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

25. chateau

"Are you kidding me?" Avie looked at him as she stepped closer, Skye still resting in her arms as he looked around. "When the hell were you gonna tell me that our daughter is homeless?"

"Homeless?" JJ's eyebrows pushed together, "She's not homeless. What are you talking about?"

"You hiding the fact that your house was foreclosed and boarded up! This is our child, JJ! You didn't think to tell me!?" She stared at him, completely baffled that he didn't seem to think anything was wrong with this situation. 

"I was planning on telling you! I just didn't know how!"

"Is Mommy and Daddy gonna fight again?" River looked up at John B with worry in her eyes, remembering too well the few fights she watched go down.

"No, Riv. C'mon." John B spoke softly as he lifted her up and carried her away so they were at a distance.

"I'm just.. gonna.. yeah." Kie stood awkwardly before following John B to the kitchen.

Avie continued to stare down JJ before Pope took her out of her thoughts as he approached her.

"I can take him, Avie, if that's okay." He asked nervously as he pointed towards Skye. He could tell she was angry and did not want to piss her off more but he felt as though Skye should not have to be in the middle of their argument. 

She sighed and handed Skye off to Pope, knowing he was in good hands then looked back to JJ with crossed arms. "I can't believe you." She shook her head, "To think we were gonna try again then you go behind my back with this?"

"They were gonna try again?" Pope mumbled to John B and Kie.

John B shrugged.

"I guess so.." Kie looked at them wearily.

"We still are!" JJ ran his hands through his hair, "We are, Avie, I just- fuck." He paced for a moment as it sunk in what he had done. He didn't realize how this would make Avie feel and recently she had been his top priority. He wanted to make her feel loved and wanted again; this was not it.

"We are!? You just hid your house being foreclosed from me then moved in with JB! What about me, JJ!? What about our promise to River? What about Skye's future?"

He glanced over at River who rested her head on John B's shoulder as she watched then he looked to Skye who played with Pope's fingers as he laid in his arms.

JJ sighed, "I'm sorry, Avie." He wanted to make this right. "I'm sorry." He put in too much effort to get her back just for it to all come crashing down. "I was worried about making sure she had a roof over her head and JB offered to let us stay here. I didn't wanna make you worried or stress you out. I wanted to get it under control before I saw you again. I'm sorry." Avie could see the tears building up in his eyes.

She took a deep breath and spoke calmly, "Why didn't you come to the apartment? You were the one that got it for us in the first place." It was their first place together years ago when River was still a baby.

"I-I thought we agreed not to rush things and I didn't wanna scare you away or make you feel like you had to let us in or like I was doin' it on purpose to rush it." JJ spoke his truth.

"Seriously?" Avie tilted her head at him sympathetically.

He looked to the side then back to her with a shrug.

"JJ, I know you're being careful." She stepped closer to him, "I would never think you were trying to rush things all because your house was foreclosed. But why wasn't I your first choice?"

"I don't want to push you away." He told her and looked down, "I can't lose you again." He felt himself getting closer to relieving his tears. Although they were not dating, he knew how far they had come. Pushing her away would only leave him back to square one with no chance of trying again.