𝐽𝑈𝑆𝑇 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝑌𝐸𝑇 / JJ MAYBANK

𝟷𝟻

T H E P A S T

I sit outside the chateau by the water. My feet dangle above the water shimmering from the moon. I just need time to think about everything that has just happened. There I hear a few footsteps from behind.

I hope it's not JJ, but somehow I hope it is. I know if it was him, he'd just be saying stuff about how young I am and how he wants to protect me and everything. But I've had enough of that.

I turn around and see Pope sitting down next to me.

"Hey." he mumbles.

"Hey, Pope." I say back.

"You know, I'm sorry I blurted that out." He admits and looks over at me.

"It's okay. It's not your fault you came into the room that night." I say.

"Yeah." He mutters. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." I say and pointlessly throw a few rocks into the water.

Of course, I'm not okay. I just heard my father's voice after 9 months, who disappeared at sea. And then my brother found out that his best friend and I slept together. I couldn't be in a better place.

"Come on, Em. I know you." He looks over at me. "You're not okay."

"Yeah." I smile to cover my emotions.

Even though I don't really have to. Pope has kind of become my best friend. At least he's always there for me, listening. He understands my feelings and everything, unlike JJ.

"What is all this with you and JJ?" He asks all of a sudden.

"What do you mean?" I look at him in wonder.

"Oh don't pretend, you know what I mean." He smiles at me. "You like him, don't you?"

"No, no I don't. Not in that way, Pope. Not anymore." I murmur.

"Not anymore? Oh that's right, you have a boyfrie-"

"No, not because of that. It-it's stupid" i take a short break. „A few months ago when JJ and I slept together...well, the story still goes on." I admit.

"I knew it."

"We spent more time together in the days after.. you know, the thing happened. And I— I really started to like him, I'll tell you that honestly. But then I just saw him with a random girl in my bed. In my bed. Apparently, none of that mattered to him." I say and look down.

"Wow...I—I" Pope looks at the water for a moment, then back at me.
"You know JJ can be a real asshole sometimes, but he's got his heart in the right place. He tries to protect himself from getting hurt, under a facade of hurting others without meaning to."

"Yeah, whatever, it doesn't matter now." I shrug. "What about you? I know you suck too."

"Why should I suck too?" He asks, confused.

"Come on, Pope. I know you like Kie. And all this shit with John b and her is just hurtful right now, isn't it?"

"Yeah." He mutters.