{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{50}

Brie wanted to smile upon seeing him again, but the tears that stained his cheeks stopped her short. His hands trembled, shaking his head repeatedly. She took a tentative step forward, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"You're not really here," he shook his head at her, throat hoarse, "You're dead."

Her heart plummeted. Why would he think that she was dead?

"JJ, I'm fine," she said, "I'm right here."

He shook his head and started crying again. Her throat swelled at the sight of seeing him cry. It felt like her heart was being squeezed in her chest.

"Hey, look," she said, holding out her hand to him, "Its me. JJ, please."

He outstretched his shaking hand until it touched her's lightly. His breathing stopped, looking up at her face in shock. She smiled and nodded, feeling the tears in her eyes. JJ quickly grabbed her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, clinging to her for dear life. She couldnt help but let out a sob, tangling her fingers in his hair and kissing the side of his face.

"Oh my god," he cried, "I thought I'd lost you. Please never leave me again. Please-"

"I wont," she promised, pressing the side of her face to his', "I'm never letting you get away from me again."

"I love you," he said, covering her face in rushed kisses, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she panted.

"What-" he stuttered in shock, "How-"

"I got off the boat," she said, holding him closer, "I couldn't go. I couldn't leave you."

He grabbed her face and kissed her hard, pulling her in by her waist. She kissed back desperately, loving the feeling of being back in his arms again. She wanted to stay like that forever, but something made her pull back.

"Sarah," she gasped, "And John B. They got away?"

JJ dropped his head. Brie felt her knees weaken, but JJ held her up. He looked back up at her with fresh tears in his eyes and shook his head. And she knew.

"No," she sobbed, "No, they can't be-"

She rested her head against his chest and screamed through her tears. They were gone. John B had been like a brother to her, and Sarah was one of her best friends. And now they were just suddenly gone.

"The storm was too strong," JJ told her, "The police drove their boat right into a tropical depression. Never stood a chance."

She cried harder, gripping onto his hoodie. He lay a hand on the back of her head and shushed her quietly. She couldn't belive it. She was dreaming. This wasnt real. None of it was. It couldn't be.

"John B," she sniffed, "I can't- I should have gone with them!"

"Brie, you cant think like that," he said, "If you went then you would have died too, and I couldnt handle that, okay? You're here with me, and everything's gonna be fine."

She nodded, numbly, unable to say anything else. He hugged her tight again and she self-relaxed as she leaned into him. They stayed like that for a while, not knowing what else to do. They were both hurting more than ever, and all they could do was hold onto each other and hope that the pain would eventually dull.

At some point, the tears had stopped and they were now both lay side by side on John B's bed. Brie looked around his small room at the pictures from previous years pinned up. There were only a few pictures of her in them that Kiara had managed to get printed before Storm Agatha and the power cut. She reached out and pulled the picture of them all on the Pogue from the wall and held it up with a smile.