Don't Forget Where You Belong [JJ Maybank] *COMPLETE*

Chapter 15 - The Thread

You were sat around a table at The Wreck. Kie placed a meal in front of you and a hot cup of coffee. You looked down at it numb. You knew you were hungry, but the thought of eating made you feel nauseous.

The moment JJ had turned around and spat in your face replayed in your head like a scene from a movie. The way he looked at you... it was like he had never cared for your before, like you were the root of all your problems.

"Y/N, please eat," Kie urged you. You sniffled, wiping a stray tear that feel from your eye, reaching forward, slowly munching on a singular fry, and taking a small sip of the coffee. Your stomach churned, as the lump in your throat made it difficult to swallow, but you wanted to make sure you showed her you were okay. She seemed satisfied with your efforts, placing a warm hand on your arm, rubbing slowly. The bottom of your vision blurred as tears threatened to fall once again, keeping your head down as Pope, Sarah, John B and Kiara spoke around the table.

"He'll come around, alright?" John B sighed, "he's doing a JJ thing."

You nodded, grabbing the sandwich of your plate, bringing it up to your mouth and taking a miniscule bite. Any other time you wouldn't wolfed it down in two gulps, but the mention of his name made you feel as if you could never meet again.

"Do you think he'll go home?" Kie asked quietly.

"There's about a zero percent chance JJ goes home," Pope said.

"You okay?" John B asked Sarah. She looked drained, mainly from having to keep up with the drama of the group she was now inducted.

"Yeah," She nodded, "are you?"

"I'm in one piece so..." he laughed lightly before turning to you, "are you going to be okay Y/N?"

You finally brought your eyes up to meet the rest of the group. Their eyes conveyed their sorrow as they took in your blotchy face. You took a deep breath, throwing your head back to blink away your tears.

"I'm fine," you said, "I'm... going to be fine," you corrected, collecting yourself, "seriously, guys don't worry about me. We're got... bigger fish to fry."

You sent them a small smile, the only one you could muster at that moment. Your friends smiled at you.

"That's my girl," John B said, as Pope grabbed your shoulders from his standing positing behind you, leaning down to wrap his harms around you. You cradled his as you laughed lightly, "That's what we like to hear," John B said, happy to hear you laugh.

Pope let go of you, moving back to pace as he spoke,

"It's too dangerous to pawn this thing off piecemeal. So, our best bet is to go down there and get the rest of it. Bring it all up at once. Put it in-- in a safe or a vault or something. I-- I don't know. Just until we can find someone who won't rip us off. I can figure it out tonight, get it done, and we can be out there tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good," you said, but with barely any enthusiasm as you took a melancholy bite of your sandwich.

"Let's go," John B said, before Sarah threw him a look over the table.

"What about that thing with my dad?"

"Shit," he cursed.

"What thing?" Pope questioned.

"I have to go fishing with Ward."

"You can't get 400 mil 'cause you're gonna go kill fish?"

"Look I have to go."

"Blow if off," Pope suggested, "It's 400 million in gold!"

"Make something up," Kie added.

"Look, I-- I have to, okay?" John B said, "He... he saved me, all right? If it weren't for Ward, I'd be in foster care. I have to go. Plus, it'll be better to do it at night. Right?"