Carefree || JJ Maybank

Chapter One Hundred Fourteen

*Two months later*

Most people think getting a ton of money at once can only be dangerous. Especially when you are at the age of just finishing out your teen years. It didn't scare the Pogues, though. After everything they'd been through to get to this point. Things could only go up.

Costa Rica.

After getting their lives just a little more together and figuring things out. JJ and Everleigh planned their long awaited and well deserved surf trip. Just the two of them on an escape from reality.

The blue water was like nothing they'd ever seen in person before. When she looked at it sparkling, she didn't think of crystals or even the sky. It reminded her of JJ's eyes. One of the most comforting sights, her favorite thing in the entire world.

They woke up at eleven in the morning. No rush to be anywhere. All they had waiting for them was another day of surfing and eating new foods.

"Good morning, princess." JJ woke up. The first sight of her laying on his chest made him smile every morning. They way her hand rested on his torso and her leg would intertwine with his.

The sun that blared through the window made her squint and turn away. But he was quick to turn with her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her back up to his bare chest. JJ leaned his head around the crook of her neck and kissed her jawline. "Morning."

The wake up process took however long they wanted, taking in every second of what used to be a dream and now was reality.

They laid around for fifteen minutes, vaguely planning out their day and preparing for the guidelines of what they might want to do. Just as they had every other day of their trip, they'd start out with surfing.

Everleigh was able to get a new surfboard. It was the first purchase she made after getting all of her money from helping to find El Dorado. It was an unrealistic amount, none of the Pogues had ever seen so much money in their entire lives, combined.

After breakfast, they both got dressed and put sunscreen on each other, prepping for another long day on the beach. It was a short drive in the 1966 Chevrolet Camaro Everleigh bought. It was her second purchase after getting same exact surfboard that burnt down in the chateau fire. The first thing JJ bought was a 42 XO from Regal boats. Everleigh was surprised he didn't buy a fishing boat, but she eventually figured he bought it more for her than he did for himself.

They blasted their music until they got to the beach, sprinting for the water the second their feet hit the sand. The freedom they felt was unmatched. For the first time, they finally weren't running from anyone. They were safe and together, and now they were in the ocean, surfing waves they could've sworn were bigger than the mountains they'd hiked to even get to El Dorado.

The only time they'd stop for a break was when they were hungry. They'd go eat lunch, and then settle for just a few minutes before hitting the waves again. They were living the lives they dreamed of living when they were kids. Being rich, meant they could be carefree. But they did being Kooks and rich, in a Pogue way. High risk, low reward, but a perfect life.

They surfed until the sun started to set, Everleigh practically having to drag JJ out of the ocean by his ear. They had a dinner reservation at Ristorante La Pecora Nera, and Everleigh wasn't going to be late.

The drive back to their hotel wasn't nearly as energetic as their drive to the beach, they were drained. They rushed home and rushed to get ready. Everleigh wore a light blue dress, perfectly fitting around her body and made her tan look much darker than it actually was. She brushed through her knotty hair and let it fall into the natural wavy shape the ocean gave it. JJ dressed up too, and it made Everleigh smile.

Their ride to the restaurant was full of laughter and chatter about their trip, knowing that eventually it would end. Of course they missed their family at home, but the surf trip was worth the time away.

Ristorante La Pecora Nera was beautiful, they were seated right away, and the menu was so big, they didn't know what to get first.

Eventually they did order, which left them to talk by themselves for the time being. "I'm so glad we were able to do this." JJ smiles, swirling his drink with his straw.

"Do you remember when we came up with this?" She asks in reply, scanning his face. He chuckles and nods, running a hand through his hair. "We were in a cargo container. B team. It was so, so hot. And, we thought we were gonna get the cross." She continues.

JJ looks back up into the eyes of Everleigh. "We found Poguelandia that day. It feels like forever ago." He says, making her nod her head in agreement. "I just wish we weren't so young."

Her face folds into confusion, tucking her hair behind her ear. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that now we have money." JJ shares. "I wanna give you everything, Ev. I mean, you still wear the promise ring I stole for you, you won't even let me buy you a better one."

"Because I love this one, JJ."

JJ shakes his head, "That's not the point, Ev, I wanna marry you. I wanna give you the wedding of your dreams and I want to be the other half of it. I'm ready now, but we're still only seventeen."

A soft smile crawls onto her face again, holding his hands across the table. "Crazier things have happened, babe." JJ looked like he had no more words to say. If he had an engagement ring on him, he would've dropped to the ground on his knee and proposed right then and there. "We'll give it time. You're the boy I want for the rest on my life. JJ, you will know when the time is right."

Everleigh wasn't expecting JJ's eyes to water. She couldn't help but slightly laugh at him. JJ shook his head with a smile. "You say that like you'd ever have a chance at getting rid of me."

"Oh trust me, I know."