𝟎𝟐𝟕.                   𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

quarter past midnight ──── bastille

( important and cute jj & brooke moment
embedded deep in this chapter . . . enjoy! )

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

𝖶𝖤'𝖱𝖤 𝖠𝖡𝖮𝖴𝖳 𝖳𝖮 𝖦𝖮 𝖨𝖭𝖳𝖮 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖯𝖮𝖫𝖨𝖢𝖤 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖳𝖨𝖮𝖭 𝖲𝖮 𝖩𝖮𝖧𝖭 𝖡 𝖢𝖠𝖭 𝖱𝖤𝖯𝖮𝖱𝖳 𝖶𝖧𝖠𝖳 𝖧𝖠𝖯𝖯𝖤𝖭𝖤𝖣 𝖮𝖭 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖠𝖨𝖱𝖲𝖳𝖱𝖨𝖯．When he told me, I swear my heart came to a crashing stop followed closely by the trickle of tears.

Peterkin── a woman who cared about me and my brother easily and unfailingly── is dead. She was shot by Rafe Cameron of all people, can you believe that? She was about to arrest Ward for killing our father but she was shot by his son.

Like I've said before, luck never seems to be on our side.

Ward was about to be locked away, potentially for life, but now he's able to escape once again because Rafe took away the only person who ever fought alongside us and trusted us. She's gone, and I'm devastated, more hurt by the fact that my brother had to witness it happen.

I tried to wipe away the blood on John B's hands while crying but the blood still remains. I've been sitting close to him since he broke the news, staying by him in case he needs open arms. So far, he's trying to handle past events in his own way by suppressing them.

"John B, what are we doing at the police station?"

JJ has a faint hand on my back. I can barely feel the touch of his fingers on my back as he attempts to soothe me, but I know he's lingering close to me, keeping me grounded in the best way he can. It's been a rough couple of days, more rough now that Peterkin is no longer with us.

May she rest in peace.

"Somebody's gotta fell them what happened," John B says, voice sounding so faraway.

Pope starts to cough, averting my gaze to him. I can't help but be concerned. He's smoked a lot of weed in the past few hours── something he doesn't do often, so I'm a little skeptical. I'm worried about everyone tonight, especially my brother who looks so distraught. He did watch Peterkin die, so I can understand why he looks the way he does.

"Easy there, chief. Damn."

"Alright." JJ shuffles forward, slapping a hand on John B's shoulder. "I'm just gonna get real with you right now.... You might end up in the lion's den, but you don't go there on purpose. It's fundamental. Just like my old man always told me, you should never ever trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is."

"Your old man's an abusive liar," Kiara snaps.

"I agree with JJ," Pope speaks, waving the vape in a circle. "Fuck the police."

"You goin' to the dark side now?"

"When's the last time the police helped us?"

Yes, he has a point, but Peterkin wasn't like all the other officers. She cared about us. She listened to us. She believed us. She trusted us. She was the only cop I ever trusted with my life.

"Peterkin looked out for me and Brooke, alright?" John B looks over his shoulder, staring at me, frown on his lips. "Tried to, at least." I nod back, emotion swelling in my throat once again. "They need to know."

"Let me come with you," is what I find myself saying, probably because I don't want to leave his side. He's been through more than one teenage boy should go through in the past twenty-four hours, so he needs somebody. I am that somebody.

He doesn't argue with me. To be honest, I half expected him to. He just nods and says, "Okay."

I get out of the car, JJ's hand sliding down my back as I step out. I miss the contact instantly, and if I had a choice, I'd bury myself in JJ's comfort and die there. I shut the car door behind me, and I follow after John B as he starts to move towards the station.

I've never been more anxious in my life.

All the scenarios of what could happen inside this station are running rampant in my head. Will they believe him? Will they dismiss him? Will this be another situation where we lose again? We can't keep losing, it's draining us in the process.

There's a woman at the front desk, phone pressed to her ear. John B steps forward, head hung low as he speaks, "Uh... excuse me, ma'am."

I peer at him, and I find that I don't recognise this version of my brother.

This isn't the brother I grew up wanting to be. This isn't the brother that is strong, adventurous and wild in more ways than one. This isn't the brother that gives his all for even the smallest of things. It's obvious that the recent events have spiralled, and consequently hurt my brother in a way that has knocked him down to this── a hollow, terrified shell of a boy who desperately wants to be heard.

