Too Much (Sequel to Baby Pogue) // JJ Maybank

9. come

Another couple weeks of long nights and internal fights with herself, Avie sat on the couch with Skye sound asleep on her chest.

Skye was now a month old but Avie felt like he had been around for years. His constant crying and digestion discomfort had gone away but Avie couldn't shake the dark feelings she had.

She found herself consistently battling with herself and her thoughts as she tried to simply survive each day. JJ helped a lot with Skye now but she kept quiet about her mental struggles as she felt she needed to deal with it herself. It wasn't his business and he didn't need to know.

As for her family, Avie was not comfortable sharing her sad emotions with them. They came to support her, visit the baby, and that was it. She didn't want to lay such a weight on them as they shouldn't have to worry about her.

She scrolled through her phone as she waited for JJ to arrive with River.

Things had been pretty smooth between them since the night he slept over but Avie had also built back up that wall. They hadn't argued much but kept things completely civil around River to set a better tone for her.

Avie kept many things to herself. While it felt good to have JJ's help with the baby, she did not allow herself to let him help with anything else. She never showed if she was stressed with him, she never showed if she was upset about anything, and she definitely didn't show if all she wanted to do was break down in JJ's arms again.

That was something she made a promise to herself not to do. It was better for her heart and for the sake of moving on. Letting him see her vulnerable and allowing him to hold her only set her back further. She intended on letting the past go, forgetting what he did, and moving on.

She was okay with things this way. It was hard but it was helping maintain a civil relationship with her children's father and that was most important to her.

She felt her phone buzz before clicking on the text to open in.

hey aves. you around this weekend? -JB

Avie smiled to herself that her friend had texted. She hadn't seen her friends in a while considering her and JJ had pushed them away when things went downhill. John B was the only one to reach out to both of them and even make an effort with JJ.

depends who's asking -A

hmm, if i say me will you be around? -JB

Avie chuckled to herself before replying.

for u? of course. whats up? -A

come over. im getting the crew back together. lets have a fire and beer like old times ;) -JB

She froze as she read his message. Then re-read it. Then re-re-read it.

Getting together meant facing the friends she turned her back on and seeing the faces she disappointed. She missed them with everything in her but things had gotten so ugly between her and JJ that creating distance between them was for the best.

She wasn't sure how seeing them again would go down.

could i get back to u on that? -A

only if when you get back to me you tell me yes -JB

jb, u know how things left off. -A

which is exactly why we need to do this -JB

they all probably hate me. -A
and jj. -A

i dont hate either of you -JB
none of us could ever hate either of you. -JB
come on aves pleeeeeease? -JB

ill think about it -A