𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 ☼ 𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘯

𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦〔 𝘪 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘢𝘥 〕

"Shut up" JJ demands.

"Make it quick" Kiara warns us.

"Come on" JJ sighs, looking at me then our dad.

We both get out the car and I fall in step with JJ, Dad trailing behind us.

"Hey, Luke!" Kiara hollers and we turn to see her flipping him the middle finger with a proud grin on her face.

Dad moves towards her with an angry glare on his face but JJ and I grab him, pushing him away in the other direction.

"Go. Go!" JJ snaps.

We reach the boat and I start packing all his supplies away while JJ and Dad ready the boat to go.

"Did you have to do that? Did you have to go after her like that?" JJ questions the man in irritation.

"I told her the truth. She didn't like it" Dad shrugs nonchalantly.

"Everything, hmm. Everything I have, you fucking ruin" JJ mutters out angrily.

"I don't try to. Just happens naturally" Dad replies, glancing at me "You get that, right?"

The man walks away from me and leaves me with a heavy feeling of worthlessness, just like he always does.

The engine sputters to life and JJ jumps down onto the deck next to me, patting my shoulder. I smile at him reassuringly and nudge him playfully with my elbow.

"You got a full tank of gas..." JJ drawls off as we enter the cabin to see our dad packing away bottles of prescription pills "but I reckon that's only gonna get you to Jacksonville. You got money for gas, right?

"What do you think?" Luke retorts sarcastically as he unties the boat from the dock "Yeah, no. I'll figure it out"

JJ looks at me and I let out a sigh, nodding my head knowingly. I pull a couple wrinkled twenty dollar bills out of my bra and JJ pulls a couple from his wallet.

"Dad" JJ clears his throat.

Our dad looks up at us and his expression seems to falter when he sees the money in our hands. We hold it out to him and when he takes it, he grabs our wrists to stop us from walking away.

"Hey. Come here, kids. Come here" He says, pulling us towards him and placing a hand against each of our faces to make us look at him "I know I could've been better"

"We hadn't exactly been perfect either" JJ counters.

"Well, hey, perfect don't matter. You got good hearts" Dad tells us and my eyes fill with unshed tears.

JJ tries to pull away from the man's grip but he just pulls him back with a desperate look on his face.

"No, no. Come on. Can't let it end like this" Dad pleads with us "I'm going to Yucatán. I might never be coming back"

"It'll all work out" He adds.

"No, it's not" JJ whimpers "But maybe in the next life"

"Come on, J. Don't be like that" Dad sighs.

JJ wraps his arms around him and I take a step back to give them a moment.

"Take care, Dad, okay?" JJ sniffles.

Dad lets JJ go and pats his back as he walks over to the dock. I make a move to follow my brother, but I'm surprised by Dad pulling me into his arms.

"You did a good job, kid" He tells me "Y'know, I'm proud of you"

The dam immediately crumbles as I let out a sob, wrapping my arms around the man and hiding my tear stained face in his neck.

"I hate you, Dad" I cry out.

"I know you do" He breathes out.

I pull away from him and he gives me a weak smile, gently wiping away the tears rolling down my cheeks. He nods towards my brother and I take that as my queue to leave the man behind, joining JJ on the dock.

We watch as the boat pulls away from the dock and starts heading further away from us, getting smaller as it drifts out to sea. JJ pulls two bottles of pills out of his pockets and I can't help but let out a teary laugh, making him smile through his own tears.

"He's going to be so pissed" I rasp out.

"Good" JJ snorts, throwing the bottles into the trash bin.