I love all versions of my brother, but this one hurts to see the most.

I step a little closer, and I place a hand on his arm which I'm pleased to see he welcomes.

The woman doesn't even look up in his direction, she just says, "This is not a good time, kid."

He clears his throat, casts me a single glance that I can read easily, and when I nod at him, he speaks a little clearer so she can hear him.

"I know who shot the sheriff."

Her eyes shoot up, finding us. She puts the phone down and pushes her chair out. "You stay put. I'll get a deputy."

I press my forehead against his arm, wrapping my entire arm around his now. "It's okay," I assure, even though none of this is okay. I feel tears brimming in my eyes, but I can't let them fall, not yet. I've cried so many tears in the past twenty-four hours, you'd think I would've ran out, but apparently not. I hate crying.

A deputy is going to come and speak to him. They're going to listen to him. God, I hope──

"Central, three Vick." Shoupe's voice comes through the radio on the front desk. "We have a suspect in our thirty-one. John Routledge." My mouth drops, jaw scraping the floor── I swear to God. My eyes flick up to John B who can't seem to take his eyes off the radio like he can't understand what he's just heard. I can't understand it. There's no way I heard that correctly.

Another woman's voice comes through, "Copy that. All units, be on lookout for John B Routledge." No, do not be on the lookout for John B Routledge, you stupid bastards. He didn't kill anyone, how can anyone think that he did?

Shoupe's voice is back, but it all sounds like a blur to me. I'm not understanding this. "Sixteen-year-old white male. Six foot. Last seen wearing board shorts, a Bad Brains T-shirt, and a faded red hoodie."

My eyes move away from John B, glancing over my shoulder at two deputies. I squeeze John B's arm, forcing him to look in this direction. One of the deputies looks like the one who tried to take us away when DCS came. Great.

Protectively, I stand in front of John B despite him being much taller than me.

"Just... breathe. Alright?" It's pretty hard to just breathe through something like this. "Let me see your hands."

"John B, do what he says," the other deputy says.

John B slowly pulls his hands out of his pockets, moving to lift them up and above his head. Anxiety eats at me as I watch him, wishing his hands weren't covered in dried blood. "Look, I didn't..." He shakes his head, growing emotional. "I didn't do it, okay?"

"He... didn't do it," I say, offering something. "He's not lying, he didn't do this."

The deputies stare at us, but I know from just being born on the wrong side of the island that these deputies, like everybody else on this island, don't believe us which prompts me and John B backwards, away from them.

"Don't... move," they say, but they're foolish to say something like that.

John B snatches my hand, forcing me back, and we bolt out of the station before it's too late. Well, it is too late, but we need to get out of here. No way is my brother going to freaking jail for a crime he didn't commit, I won't let it happen.

"Kie! Start the car!" John B yells as we run towards the car. We don't have the Twinkie because it's probably impounded by now, so we're using Kiara's dad's car── thanks Mike.

I crash into the side of the car, grasping the handle and yanking the door open. "Start the car, Kie!" I yell, pulling myself into the backseats with JJ and Pope.

Kiara starts the car as John B forces himself into the front seat. "Guys? What did you do?"

Well, that will be fun to explain.

"The cops!" we both yell, hoping that explains enough for now. John B slams his door shut as Kiara brings to pull forward. "Kie, drive! Go!"

"I'm going! I'm sorry!" The car jerks forward, starting to move just as the two deputies come up to the window, bashing their hands against them.

"Go, Kie! Go!" I shout.

"Stop the car!" The deputy yells just as the car starts to pull away from the station. "Right now!"

"What did you do?"

I find one of the deputies to be hanging onto my door handle as the car starts to move away from the station. "Open it." I fumble with the handle, pushing the door open quickly and slamming it shut faster which forces the cop off the door and onto the road. "Sorry!"

Why am I apologising?

I fall back against the backseat, trying to catch my breath because, well, I hate to run anywhere.

Luck couldn't be less on our side.

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𝖤𝖵𝖤𝖱𝖸𝖡𝖮𝖣𝖸 𝖨𝖲 𝖠𝖲𝖫𝖤𝖤𝖯 𝖨𝖭 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖢𝖠𝖱 𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖨 𝖠𝖬 𝖲𝖠𝖳 𝖮𝖴𝖳𝖲𝖨𝖣𝖤，𝖡𝖠𝖢𝖪 𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖲𝖲𝖤𝖣 𝖠𝖦𝖠𝖨𝖭𝖲𝖳 𝖠 𝖳𝖱𝖤𝖤．I don't think anyone heard me get out of the car, but knowing our luck, I woke somebody up. We're hiding from the cops, and we found a suitable spot── we think. It's fine for now. We'll probably move in the morning, but for now, we need to get some sleep so we're hiding out.

