Gold Digger// JJ Maybank- OBX

twenty two

*TW for this chapter- mention of drowning and death* (Scene marked with stars, if you wish to skip)

EVENING WAS creeping in when Scarlett finally worked out where JJ had disappeared too. She approached his house, hand reaching up to knock on the front door- when she heard a commotion from the back. She jumped slightly from the sudden noise before quickly composing herself. JJ was obviously in trouble, and Scarlett bet that it was his father causing the commotion. She ran round the side f the house, skidding to a stop just as JJ and his father came tumbling off the porch, breaking a large section of the screen. "Shit." Scarlett breathed. "JJ!" She cried, scared for the boy.

The blonde pushed himself up onto his elbows. He glanced over to her. "Get out of here, Red." He warned. Knowing the violent tendencies of his father, he couldn't risk Scarlett ending up in the middle of the fight.

Scarlett shook her head at him. "No. There's no way I'm leaving you alone with your dad, JJ."

JJ sighed, not in the mood for Scarlett's stubbornness. "Then just- stay out of this. Please. I don't want you getting hurt."

Anxiously, Scarlett kept her distance from the Maybanks. She desperately wanted to help JJ, but he had told her not to and she didn't want to piss him off anymore than he was. However, she knew if things became worse, she wouldn't hesitate to intervene.

JJ moved so he was kneeling over his father, angrily grabbing a fistful of his shirt. "You wanna steal from me?" He yelled, kicking his foot harshly into his father's ribs. "You gave me nothing! You gave me nothing but a shitty life!" He tightened his grip on his dad's jacket, sending forceful punches into the side of Luke Maybank's face. Luke turned his face to the side, spitting up blood into the grass. "All you ever did was try and scare me!" JJ continued, picking up a wrench from a bag that lay just to the side of him. "Well, guess what, Dad?" He held it up over his father's beaten body, as if he was about to use it as a weapon.

Scarlett rushed forward, placing a gentle hand on JJ's shoulder. "JJ, please." She said softly. "You don't have to do this."

He lowered the wrench, beginning to cry softly. "I ain't scared of you anymore." He began to sob as he stood up, leaving his father lying on the grass.

Scarlett watched as he walked away, picking up the duffel bag he had stolen from Barry's and disappearing into the house. She leaned over Luke Maybank, a scowl forming over her features. "You deserve to rot in hell for the way you've treated him." She spat, using her anger to kick him harshly in the ribs- just as JJ had done. Turning swiftly on her heel, she followed after JJ and caught him just as he was climbing onto his motorbike. "You okay, JJ? I know how much of a dickhead your dad can be-"

"You don't know anything about it, Scarlett!" JJ snapped, climbing off his bike and standing so he was in her face. She couldn't help but flinch at the use of her name and the way he was standing so close to her. "Why are you even here?"

"Because I care about you, J. I wanted to make sure you were alright, and clearly you're not." Scarlett explained, trying her hardest to hide her fear. This was a side of JJ she'd never seen before- despite a decade of friendship- and she was scared. Scared of how he was acting. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked up at him, her fingers reaching up and tracing over the light cuts plastered on his face. "Please, JJ... Let me help you."

JJ reached up with his hand, placing it over her own. But instead of holding her hand to his face, he moved it away- dropping her hand back to her side. "I don't need your help. I'm fine." He insisted.

Reaching out, Scarlett took his hand in hers. She began to gently run her thumb over the back of his hand. "But you're not, JJ. I can see that you're not fine." Her voice was soft and quiet, as if she was scared to speak any louder- scared of how he would react. "Let me in, JJ. Let me help you."