Chapter 6: The Bends

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There's something about my father I haven't mentioned. The week before he went missing, he says to me, "Bird, I think I found something. Your Uncle T is gonna come stay for a while. I might have to vanish for a bit." 

So he talks about vanishing, and he vanishes. 

Everyone says he was lost at sea, but... he's still out there. I know it.

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Grace had went home after the kegger, snuck in through her window leaving her stepdad none the wiser. 

She needed time to think and being at the Chateau with JJ's constant looks of worry wasn't the ideal thinking environment.

The sun had risen sending rays of light through her window, heating her skin. She groaned and sat up, head pounding. Grace stood and in a daze got dressed and wandered over to the bathroom to get Advil and splash water on her face. 

"Kid?" her stepdad's voice sounded from the couch. "That you?"

She sighed as she dried her face. "Yeah, it's me Rick."

"C'mere," he grumbled. She cautiously made her way out into the living room. "Where've you been? You haven't been home in days."

"At the Chateau. Been busy."

"That's nice sweetheart," he said sarcastically. "While you were gone our power went out, the bill ain't being paid and your rich family has been nowhere in sight," he grumbled as he sat up from the couch. 

"They're not my family," she replied defiantly. 

"Sure they aren't but they also ain't paying up anymore. I've had to take care of their kid since your mom died and I ain't gonna do it for free." He spoke while wandering towards the fridge and cracking open a beer.

"Taking care of me my ass," she mumbled. 

"What was that kid?" 

"It's true. You can't deny it. You've been too busy drinking and smoking to be an adult. Ever since mom died you've shut down. I've had to take care of you. Sure as hell isn't the other way around," she argued.

That got his attention. He grabbed her bicep hard with one hand and pointed a finger in her face. "You have no right to talk to me like that," he yelled into her face. 

"Maybe if you were sober for ten minutes you could move on from mom, get a job, pay for your own shit and be an actual human being!" Grace wasn't backing down. His grip tightened uncomfortably. "Let go of me." He shoved her back and turned back to the couch.

Grace quickly slid her shoes on and headed for the door. "I'll go deal with Ward just like how I deal with everything else while you sit on your lazy ass." She then left, slamming the door before he could argue back or lay another hand on her. 

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"Look, I'm calling it off alright?" John B spoke as he stepped onto the porch. "Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh she'll help me with DCS."

"And you believed her?" JJ said mockingly.

"Yes I believe her, JJ." 

"An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." JJ spoke as he throw a pebble out into the yard.

"All I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple days, and she'll help me out." John B started. "It doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun."

"You know what I should have done?" JJ threw another pebble, "Just let Topper drown your ass."

"Topper was gonna drown me?" John B asked sarcastically.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ MaybankWhere stories live. Discover now