After the Storm- JJ Maybank (Outer Banks)

24.

JJ laid in the bed in a pile. He put his arms behind his head, looking to the ceiling. He sighed as I slipped out of my swimsuit into a clean pair of undergarments and one of his t shirts. He looked up to me as I pulled into the shirt. He gave me a warm smile as I walked to the bed, plopping my body into it. I melted into the sheets, my face being buried in the warmth.

"Not even gonna give me kiss goodnight?" His voice was raspy and I felt his body turn to face mine.

I lifted my face up, turning to face him. I laid into my pillow.

"You don't want a kiss after I threw my guts up just a few minutes ago."

"I could care less, my lady." He leaned down and placed his lips on mine.

I felt my body warm up as he reached his hand to the side of my face, lifting my face to his. I swear every single kiss from him like this made it feel like it was the first time again. He leaned out after a few moments and brushed my hair out of my face. He propped his arm up and rested his head on it, continuing to just stare at me.

"What?"

"You're just so beautiful."

"I love you."

"I love you."

"God, we sound so cheesy. I hate us sometimes."

"It's not cheesy. I'm literally completely in love with you."

"You really know how to make a girl go crazy."

"I'm crazy for you."

"God, can we stop this for tonight? I feel like I could throw up again."

"Yeah. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to lie to you. But, I was scared. Seeing him again- I wonder what's going through his head. He didn't even try to come find me after Topper helped me out. It just seems odd. Don't get me wrong, I want him to be out of my life forever and I hope he just gives up. But it's unlike him to just forget about everything, you know?"

"It's okay. I am here, nothing is going to happen. Rafe isn't going to hurt you or any of us again. I will literally end him."

"It would be a lot easier if he was just dead."

"Talk about it."

"I hope that didn't sound crazy."

"Nah, you have total reason to believe it. We all do. We're gonna get out of this hell hole, I think it'll just be better to start over. Let's just move somewhere and start a new life. How does that sound?"

"Yeah, with what money?"

"With the money we get from the Royal Merchant."

"Good point. I hope we can figure all of this out. Tonight was so fun. I missed all of us being together."

"Me too. Nothing is going to get in the way of this. You're stuck with me and the pogues for life." He runs his fingers over my cheeks, holding on to me again.

He leans down and kisses my forehead, brushing stray hairs out of my face. I smiled at him as he lifted the sheets up. He covered the both of us.

"Pogues for life." I whispered to him, still just looking over him.

I couldn't believe this was all real. Life seemed unreal. JJ seemed unreal. It was crazy, he was mine and he was madly in love with me. I couldn't ask for anything better. I just wanted everything to be okay. I couldn't lose any of them. I needed all of them. They were all I had left.

-

Sarah had claimed that she thought her father would listen to her if she could just talk to him for a little while. John B and all of us shared looks.  John B let her go. I was afraid for her, I was afraid that maybe she wouldn't come back. I didn't want Ward to get to her.

A few hours passed. I saw the boat in the distance, her facial expression told me exactly what had occurred. JJ and Kie dropped the branches they were collecting. Pope and John B approached the boat as I stood up. I had just been watching the horizon, waiting for her to come back. Something had changed between us, it was like no time passed. We were close again. I was so worried. I walked up to the boat as she got out, watching as her lip began to quiver.

"What happened?"

"You guys were right. He won't turn himself in. I'm sorry." 

We all shared looks as she began to cry. I let her fall into my arms and her head rested on my shoulder. I heard her sniffling.

"We have to get the hell out of dodge." JJ motioned for us to move.

"We need to hurry." I heard Pope say.

"I think it's too late." Kie pointed to the police boats that were slowly coming up from the horizon.

"Oh my god. John B." Sarah lifted her body up.

"Go, go, go." I started to follow the rest of the group, who were running.

Sarah was struggling to run, John B having to hold on to her as we approached the marsh. I bent my body down to hide myself as I ran through the water. My head was barely above the water. I hated being short sometimes. I was beginning to panic, realizing there was no way to get out of this. We all leaped out of the marsh to some trees, ducking behind them. I leaned up against it, hearing shouting and sirens from behind us.

"Come out with your hands up!"

"I'm not going out without a fight." I heard JJ mumble, taking something out of his pocket.

Sarah sat down, looking up to me. John B was ducked below me. Kie and Pope were in the tree. I looked back to JJ and saw him take out a gun.

"JJ, no. Please, don't."

"They can't take him away from us. Not again."

"It's not worth it. We're going to save him, okay?"

John B was panicking, I could see it in his face. Tears welled in his eyes as he looked down to Sarah. He walked over to JJ and grabbed the gun, just as he was about to turn around to the cops. He gave him a look. I knew the look. It was a signature John B look. He was telling JJ that it was going to be okay.

"It's alright. You can't go down too." He grabbed the gun and dropped it to the ground.

"No."

John B nodded and stepped out into the clear.

"JB."

"Hands up! All of you!" Shoupe stepped out of the clearing.

"I'm going to testify!" John B said, putting his hands behind his head.

"Damn right, about time." A cop said, stepping closer to John B.

I put my hands up, trying to hide the fact that I was freaking out. I watched as JJ shuffled uncomfortably next to me. I leaned into him, so he wouldn't go after the cops.

"This is for Peterkin." The cop slammed John B into the ground, throwing his whole body into him.

"Hey! You can't do that!"

"Stop, let him go!"

"You're just gonna let that happen?"

"Stop! Stop! Please!"

The cop threw back one more throw, knocking John B unconscious. I felt a lump in my throat. It was keeping me from screaming out, crying. Shoupe looked to the officer, grabbing him and pulling him back.

"That was not the way to go about this."

He looked to me for a quick second.

"I'm sorry, Rachel."

"Why are you apologizing to me? You just watched my best friend get beaten unconscious and you refuse to listen to me and my friends after we told you several times what actually happened."

"Your results- they came back. Everything you said about Rafe and this summer, it was true."