you for over a month now to tell them and you keep telling me to wait. I thought that maybe you wanted to see where the relationship went but we're still together, aren't we? Even off that island? I mean, it was clear you hated it there but you didn't want to ruin it for me so you must like me enough to not want to see me hurt and—"

"I liked it there," she lied, interrupting him.

"No, you didn't! You hated it! I could tell!" He exclaimed, raising his voice at her which caused her to swallow hard again. "And here you go, lying about something again. You know me, I love to lie. Do it everyday. But lying about us? That's where it hurts me. Why can't you see that?"

"I do see that, it's just..." She trailed off, trying to think of what to say.

Of course she wasn't embarrassed by him. She would love to go parading around the OBX flaunting the fact she was with the hottest, most funniest guy ever to everyone and their moms. But she was just...afraid. Not of what people would say about them, but afraid of showing that side of her.

It was stupid, she knew that. It was stupid to always be trying to hide her feelings, but that's just how she worked. Her shell had been broken down recently by the people she surrounded herself with, but that didn't mean she was ready to completely show this new side of her.

When she got close to people, she feared what would happen if they left. It happened with her dad, it happened with Sarah, it almost happened with Kiara...and now that she was extremely close to JJ, she wanted to keep that closeness. And she thought the best way of doing that was for no one to know so they didn't have others' input on their relationship.

She felt like if she was the only person who knew how much she cared for him, he wouldn't go away. It would just be her little secret and no one would get in the way.

But here JJ was, getting in the way himself.

Or was she the one getting in the way?

"It's just what, Cassie? Tell me, I wanna know," JJ urged her once she hadn't said anything.

Her face twisted at his impatient tone. She didn't want to say what had been scaring her, so instead she opted for the hurtful option toward him. Like she always did, unfortunately.

"Look, I don't even know why you're getting so tweaked about this. We're not even actually boyfriend and girlfriend," she snapped, shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head.

JJ blinked in rage. "And whose idea was that?!" He shot back and she pursed her lips. "I mean, what, you were waiting this whole time for me to ask you to be my girlfriend so then we could tell them about us? I didn't know that! I didn't think that's what you wanted unless you told me! So, fine, fine, here. Would you like to be my girlfriend? Is that what you wanna hear?"

"No, JJ, it's—"

"Then what do you want?" He pleaded, taking a step forward. "Because I-I thought we were going strong and, you know, after a few hours ago I thought—"

"Oh, you thought what?" She cut him off once he brought up what they did before. "You thought I would magically be clinging to you by the hip and praising you just because we fucked?" She viciously questioned.

It seemed like JJ didn't like her choice of words. "Fucked? Is that all you thought it was?" He asked, his voice almost cracking at the end.

Shit. She didn't mean for it to sound like that because it was more than that.

"No, JJ, it wasn't just that. It was-it was more. I-I just, I don't know why you would think I'd be comfortable with telling them about us just after doing it," she tried to explain.

"Oh. Oh, okay. I see. This is like the Rafe situation," JJ brought up. "We fuck and you don't tell anyone and then you ghost me after, is that it?"

Cassie suddenly felt her blood boil. JJ knew how much that situation affected her and now he was using it against her. "JJ, this is not like the Rafe situation. I can't-I can't believe you would even bring that up right now. I mean, you know how much I regret that!"

JJ sucked in a breath, realizing that was too low of a blow but there was no way to come back from it so he said, "Do you regret what we did, too?"

She stared at him, not believing he would even ask her that question. "No. No, I don't, okay? I don't regret it," she answered honestly, knowing that if she lied it would make things worse. However, that didn't mean she couldn't add some fire. "I can't believe that question is even coming from someone who would fuck girls and then leave them the next day."

JJ poked the inside of his cheek, tilting his head and smiling ironically for a second. "This isn't some one-night stand. We're together, I mean, how many times do I have to say that you're different than those other girls, Cassie?"

