Lust // John B // Outer banks

Chapter 20

John B's POV

I stand with Laila in the kitchen while she scrambled some eggs, being genuinely disappointed in the fact that Cameron's interrupting our time here. Our time together. Our morning.

I help her carry three plates of food to the dining room, sitting around the table with the two, sitting next to Laila rather than across from her. She and Cameron talk some more about back home and how different things happen to be now, and then she asks a question.

"So where's your brother? I thought they were flying him out?" She asks, causing me to mentally face palm. ANOTHER guy? You're kidding. It cannot get any worse for a naturally jealous and protective guy than it already is.

"Oh, he's here. Your parents are letting him stay in a hotel nearby because he didn't want to stay here." He tells her, and she giggles at it and asks when she can go and see him too. Why does there have to be two of them? Why does there even have to be one? It's so unfair, I just want her to myself. I'm tired of losing people.

"John B, are you alright?" She asks me, pointing out that I haven't really touched any of my food. I nod, and excuse myself and ask her if she's cool if I go and lay down for a little bit. She shoots me a concerned glance as I stand up from the table, pushing my hair in behind me.

I walk upstairs to her bedroom, laying down on her bed. It probably sounds weird, but her room and bed smells like her and it's rather comforting. I bury my face in the sheets, exhaling deeply.

It's not even lunch time and I'm already ready to curl up at home and go to sleep, shits tough man. Meeting Laila gave me a little break, but now it seems like that break is gone, and chances are I won't get it back. Just like my Dad. Gone without a trace.

After about 20 minutes of just laying there and overthinking everything that's happened in the past week or two, all the way up until when my dad disappeared, my feelings begin to become negative.

I don't want to hurt Laila, and I don't want to get hurt either. I've had commitment issues ever since my dad left, and I thought maybe I'd avoid them here, but I think they're starting to shine through. There's no way this is going to work, I'm just going to fuck it up, or I'll just get hurt.

She opens the door to her bedroom and walks in alone, closing the door behind her. I stare at her with a blank expression, not really sure what to say to her after being so deep in my thoughts. She walks over to me and wraps me in a big hug when I sit up, making me frown.

"What's wrong?" She asks me, and I don't answer. Her face goes from concerned to absolutely hurt while I put on my shoes, and walk out of her bedroom. Cameron glances at me from down the hall, but doesn't say anything. Laila follows me down the stairs, continuously asking me to tell her what's wrong and to talk to her.

I shrug her off, feeling like she only wants to mess with my feelings, and walk out her front door. She walks out onto the front porch with me, closing the door behind her. "Stop following me, Laila." I say to her in a harsh tone, seeing a look of fear flash across her face.

She returns back inside while clearly about to cry, and I continue walking. I wish I didn't have to do this, but it's for the best. Better for both of us, before it spirals into something that neither of us can control.

As soon as I reach my house, I see that JJ's car isn't present, and neither is anybody else's but mine. Great, some alone time. I walk inside and lock the door behind me, as my phone begins to vibrate. I pull it out of my pocket, seeing Laila's name flash across the screen.

I sigh and sit my phone down, letting the call ring because I can't bring myself to answer, nor decline it. I don't want to become an asshole to her, but I really think that distance is what we need. It's not going to end well and I just can't commit to anything, and I don't want to lead her on. That's wrong.

Laila's POV

I sigh as my third call rings through, and I give up at that point. Cameron took an uber to go see his brother, so now I'm left at home by myself stuck in my feelings, and it's only 12pm. I don't even know what I did wrong, did I even DO anything wrong?

I flopped down on my bed as the tears began to flow again. Here I am, crying all over again. This time over a boy that I thought could make things safe and alright after everything that's happened.

I turn around and lay face down into my pillow, just letting everything out. Did he find somebody new? Did I say something? I just want to know what I've done wrong. He made me feel like I wasn't alone right after moving here, and it didn't last long.

I pick up my phone and try to call him one more time, but this time the call just goes straight to voicemail after two rings. I sigh after that, placing my phone down on my nightstand. I have an idea.

Payton told me previously that Sarah was almost basically the problem child of her family, and she misses so much school that her parents have to pay the school to cover up her attendance records to protect her chances of her going to a good college.

I jump down the stairs and run as fast as I can over to the Cameron's house, knocking on the door. Rafe opens the door, looking heavily confused. At this point I'm holding back tears, and he just stands there with the door open looking at me as if he's waiting for me to say something.

I try as hard as I can to not let the tears flow when I speak, but as soon as I open my mouth my eyes start to water up. "Is Sarah here..?" I ask as the tears start to roll down my cheeks, I try my hardest not to start ugly crying. I know that Sarah just went through a breakup recently, and I know she'll understand what I'm going through.

"No.. I'm sorry. What's up?" he asks me, as if I'm not just standing on his porch, crying my eyes out. He looks absolutely clueless as to what to do, so I turn around to leave, so that I can freak out in peace.

"Laila, wait." he says, causing me to turn around and wipe my eyes with my wrist. "Come inside, we're here for you.." He tells me, and for some stupid, stupid, STUPID reason, I follow him inside.

The second that I take a step inside and the door is shut behind me, my body is filled with immediate regret.

A/N thank u guys so much for blowing this story up!! Back to 25 votes for the next chapter. I think I'm gonna make all the new chapters only 25