I need a moment to myself.

Being trapped in that car, pushed in between JJ and a window, I felt claustrophobic. My neck is hurting, my back has an odd twinge in it, and my eyes are desperate for me to cry. Also, on top of all that, the pain in my hip has returned, throbbing harder than it has before.

I fucking hate Ward, and I've always been a firm believer that hate is a strong word, but it doesn't seem like a strong enough word for how I feel towards Ward.

I haven't managed to cry yet though. Believe me, I know I want to. It would be a good release, I think, but I haven't managed to cry. I've just been staring at the same dark space for the past twenty minutes, wishing I could disappear into that darkness.

"You know, I miss the sunshine." My head snaps away from the darkness, looking towards a familiar face. "It's too dark, don't you think?"

I'm just staring at him, unable to speak. I don't know why. I just nod mindlessly, earning something of a smile from JJ as he moves to sit down alongside me. His shoulder brushes against mine, and he turns his head to meet my gaze.

Brown meets blue once again.

"Hey, Sunshine." Two words. That's all it takes for me to feel better.

My head drops, brown leaving blue as my head falls to his shoulder. JJ doesn't move, he just lets me rest on him. The moment I find comfort in his shoulder, those tears I knew would fall eventually start to trickle down my face.

I cry quietly and slowly. The tears don't fall like how they did when I found out Ward killed my father. No, these ones are tears that have been hiding behind my eyes all day, waiting for the perfect moment to fall, and now that I'm here, finally feeling comforted and seen, they're falling.

JJ's arm lifts, pressing against my neck because of the angle we're in. His hand reaches up to drag through my hair that, for once, is down because wearing a hair tie exhausts my head. His fingers press against my hair, pushing it away from my ear, and I roll my head into his arm, pressing my wet face against his skin.

His fingers dig into my skull, rubbing hard but calming circles against my head. I ignore the fact that my body is currently in pain due to the jab in my hip, and I embrace this. There's nothing I need more than to be right here in this moment. If I had a choice, I'd stay in his arms forever.

JJ's chin rests upon my head, his fingers continue to move slowly, and my tears keep on rolling. There's something quite sweet about this, I don't know. Sitting in the dead of night, tucked close to each other while one cries and the other one comforts── that's usually how it is with us. The other night, JJ was hurt and I was there to offer my comfort. Now he's here, like most nights, keeping me grounded and warm.

My hand lifts, finding solace on his chest right where his heart lays. I hear the soft thumping of his heart under my fingertips, and I think just hearing him── alive and well── brings my tears to a slow stop. Knowing that one of the best things in my life is sitting here, taking care of me despite the problems being rooted elsewhere, means more to me than he will ever know. Listening to his heart beat, hearing him breathe── it makes me feel indescribably better, is that weird?

I smile against his shoulder, and just as I lift my head, I feel JJ's lips against my forehead.  My head still lifts, however, and because I moved away from him, our foreheads are now the things that touch── not his lips to my head.

His arm has dropped, probably aching from the awkward position it was in. My hand is still firmly pressed against his chest, palm against his beating heart. Our eyes meet once again, and I think this is the closest they've been. Our noses brush, my eyes come to a fluttering close, and I just breathe.

I breathe in the air, the beat of his heart, and the presence of him. I hear him inhale too, and I wonder what he's breathing in. My eyes reopen, finding his to be on mine. They always seem to be, I've come to realise.

The corner of my mouth upturns in a subtle smile. "Hey, J." He clears his throat, eyes fluttering down to my mouth── either because I spoke or because he wants something else. I hope it's the latter. "What time is it?"

"Quarter past midnight."

I hum, letting my own eyes subconsciously move down to stare at his mouth and the simple curve of it. I've always thought this, but JJ's lips look to be the softest things in the world. I often find myself wondering if they feel as soft as they look.

I guess there's only one way to find out, right?