"Oh, really? How am I any different from those girls you fucked?"

"You're-you're just different!"

"How?!"

"Because I love you!" He shouted before he realized what he had just said. He said the L word to her wi the out even thinking. But it was true. He loved her. "Fuck, yeah, okay. Fuck it, I love you. There."

She gaped at him, the words echoing in her head and piercing her eardrums.

He loved her.

He loved her.

He loved her.

Did that mean she loved him back?

She did. She knew she did. But she didn't want to. No, that's not right. She wanted to love him and she did, but she was petrified of doing so.

Perhaps she was guilty of falling for him, but she didn't want to confess to her sins.

She started to shake her head, her face scrunching up. "What? What do you mean, no? You don't think I love you?" He asked once he saw.

"No, no, no, you can't," she breathed out.

"I can't? Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help how I feel, Cassie. I mean, out of everyone, I thought you would know that since you were so against wanting to like me in the first place!" He raised his voice again and she shut her eyes, her lips turned down. "I love you and I want to be with you, as my girlfriend! I want to tell everyone. I want people to know, especially Kiara."

She opened her eyes, knitting her brows together. "K-Kiara? Why Kiara?"

She sucked in his lips, releasing an exhale. "I think she likes me, Cassie. Okay? As more than just a friend. And-and I think she deserves to know that I'm with her best friend, who's been keeping it a secret from her for almost two months."

Cassie scoffed at him. "Are you serious right now? You're accusing my best friend liking you just to get me to tell all of them about us? Are you fucking serious, JJ?"

"I'm not making it up, Cassie! She wanted to kiss on me the boat and she wanted to kiss me before. That's why we got into an argument, I couldn't have her liking me!" JJ tried to explain, but Cassie shook her head, not believing him.

There was no way Kiara Carrera, her best friend, could like JJ Maybank. Kiara would have told her, wouldn't she? I haven't told her about JJ and I, the angel on her shoulder reasoned but she didn't want to believe that meant anything. No, JJ was just trying to think of any way to tell their friends about the two of them.

"JJ, I want you to leave," she piped up and JJ reeled his head back. "I want you to go."

"Cassie, what?! What-what are you doing? I'm telling the truth, about everything! Kiara likes me, but I love you. I'm in love with you! It's the truth!"

"Stop saying that!" She screamed, her eyes wide. "Just-just stop!"

JJ blinked at her, his lips trembling for a second. "Do you-do you not love me, too?"

"JJ, stop—"

"No, I want to hear you say it. Do you love me or not?" He questioned. He knew he shouldn't have been forcing her to say it back, but he just wanted to know if he had been wrong about their whole relationship this whole time.

Cassie just stared at him, her chest heaving. She wanted to say it back, she really did. But she couldn't. She hadn't said those three words in years. The last time she had was before her father died.

Once JJ didn't get an answer, he threw her credit card she gave him onto the floor and he left.

Now that was two girls he cared about that he stormed out on and who made him feel like a disappointment.

That's what he was: just a disappointment.

All because he couldn't keep his stupid mouth shut.

authors note!
im actually so sorry but i had to, they
were too happy 😃 also just thought id
explain a little more about jj's thought
process about kiara. he doesn't like her
like that. only kiara likes him, but he doesn't
want to accuse her of liking him or him saying
"sorry kie but i don't like you" bc he doesn't want
to ruin the friendship in that way if he thought
he was getting it wrong. he also doesn't want
to expose his relationship with cassie now since
he think it will cause a rift between the girls and
he doesn't want that to happen. he would
rather yell at kie to get him to stop liking him
and go back to her liking him as a friend
but obviously that's more stupid but it's jj so
he cant deal with stuff like that. we know that.
that's also why he got angry at cassie for not
saying "i love you" back (cassie ik people
gonna be mad at u but i'll stick by u girly) also ik
this chapter is kinda long, sorry i didn't wanna
split it up </3