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❝ home sweet home ❞
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𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝

"Anybody else starving?" JJ asks curiously and I nod in response from my spot on his lap "We need to grab some sort of breakfast"

John B stops the boat at an over grown looking pier and Kiara hops out the boat, Sarah following her.

"We're gonna find some food" Sarah declares, glancing at me "You wanna come with us?"

"Nah, go on" I wave her off, laying my head on JJ's shoulder and his hold on me tightens.

"Suit yourself" Sarah chirps, linking her arm with Kiara as the both of them walk away.

I watch them leave curiously and Kiara glances back at me so I smile at her happily, she merely turns around and keeps on walking. A frown pulls at my lips as I watch the girls disappear behind a house and I'm pulled out of my thoughts by someone clicking their fingers in front of my face.

"Sorry, what?" I blurt out, turning to John B who sits back in his seat.

"You okay, Vie?" He asks me in concern.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I counter, a little too defensively and the boy holds his hands up in surrender.

"I was just making sure. Don't shoot" John B jokes with a chuckle.

"You sure you're good?" Pope questions.

"I'm fine" I shrug nonchalantly, tilting my head a little as I look at the Heyward boy "What's up with you and Kiara?"

"Vie, I'm sorry-" Pope tells me with a guilty expression on his face.

"Whoa, hold up" I cut him off with a short giggle "You don't have to be sorry at all, Po. Go for it. I think you'd be cute together"

"Really?" He asks cautiously.

"Really, dude" I reassure him.

"So, what's going on?" John B questions like the gossip fiend he is.

"Uh, honestly, I don't know right now, man" Pope answers vaguely "I mean, I definitely like her"

"Sure" John B nods.

"And I'm pretty sure she likes me" Pope continues.

"Seems like it" John B agrees.

"Meh" I mutter.

"Right now, there's a lot of conflicting information going on. Like, I'm trying to gather all the data and put into a folder in my mind-" Pope explains himself.

"Folder?" John B asks in confusion.

"All right, man, look, women, all right, like, they're just not consistent" JJ buts into the conversation and I turn to look at him.

"Excuse you. Have I taught you nothing?" I state in disbelief.

"Not you, babe" He assures me.

"That doesn't work on me, JJ. What's said about women, is said about me. I'm taking offence" I tell him firmly, getting off his lap and sitting down on my own.

"Angel" JJ whines.

"All right, we're not gonna take female advice from JJ" John B decides.

"Good idea" I agree with him.

"What's the deal with this Limbrey chick? You think she knew my pops?" John B asks Pope.

"I don't know. But I do think that she has the information that could exonerate you" The Heyward boy answers.

"That'd be ideal" John B hums.

"Not to throw a monkey wrench in the entire thing, but she did just try to kidnap you" JJ points out.

"Such a Debby downer" I huff.

"How many times do I gotta say this?" JJ continues, ignoring my comment.

"Here we go" John B groans.

"Why are we going back? Why don't we go south? Why don't we go to Yucatán? Coast of Broken Dreams, baby!" JJ rants wildly.

"No, no, dude! I'm not running anymore" John B protests "Look, OBX is my home. And besides, if I go back, I get another shot at Ward"

The Routledge boy glances at me and I find myself avoiding eye contact, looking down at the hem of my sundress.

"Hi" I hear my sister's voice and I look up to see the girls holding watermelons "What y'all talking about?"

"Uh... fishing" John B lies.

"Dropping lures. That's that, you know?" JJ adds on.

"Okay" Sarah nods, accepting their answers.

"Need help?" JJ asks the girls politely.

"Thanks" Sarah smile, handing him the watermelon.

"Goodness gracious" He huffs at the weight of it.

"What's that now?" Pope speaks up and I see him staring at Kiara who climbs into the boat.

"I got breakfast" She grins proudly.

The girl makes eye contact with me and I pat the space next to me with a smile, but she shakes her head and sits down next to Pope.

✯¸.•'*¨'*•༻❁༺•*'¨*'•.¸✯

"There she is" John B murmurs in awe as we approach the chateau.

"Bet it is good to see her old bones" JJ hums happily.

"You have no idea" I sigh with a small smile.

"Welcome home, guys" JJ announces.

"Home sweet home" I smile at the blonde who wraps his arms around me.

The Maybank boy presses a kiss to my temple and hops out the boat onto the pier with Pope, the both of them tying up the boat. I climb out of the boat with the others and we walk up the pier.

"You know, I gotta be honest. Not exactly looking forward to a check-in at home" Kiara speaks up as we stop and I lean against the wooden railing "My parents probably already arranged my funeral"

"I also predict unpleasantries at the Heyward household after I left the truck in Charleston" Pope grimaces.

"Hmm" John B hums.

"After ditching Rafe and my dad on the side of the road in Nassau to run away with Johnny and Sarah, I am so fucking dead once I go back" I agree with the duo.

"You can't go back there" Sarah tells me in concern and I give her a reassuring smile, but I don't reply.

"No one knows we're here, right? And you three aren't gonna get into any more trouble for showing up 12 hours later" JJ declares "Am I right, or am I right?"

"You're not wrong" Pope admits.

"So that means we have 12 hours to do whatever we want" The blonde boy states with a grin "Huh? A little Pogue fellowship. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a dream, hot stuff" I smile, wrapping my arms around the boy's neck as he beams down at me and kisses me softly.

"Let the shit hit the fan tomorrow. Come on" John B grins widely.

"Yeah!" JJ chirps.

"The cops could be looking for us. It could be really stupid" Sarah points out with a worried look on her face.

"Sarah Cameron, you've heard of my philosophy, right?" JJ asks, wrapping his arms around me.

"No" Sarah can't help the smile that graces her face.

"Stupid things have good outcomes all the time" JJ quotes while the rest of us mouth the words along with him.

"Who's with me? Let's get some beer!" JJ hollers, grabbing the back of my thighs and lifting me up as he walks away.

"Whoo!" I cheer happily.