"JJ." His eyes meet mine. "I'm afraid of a lot of things," I admit. "I'm afraid of life without my dad. I'm afraid of what will happen to John B. I'm afraid of losing somebody else I care about." In the past two days, I've somehow lost my dad and Peterkin. I mean, how unbelievably unlucky is that? Who the fuck hates me this much?

JJ listens, eyes remaining on mine.

"I'm afraid of so many things." I breathe out a laugh. "I mean, you always knew that. It's not just spiders, you know?" My eyes shift, falling to stare anywhere but in his eyes. "I'm so scared of not knowing what's next, of not being able to fix it before it happens."

If I can fix a problem, I feel a little accomplished in a way. Not knowing how to fix something, well, that bothers me more than I like to admit. I don't seem to have a problem admitting it to JJ though.

"I'm scared of what's in the dark." Funny that we're literally sitting in the dark, but whatever, ignore that fact. "But I'm also scared for the sun to come back because then it'll be morning and we'll have to deal with this."

"So let's stay here," he offers, and I lift my eyes back to his. "In quarter past midnight."

"I don't think it's quarter past midnight anymore."

He shrugs. "Says who?" Says every nearby clock right now. "Who cares, Sunny? Nobody is gonna know if we stop time── if we stay in quarter past midnight, are they?"

He has a point, nobody will know and nobody will care. "I suppose not."

"So..." Something sparkles in his eyes, I swear.

"So let's stay in quarter past midnight," I say, earning a firm nod from him. My smile widens because, even in the midst of chaos and after I just cried, JJ Maybank knows how to fix every single problem of mine with a simple suggestion and cheesy smile. He's great like that.

We're staying in quarter past midnight even though it definitely isn't that time anymore.

"Is there anything else you're afraid of?"

I shake my head slowly, pushing my knuckles against the beating of his heart. "I'm afraid of all those things, but there's one thing that I'm not so afraid of anymore..." I swallow, inhaling a sharp intake of breath. "I used to be afraid of it, but I think more recently, I've just been more... more open to it, I guess, I don't know, but I now find that this is the one thing I'm not afraid of."

"And what is that, Sunshine?"

I tilt my head, nose brushing his. "I think you know what it is, JJ."

"I'm still gonna need you to explain it, Sunny."

I bite down on my bottom lip, and his eyes move down for a quarter of a second before lifting back to find my eyes on his. With his eyes back on mine, I let mine move down so he can see me clearly. He can see what it is that I want.

My eyes fall, dragging along his mouth for a short moment before they trace back up his face to those eyes that I fell in love with eight years ago. He watched me the entire time, letting me admire him like he's mine to admire. Maybe he could be mine if I just let myself jump, and let myself not be so afraid.

I'm not afraid, that's what I just told him.

"Instead of explaining it, can I show you?" I ask, voice more breathy than I had anticipated.

"Show me whatever you want, Sunshine."

Our noses brush again as I lean forward, and in a quarter of a second, my mouth finds his.

This time, there isn't a single distraction to crush this single, heart stopping moment. Not even my own fears and insecurities could break this delicate moment that I've been waiting to share with JJ since the first time he kissed me three years ago.

The second our lips touch, I quickly find that his lips are as soft as they look. JJ inhales, seemingly caught off guard, but he doesn't push me away. I think part of him did expect this, he just didn't believe I'd do it now. I hadn't expected to do it now, but now I can't think of doing anything else.

This kiss is short, and I mean, really short.

The moment our lips press together is the exact moment I pull back. I pull back because, yes, I want this, but I simply wanted to let him know that I am not afraid, that I did something bold and brave, and now it's his turn to roll the dice. It's his turn to make the next move.

Believe me, I'll be waiting for his next move.

I open my eyes first, and I find that he's still there, eyes closed and waiting for more. A smile touches my mouth as I drag my hand up from his chest to press against his jaw. His eyes blink open, finding me, and he can't seem to stop the smile breaking out across his face.

He's smiling, that's a good sign.

"I like when you're not so afraid," he utters, voice sounding quiet.

"I like it too," I admit, relieved that I stepped out of my comfort zone. "It's your turn to roll the dice, Maybank."

He presses his lips together, eyes skimming down to my mouth for a second before they find my eyes once again. "Not yet, Sunshine." He swallows, eyes glued to mine. "Not yet."

I lean forward again, pressing my lips against his cheek. "Okay."

My head drops, falling back to his shoulder.

