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❝ broke that rule a long time ago ❞
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𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝

We slowly approach the rundown motel and JJ whistles lowly as I cringe at the state of the place.

"I thought the chateau looked bad" The blonde comments.

"This place is a shitshow" John B agrees.

"Motel or meth lab?" Kiara asks sarcastically.

"You be the judge" Pope replies.

"Forget about Agatha, it looks like a bomb hit this place" I grimace.

"Doesn't look like the type of place somebody with a Grady White stays" John B declares.

"No. Looks like the type of place someone with a Grady White would get killed" Pope retorts.

"Or the type of place someone with a Grady White would bring a prostitute" I add with a shrug and the two boys give me weird looks.

"All right. Here we go" John B says.

"This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin in for landing" JJ announces, cupping his mouth like a speaker.

We reach the riverbank and JJ hops off the front of the boat, tying up the rope.

"We good?" John B asks.

"Yeah, we good" JJ answers.

"All right. Here goes nothin'" John B mutters.

"Hey" Pope speaks up.

"Yeah?" John B asks.

"Don't let him do anything stupid" Pope warns him, pointing at JJ.

"Oh, we will" JJ nods.

"I'm not making promises" John B replies.

"Yeah, I know" Pope huffs.

"Uh, be careful. I mean it" Kiara tells John B and I study the two, confused at their sudden closeness.

"Yeah" John B chuckles.

"Let's go" He adds, slapping JJ's arm.

"Wait for me!" I perk up, jumping off the boat and onto the grassy bank.

"You're not coming, angel" JJ states and I scoff, putting my hand on his chest and shoving him out my way.

"Watch me, hot stuff" I reply, sauntering past him.

I walk ahead of the boys and they catch up with me as we enter the motel grounds.

"Why are all these mattresses out here?" John B asks.

"After a hurricane, they ditch em cause they're all mouldy" JJ answers.

"That's gotta be a pain in the ass" I comment.

I head up the metal staircase and check the door numbers as we pass, looking for room two twenty nine.

"Just be so careful, John" I hear JJ say and turn to see him grab John B's face.

"God, you're so weird" John B groans, pushing him away and I grin in amusement at the pair.

"What the heck was that about?" JJ asks.

"I don't know. Maybe she wants us to be careful" John B retorts and I snort.

"As if, Johnny. Since she heard you're being threatened with exile, she's been, like, oh! Be so careful, John B" I coo, rubbing his shoulder with a pouty face.

"Get off" John B huffs, shrugging my hand off his shoulder.

"Oh, give me that John D already" JJ moans and I laugh, throwing my head back.

"When are you gonna swoop on that, man?" The Maybank boy asks.

"Swoop on that?" I scoff in disbelief and JJ gives me a confused look.

"Bro, you know the rule. No Pogue on Pogue macking" John B declares.

"Dude, Kie and I broke that rule a long time ago" I laugh, causing him to roll his eyes.

"That's even more reason not to 'swoop on that'. You're one of my best friends and Kie is your ex girlfriend" John B argues with me.

"And now she's my best friend. Things aren't awkward between us" I assure him "I wouldn't feel any kinda way if you decided you were into her. She's Kiara Carrera, what's not to like?"

"Exactly!" JJ grins widely, nudging the other boy "The tension between you two gets worse everyday"

"You two have no room to judge. There is so much sexual tension between you both that we're all literally suffocating in it on a daily basis" John B retorts and I gulp awkwardly, turning my head to watch the doors as we pass them.

"Shut up, man. We occasionally hit on each other, big deal. It's not as if anything is ever gonna happen between us. Right, Sylvie?" JJ says and I ignore the way my heart drops, pasting on a smile as I nod at him "How are you gonna know Kie isn't into you if you don't try?"

"You need help. Not like a little bit of help, you need a lot of help. It's like every girl who has a heartbeat, you're like..uhh!" John B replies.

"What? It's not a big deal" JJ shrugs.

"It's not a big deal" I mimic under my breath in a whiny voice.

"What's that, angel?" JJ asks me curiously.

"Nothing, JJ" I shrug nonchalantly.

"Is that us?" John B asks, clearing his throat awkwardly and nodding at the door next to me.

"Uhuh, two twenty nine" I nod, taking a step back.

"This is it" He states and JJ moves towards the door, knocking.

"Housekeeping!" The blonde announces in a squeaky feminine voice and I cover my mouth to smother a giggle.

hating the way the Maybank boy can make me smile after practically stomping on my heart, I cough awkwardly and check the window but the blinds are shut so I knock on the door again.

"Anyone home?" I ask loudly but get no reply.

"Should we try it?" John B asks.

"Yeah" JJ nods before saying something in Spanish which instantly makes my lips slightly curl into a smile.

"No power. No security cameras. No ones gonna know" He hums as John B unlocks the door.

The door is opened and I stroll inside first. The first thing I see is a black bag on the end of one of the single beds and another on a stool, I turn to the boys.

"Check the bag. See if there's a name on there somewhere" John B tells JJ, nodding at the bag on the stool.

JJ nods and opens the zip as I grab my phone, using the flashlight on it to look around the room.

"A jacket" JJ tells us what he's found.

"Denim slides" John B says.

"No name on the jacket. It's a nice jacket, though" JJ states, holding it up.

"It's ugly" I argue, bursting the blonde boy's bubble and he drops it back into the bag with a frown.

"Definitely over fifty. He's got New Balances" John B says.

"That's awfully stereotypical of you" I comment.

"That's sounds funny coming from you" The brunette retorts and I gasp, throwing the nearest thing to me at him.

The teaspoon hits him in the head and he yelps, rubbing his head with a glare on his face aimed at me. JJ laughs at the boy as I stick my tongue out at him and turn around to continue searching.

I find a map on the nightstand and as I try to figure out where about the coordinates stuck on the map lead to, I hear one of the boys walk over to me.

"What's that?" JJ asks me, leaning his chin on my shoulder to get a better look.

"It's just a map" I reply, shrugging him off me and he raises a brow in confusion.

"You okay?" He asks.

"Peachy" I say sarcastically, giving him a tight lipped smile before turning to my other friend "Hey, Johnny, come take a look at this"

"Maybe this is where they were fishing?" JJ suggests as John B appears on the other side of me.

"Let me see" He says and JJ points at the coordinates.

"No, that's off the continental shelf. That's Big Swell. Nobody fishes there" John B explains.

"Dumbass" I mutter before walking away from the boys.

"Coffee?" I hear John B ask in a British accent.

"Standard. Tissues for when you get lonely" JJ replies, also in a British accent.

I roll my eyes, containing a smile and continue searching the dull motel room.