I grin almost salivating over the ham and cheese sandwich I just made and I feel a pair of arms slide above my hips, his back pressed against me and my breath hitched. "What're you doing blondie?"
He nuzzled his head in the crook of my neck and I smiled, "Checking in on my girl." My girl, would it be cringy to say I think my heart grew ten sizes.
"I like that, My girl."
He hums and I turn in his hold and look down to my hands, ripping my sandwich in two perfect pieces, "one for me. One for you." I smile, I watch his eyes light up as he takes his piece. "Sharing your sandwhich, you must really love me"
I let out an airy laugh from my pursed lips about to give him a wiry reply but I was interrupted by the sound of someone calling my name.
I tilt my head in the direction of the back door and JJ follows, I got outside holding a hand to my face to block the sun from my eyes. "Yeah?"
My friends were awkwardly silent which was weird for us so I look around and my eyes land on a pretty blonde girl sitting on my dingy porch seats. "She's in on it now?" I arch my eyebrow. My brother nods. "Please Andie, tell him this is our things, a Pogue thing!" Kiara speaks up from beside me, I stay silent and she raises her eyebrow at me, "oh your best friends now?"
No matter how much I didn't like the idea of my brother with a kook even more, Sarah fucking Cameron it's who he fell for and honestly I was the last to judge him for that. "No Kie. Never but if John B is happy.. as his sister I just have to deal." I shrug with a half smile.
"Thanks Andie."
She scoffed, "you know, I don't remember taking a vote."
"I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all this." Pope adds, John B rolls his eyes, "When are you not uncomfortable."
"Thank you!"
"I don't know I rode here on the back of JJs bike pretty comfortable." Pope mumbles, I sit back next to JJ sending him a smile that he reciprocated.
"You know we were all extremely comfortable till you brought her." Kie tilts her head in the direction of Sarah, I glance at JJ with a knowingly look on his face and he side eyed Sarah making me stifle out a laugh.
"Stop taking to me like I'm not here!"
"Then leave." I had a feeling that half of kiaras anger wasn't from just John B, she never told me the real reason she didn't like Sarah, it was just a mutual feeling. My eyes widened watching the situation unfold in front of me, Sarah scoffs slightly. "I told you."
"Told him what? Exactly. That your a liar.."
"No that your a shit talking, bitch" Sarah spits out like venom, i cringe, wether I agreed with John B or not kiara is still my friend and I was gonna stick up for her if he liked it or not. "John B, I love you but get your girl," I demand, pulling Kie farther away from Sarah.
"I didn't lie about shit!—"
"Everyone shut up!" JB shouts making everyone go silent. "Kie your my best friend right?" John B asks her and she dartes her eyes in a obvious kind of way. "And Sarah you're my..." he chuckles, "Girlfriend."
I twist my face in disgust, "that's new."
"She's your girlfriend now?" Kie crosses her arms over her chest."what was all that talk about you were just using her for information?" She recalls "Get a map cut her loose."
He shakes his head, "look. Love just walked in, okay?"
I pretended to vomit and JJ pokes my ribs to show he saw that, I laugh and slide in the seat beside him, leaning my body on his and he discretely looped his arm around my waist. "That's corny," Pope whispers, I playfully swat him in the back of the head, the three of us taking this as a big joke.
"Look, cut the bullshit John B. If she's in I'm out." My eyes widened, "Kie? Come on?"
"No—" she stops me with her hand, "I'm actually curious JB, me or her?"
"Both," he replies almost instantly, if I had a dollar of how many times my faces changed in this conversation I'd be rich.
"If you ever chose a bitch over me I'd kill you in your sleep." I whisper in a sweet tone into JJ ear. He glanced at me with a smile then whistles, "Wrong choice brother."
"No. hey! Kie!" I call as she storms off down to the dock.
"Im gonna leave. Let y'all chat. Let me know." Sarah mumbled standing up from her seat and she used the door, when she was far enough I couldn't see her I started to talk. "Listen," I stood up. "I don't know how your going to fix it but it better be quick." I say to John B, walking into my house. The boys follow behind me and into the kitchen, "I know and I will," JB sighs.
"It's a no brainer your picking Kie," JJ cracks open a beer, i nod taking it out of his hand and stealing his first sip. "We can't do this without Kie, and you know it."
"and I can't do it without Sarah."
"They both have to be in on it." John B adds, Pope shakes his head, "Well good luck with that."
"You know what, I know this was my fault okay? But it's our problem. I've got a plan and you three shitheads are gonna help me out."
JJ coughs, "actually, I have plans." I eye him suspiciously as well as the other two in the room, "Yeah— my dad needs help with fixing our sink." He explains, nudging me with his elbow. I look at him confused but follow along. "And..i took an extra shift at the wreck." I lie.
John B nod then steals a glance form Pope. "Guess we'll have to pull this off."
—
"So what was that all about?" I ask when we finally get away from the crew, he clicks the keys to the van and I go to the other side and into the passenger seat. "I have to show you something." He states, clicking the engine on. I hum with a look of impression on my face. "So playboy, what's this surprise?" I ask, he rises his eyebrow. "We'll if I tell you it won't be a surprise."
