BRIZO 2 | 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

32

"Pope, we're talking El Dorado here. Can you just slip out the back maybe?"

"Great advice," Kie mocks JJ.

"It always worked for me." He insists, "How to avoid unpleasant circumstances 101. If there's a problem and you don't wanna face it, turn that face and keister around and walk the other way."

"I'm not doing that, okay?"

"I just want you to be there, dog."

"Okay, enough." I cut in, grimacing at the pain of my throat. "Everyone go home, grab whatever you need, talk to your parents, whatever, I don't care." I wave my hand, "We'll meet at the airstrip in an hour. All right?"

The Pogues share concerned looks between them, but still no one disagrees with me. They all agree, and that's the end of the discussion. Pope and Cleo are off to the Heywards, Kie is also going home to talk to her parents, and I'm going with JJback to his home so he can grab some stuff.

JJ's house looks honestly depressing. But at least it's still standing. JJ is going around, throwing everything he can inside his backpack - clothes, his lighter with his initials engraved by me...

"You all right?" He asks carefully, eyeing me while I stand in silence looking at the pictures hanging on his wall. "You haven't said anything in a while."

"I'm alive. That's enough for today."

"Brizo-"

"Please, don't." My voice breaks. I sniffle, trying not to cry again. "I love you, I appreciate you trying, but I just don't want to talk about it, okay? Please, don't make me talk about it, JJ."

JJ swiftly slides his backpack over his shoulders and jumps over the bed to get to me. As soon as he wraps his arms around me, I can't help but break down crying again. I cling to his shirt, gripping it harshly while his hand holds my head, burying his fingers in my air.

"It's okay." He kisses my brow, "We don't have to talk about it. It's okay."

A car engine revving outside makes my sobs get cut in my throat. JJ still won't let me go. He keeps me close to him while he leans towards the window, checking the outside.

There's a black car that I don't recognize, but he must know it, given how his back tenses and the way he clenches his jaw.

"Who is it?"

"Shit, shit. We gotta go, come on."

He doesn't need to give me an answer. As he pulls me further away from the window, I catch a quick glimpse at Barracuda Mike getting out of the car.

"JJ! Your ol' buddy, Mike!" The man shouts, "You lost my load. Time to pay up!"

I'm not sure I'm gonna make it to 40. Not with the amount of stress my heart is handling.

I follow JJ around his house. He pushes me to the wall, taking his finger to his lips, telling me to stay quiet. We hear Mike kick open the back door from the other side of the house. JJ grabs my hand, and breaks out in a run towards the front door.

Both of us run as fast as we can, panting and trying to catch our breaths. Luckily for us, they haven't seen us leave.

JJ stays back while I keep running. I almost miss him. I stop dead on my tracks, waiting for him as he stares at his house, probably thinking it'll be the last time he sees it. JJ turns around, sniffling and whipping his nose with the side of his hand.

"You okay?" I ask, trying to catch my breath.

"I'm alive. That's enough for today." He repeats my words with a lopsided smile.