UNTOLD | JJ Maybank

Chapter 26

"Of course, honey. Here, take some water for the way. I will send Kiara with some soup tonight. I mean, if she will show up tonight, she's spending more time at your house anyway." Malou gladly accepted the bottle of water that the woman handed her and instantly felt regret wash over her. Malou couldn't understand how Kiara kept turning down her parents. They were great people. Great parents. After saying her goodbye, Malou left the restaurant. She walked around the restaurant slowly, until she was out of sight and then started to run off to Kiaras house. Malou had sneaked inside Kiaras room a few times and had seen Kiara sneak out just as much. She had no trouble to open the window and quickly climbed inside. Even though she knew, that nobody was home, she still tried to sneak through the house as quiet as she could. Downstairs, she grabbed the keys off the kitchen counter and left the house through the front door. Malou opened the truck and got inside the drivers seat.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Carrera.", she mumbled to herself, before she started the car. She drove off and quickly made her way to the Cut, where she knew JJ waited for her. When she saw the blonde boy walking down the road, she slowed the car down. The car stopped next to him and he turned his head around. Their eyes met and JJ opened the door to get inside the car.

"We have to get tow ropes at my place.", JJ said and gestured Malou to keep driving. Malou nodded, before asking him what had happened. JJ gave her the short version of the story, short enough that he finished it right, when they reached his place.

"Just a minute.", he said and Malou nodded again, watching how he got out of the car and walked up to the house. Malou lost sight of him, when he went inside and she sighed. Tapping her fingers against the steering wheel nervously, she impatiently waited for him to come back. This couldn't take so long, right? Just when she felt anxious enough, that she was ready to look for him, she saw him coming back. But he wasn't alone. JJs father followed him. Malous mouth fell open and her eyes went big. Immediately, she got out of the car and walked up to them.

"What the fuck?! No, immediately, no!", she said and caught JJs gaze. He looked very unamazed and clearly pissed off.

"We have to drop him off first."

"What?! Hell, no! I'm not taking that bastard anywhere!", Malou said and made sure to talk loud enough and look into the direction of JJs dad while she insulted him.

"Ok, stop, Malou! Look, he's leaving the Outer Banks alright? If I help him now, I hopefully never have to do it again, ok?", JJ explained angrily, after he had carefully grabbed Malou by her arms, something he always did to make sure, that he got the attention of his counterpart.

"Whatever.", Malou mumbled and pulled away from JJ to get back inside the car where Luke already waited in the backseat.

"Tough girl, I can see why my son likes you.", he said with a smirk and it took Malou everything to just ignore him.

"Don't talk to her.", JJ told him, when he got back inside the passenger seat. His father raised his hands in defence and Malou rolled her eyes, before she started the truck and drove off again. A few minutes of a very silent and awkward drive, JJ told Malou to stop at a small shop. He shot his father a warning glare, before he got out of the car and walked inside the small supermarket. Malous eyes had followed him, staring at him intensely in hope, he would come back faster.

"So, your brother is ending up just like your dad. What about you? Planning on follow in your mothers' footsteps? Looking for the adventure in dating a pogue and then leaving him and your kids, once you get something better?", Luke asked and Malou took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. Luke smirked, noticing, that he slowly got under her skin. He leant forward a little and tilted his head so he could look at her profile.

"I mean, I'm not judging. You could definitely do better than my son. He can't give you much, it's in his blood." At his words and the arrogant sound of his voice, Malou snapped. Instead of shouting or insulting him, Malou lifted her arm and hit her elbow right in his face. With his hands holding his now bleeding nose, Luke leant back in his seat.

"You bastard. You don't even really know your own son, you don't have a fucking clue how special he is. So, shut your fucking mouth.", Malou spat and quickly turned back around in her seat, when she saw JJ walking back to the car. He opened to door to the back to throw some sandwiches and beer on his father's lap. Noticing his bleeding nose, JJ questioningly looked back and forth between his father and Malou, who both seemed to avoid his gaze. Deciding to ignore it, JJ got back inside the passenger seat and told Malou where to drive next. About 10 minutes later, Malou stopped the truck again. She turned off the motor and watched how Luke and JJ walked up the dock to a boat. Watching them from a distance, Malou eventually exhaled deeply before she decided to get out of the car. She walked up the dock halfway and waited there for JJ to come back, not wanting to interrupt whatever their last words were. Watching the water crash against the wood and listening to the sound of it, Malou rested her elbows on the handrails and her head on her hands. Eventually, she heard footsteps and turned around to see JJ coming up to her. Malou reached her hand out to him and JJ didn't hesitate to take it. Hand in hand, they walked down the dock again in silence.

"Let's go, I'm afraid the Twinkie already drowned.", JJ said and wanted to pull away from her to get inside the car, but Malou pulled at his hand.

"Are you ok?", Malou asked him and JJ nodded.

"Yeah, sure. One problem less, right?", he replied and Malou tilted her head, staring at him.

"What do you want me to say? Yeah, it sucks. I mean, I know it's stupid, but I always hoped we would get another chance you know. That he would change and make up. It's just... kind of final now, that we won't. I know it's stupid."

"It's not stupid. He's your dad after all. It's ok to feel a little emotional.", Malou assured him and watched how he nodded slowly. Noticing how his eyes filled with tears, Malou pulled on his hands again, before she let go of his and wrapped her arms around his neck. JJ hid his face in the crook of her neck and wrapped his arms around her lower back, hugging her tightly.

"I love you, JJ.", Malou whispered, holding onto him, like their lives depended on it. And god, if she had known before, what would await them in the next 24 hours, she would have hold on to him a little longer. Or maybe forever.