I roll my eyes, "Come on you know I hate surprises," he boops my nose with his finger. "Sorry peaches."
I roll my eyes with a small smile turning up the radio, I listened to the first few seconds and realized it was Beyoncé. "I love this song," I mumble putting the music up a few notches. We were on the freeway now driving straight, the windows were down and the wind was blowing my curly hair behind me. I l could feel JJ starring from the corner of his eye. — I stayed up late last night trying to wrap my mind over the whole best friends for years—fell in love— thing. I still hadn't really made sense of the whole situation.
"We're here." He suddenly speaks, and I glance over to him, i sit upwards, dropping my feet from the dash and taking in my surroundings. "The tree?" I mumble in awe. JJ smiles, and stammers out the car and he runs around the vehicle, I stare confused only to realize he was coming to open my door.
"what?" He laughs, when he sees my arched eyebrow and dazed expression. I wasn't going to tell him I've never had someone open my door for me because he hates when I mention how I was treated in my past relationship my taste in guys haven't always been the best.
I snap myself out of my trance and take his outstretched hand, He leads me over to the beautiful jasmine tree. It wasn't just any tree. The jasmine tree it said to be the oldest tree in outerbanks, it had gorgeous white sprouting flowers that looked majestic in the sun, the grass had the most rich soil that has fueled the green meadow around which kept it growing all these years. it not to mention how euphoric it smelt, it was like breathing in fresh linen, you can smell it all over town in the summer nights, and it was even more popular for being a symbolism for love.
I grinned stepping under the tree and moving the vines behind me, the middle of the tree was amazing. written on the trunk was many years of peoples signatures and small love letter engraved within, usually I hate when people write on trees but with this one it was different, you see. the words were never permanent there. every few months the trees layers flaked off in some places. some names were from months ago and some were decades and the best part was you were forced to wonder where these people are now.
"It's so beautiful," I awed, he starred at the side of my face. "I knew you'd like it." My eyes flickered to his and he reaches up snapping a flower and tucking it behind my ear. I wouldn't of been me if I didn't say a joke, "that was corny but cute." I giggle.
"Always gotta ruin the moment."
I laughed and he led me to the other side and watched me take in the rest of the surprise, my eyes lit up at the sight of a blanket set up with rose petals laying on the pillow and a pink gift basket on top.
"You did all this?" I quiz, dropping my eyebrows in shock.
He nods and shyly turns away. "Just a little something"
I lean onto my knees and he does the same watching me look inside my gift, my eyes found fuzzy socks, my favorite purfume, bath n body works pink lotion and my favorite chocolates. I picked up a pink teddy bear behind all my other gifts and bring it close into my chest, breathing in the smell of JJ.
"I put my cologne on it so it smells like me."
I grin harder then I've ever smiled before, almost brought to tears on how sweet he was. I had never been treated like this before. "I don't know what to say JJ." I said in disbelief.
I feel my insides go warm, and my face lit up into an cheesy grin and I reach for him. "Come here." I ,pull him into a tight hug and he crossed his arms around me taking in a breath. We sit there for a solid minute holding each other, which to me spoke enough words.
I drew away and looks between the both of my eyes and then down to my lips, confidently. I could feel my heart beat accelerating as I could feel his breath on my mouth. it was soft at first but quickly we both realized we wanted more, his hands dropped down to my waist and he explored my skin with the pads of his thumbs making a fire ignite in my stomach. He grabs my waist and pulls me closer to me so that my body is pressed against his practically sitting on his lap, our lips move in unison but I frown when he disconnected our lips for a second.
"If we're going to do this we need—" I try to speak but he presses a kiss into my lips, "Rules." He kisses me again.
"rules?" He plants another one, not listening one bit. I smirk against his lips, "JJ."
He pulls away, Okay—yeah. Rules. I'm listening."
"Rule number one. No more arguing with my brother." I order. "Hey he starts it if he would just listen to my super radical and smart plans everything would work out. "
"First, ninety nine percent of the plans don't work out."
"Hey!"
I laugh, and he sighs. "Your right. No more arguing"
"Number two, talk to me about how you feel, I don't ever want you to be hurt alone." I list off. I knew that one would be hard for him.
"Cross my heart." He says doing the motion. I nod. "And lastly nobody can know until I figure out a way to tell John B. It has to be that way."
"Andie I'm not scared of your brother." I shake my head, "You're crazy."
"I'm crazy about you Rea." He makes my heart melt. I gulp hard feeling his warm breath on my lips, he inches forward, his eyes search mine and he caresses my cheek, I noticed that when he looked at me the world kinda just disappeared—-and it was just me and him.
"you're my.. girlfriend." He hesitantly whispered smiling a huge grin. "Guess it was fate" .
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AUTHORS NOTE
I love this chapter, finally they are official and I know it took forever to get here but it was all apart of Andies plot I couldn't just let her have a happy life JK JK buttt, I hope you enjoyed and I wish everyone a great weekend.
PS: YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GET SPAMMED WITH CHAPTERS I JUST FINISHED A-LOT ✅