I'd trade in everything to stay in this moment── to stay in quarter past midnight.

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𝖲𝖠𝖣𝖫𝖸，𝖶𝖤 𝖣𝖨𝖣 𝖭𝖮𝖳 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖸 𝖨𝖭 𝖰𝖴𝖠𝖱𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖯𝖠𝖲𝖳 𝖬𝖨𝖣𝖭𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳，𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖶𝖤 𝖶𝖮𝖪𝖤 𝖴𝖯 𝖳𝖮 𝖯𝖮𝖯𝖤 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖭𝖣𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖮𝖵𝖤𝖱 𝖴𝖲．I fell asleep with my head against JJ's shoulder with his head pressed into my hair. Pope needed a piss, so we left him to his business while we moved back to the car where we said quiet good mornings to Kiara and John B who didn't seem to bat an eye to the fact that JJ and I had slept outside the car.

I don't even have the chance to say another word before the car radio starts hammering on, "Good news for residents of Outer Banks. Dominion Power says their underwater transmission line, which will restore power to ninety-percent of the area... Should be functional within 24 hours."

Who doesn't love the news?

Sirens ring in our ears and we duck quickly, avoiding the cop car that zooms past us. Pope gets back in the car, sitting up front once the coast is clear, and the news continues to play.

"And still, no arrest in the shooting death of Sheriff Susan Peterkin. The state police have issued a statement regarding a local person of interest, a juvenile from──" Kiara switches the radio off before we have to hear another word.

"Let's game this out." JJ claps his hands together. "Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but... who are the cops going to believe? Ward Cameron or us." JJ isn't wrong, nobody will ever believe us. "So the accuser is a big-shot developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial kind of person, and the accused..." JJ looks to John B. "...is John B, who is... pretty much a homeless sixteen-year-old boy at the moment."

John B nods. "Thanks."

"Okay, man. Yucatan, alright?" I've heard Yucatan a lot from JJ, I have no idea why. " I'm saying that's the only option. What other option do you have?"

"Enough with the Mexico bullshit," John B snaps. "Sarah will bail me out."

The accuser is Sarah's father, so I'm unsure on what she can do when father is the one accusing her boyfriend. I like her, I do, but when the criminal is her father, how can we put all our trust in her when she's on both sides of this. She's John B's girlfriend and Ward Cameron's daughter.

"She did witness the whole thing."

"Thank you."

"And she's gonna snitch on her brother?"

Who's more important? Family or boyfriend?

"Not happening, bro. Okay?" JJ slaps a hand on John B's shoulder. "We've gotta get you off the island."

My heart hammers as I listen to JJ, as I listen to him say that getting off the island is the only option. It can't be the only option, but I'm also not seeing another one. How can John B leaving the island be our only option?

He can't leave. He just... can't.

"The ferry. It's the only way."

"Exit stage left while you still can. Before the entire island is on lockdown."

"Yeah. You can't stay here, man."

He can't stay here, that's painfully obvious, but I don't think I can just let him go easily. No, I know I can't just let him go easily.

From our hiding place, we drive towards the dock where the ferries set off. Nobody says a word as Pope drives the car. I don't think anyone has any words to say. I mean, what does one say to somebody who is being accused of a crime they didn't commit? We just stay low in the car, pushing the seats all the way down so John B is hidden from the public eye as we arrive at the docks.

When we arrive, Pope gets out the car with his hood up. I don't get out because somebody will definitely recognise me, and being the sister of a wanted criminal is, well, not something I want to broadcast, not right now.

Pope comes back to the car with a poster in his hand── more specifically, a wanted poster for John B. "Bad news," Pope begins when he gets back in the car. "The ferry's closed, and there's this."

He hands off the poster to us in the backseat.

Sprawled across the top in bold lettering is the single word, "WANTED" with a cash reward of twenty-five thousand dollars, and his name underneath that. I never thought I'd see something like this. Never did I think my own brother would be on a wanted poster for freaking murder of all things.

"Well, John B, uh... this is a good framer of you." JJ grabbed ahold of the poster.

"Okay, so the whole island's lookin' for John B right now," I say, staring down at the picture of him in the middle of this wanted poster. How can he be on this? I mean, John B is so far off being a criminal. I really hate Ward Cameron.

I wonder where they got this picture of him because I've never seen it before in my life.

"That's a lot of money." It sure is.

"Congratulations, John B. You're famous."

