SWEET NICOTINE | pope heyward

28, something's different

"You should tell him how you feel AJ" JJ told her, trying to meet the girl's eyes.

"You should tell her how you feel JJ" She repeated his words back and he scoffed again.

"That is not the same thing, Kiara and me are just-"

"the fact that you knew who I was talking about proves I'm right."

"no, it just proves that apart from you and Sarah there is only Cleo and Kiara left for girls in our group"

"Well you knew I wasn't talking about Cleo" AJ shrugged her shoulders.

"you are insufferable"

"but you love me" She hummed, placing her head in her hands.

"debatable" AJ scoffed at his words before grabbing the pillow from the couch and hitting the boy with it.

"how about this, I tell Pope about my feelings if you tell Kiara about yours" She proposed the deal and he shook his head.

"deal" He let out before grabbing the pillow she threw at him and tossing it back at her face.

"fuck you" She got out through laughter, grabbing the pillow and hitting him too.

The pair were in a fit of childish giggles as they hit each other with the pillow when they heard a vehicle pull up to the house.

Silence returned to the Chateau as both JJ and AJ stopped, the pair sharing a look. JJ leaned over to try and get a view. "Well look who it is" At JJ's words AJ stood and looked over too, John B getting out of the twinkie.

"It's after curfew young man" AJ playfully scolded.

"Yeah, it's nice of you to show up. You gonna spill the beans?" JJ asked.

"Yeah like how about telling us what's actually happening?" AJ raised a brow and John B sighed.

"Look I know I've been a little shady and uh, stretched the truth a little bit," John B said, walking over.

"Yeah that's called lying"

"Yeah, I know" John B shook his head.

"John B what's going on?" JJ questioned.

"My dad killed two guys. He was trying to protect me" AJ stared at him in shock.

"no, no, no. hold on, okay? You serious?" JJ stepped forward, both he and AJ sharing a shocked look.

"Yes. It was the guys from the coastal venture. They came here looking for Denmark's diary"

"Your dad capped them for that?"

"Yes," John B said and AJ looked from him to the van, a thought coming to her mind.

"where's Big John?" She asked and John B rubbed at his temple.

"Singh showed up, and they took my dad and then they tried to kill me. They took him to South America. All right" AJ couldn't process the information fast enough.

"Whoa, South America?"

"They're on the way to South America"

"Hold on" AJ put her hand up, trying to get everything through her mind.

"Then what? Then they're gonna off him? I don't know" John B was starting to freak out.

"John B, stop!" JJ sort of yelled to get his attention. "Just breath for a second" Another pause and in the silence AJ tried to run over everything. "I need to think" JJ let out. He moved from where they were standing to the porch stairs.