John B snatches the poster from me, wanting to take a closer look. "Guys, we need to get to HMS. We need small, no running lights──"

"It's at the Château, Kie."

"And I wonder if the cops got the entire place staked out. Let me think. Oh, yeah. No." Kiara rolls her eyes at JJ, and if I had any strength to care about the fact that my home is probably swarming with cops, I'd roll my eyes too. "They definitely have that place locked down."

"Yeah, copy that."

"Let me think. Just give me a second." Not even five seconds later does Pope come up with an idea. He turns towards JJ. "Does your dad still have that boat? The cigarette boat, the Phantom. The one he used to race."

"Maybe," he replies.

"You could get right up the coast, no problem."

"It won't be easy, Pope."

"The surf's rubbing from three to four," Kiara adds.

"I don't know where the keys are," JJ says.

"Well, find them." Pope turns the key in the ignition, his hand gripping the wheel as the car starts. He sighs loudly, frustrated. "Why is nobody moving forward?"

"Can you relax?" I sit up slightly, looking to see were parallel parked. Why are we parallel parked? "JJ, how much weed did you give him?" I'm sorry, Pope's had more weed?

"Your car's on the poster," John B realises just as Pope presses down on the horn. He's impatient and he needs to calm the fuck down right now. How could he take more weed? Did he see how he was reacting last night?

"Pope, please. Don't honk the horn."

"It's that guy. Right there." My head turns, staring out the window to see a boy standing at our car, looking in.

"We got a snitch," JJ says. "Pope, drive."

Another guy steps forward upon hearing the kid speak, and he starts to bang his hand on the window. "Hey! He's right there!" John B turns his face away from the window, covering his face with the hood of his hoodie.

"Hey! We gotta go!"

"Turn the car on!"

"I found him first!" The boy yells outside.

"Hell you did, you little bastard!"

An argument erupts outside the vehicle all because these greedy, stupid bastards want twenty-five thousand.

"Pope, turn the fucking car on!"

"I am trying!"

"Turn the car on!"

The car started suddenly jolts forward, hitting the back of the car in front of us. "Dude, back up." I smack my hand against the seat. "The other way!" He continues to push on the pedal, driving at the car in front, getting encouragement from JJ and argument from Kiara while John B and I sit with our head in our hands.

Pope finally pulls us free from the spot, dragging the car out of the space, over the grass and back onto the road where we drive forward, away from the watchful eyes of those who are out to get us.

"What are you doing?"

"We'll bump out."

The cops definitely know of our whereabouts, but we can't do a damn thing about that right now. We've got to follow through with this plan. We've got to get John B off the island── something I'm opposed to, but we don't have a choice.

Pope picks up the pace, driving us down the road much faster. He ends up swerving off the road, distracted by God knows what. "Pope. Pope, watch out!" He ends up driving into a few bins on the side of the road.

I pull myself up, staring forward at the road.

"I'm livin' my best life now."

"I should be the last to say this, but you are not okay to drive. Stop!"

Pope comes to a sudden stop, surprising each of us. He spins in his seat, glancing over his shoulder at John B. "John B, get out."

My head snaps towards him. "What?"

"We'll draw the cops, you run," JJ says. "I'll get the rig, and we'll meet you in the dump tomorrow, okay? Three o'clock."

I have to say goodbye to him right now?

"Wait, I'll come with──"

John B claps a hand on my shoulder. "No, you stay here. I'll see you at three o'clock."

"But──"

"I'll be fine, B." He squeezes my shoulder, but I'm not sure I'll ever be reassured.

"Please stay safe." Emotion swells in my throat. "Please be careful, okay? I-I can't lose you."

"I'm going to be fine, Brooke. You stay safe."

I nod. "I'll be so safe."

John B gets out the car, and we watch him run off towards the trees, heading into the forest. He's out of sight, but not out of mind. I hate that he won't be here, right by my side. I can't watch over him when he's not near me. I'm terrified of what could happen to him.

I need him to be safe. I need him to be alive.

I'll see him tomorrow, it's okay.

JJ places a hand on my back. "You okay?"

"I wish it were quarter past midnight."

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❀ soph speaks

they kissed . . . barely!!

hey, next chapter is a whole chapter of them so i'm sure you'll see them kiss a lil more....... maybe, you'll have to see in the next chapter

thank you for reading :)

last time, i did not wait this long to make them kiss ha