Thalassophile // JJ Maybank

Chapter 25

"Stealing drones makes you hungry." Kiara chirps as she climbs out of the back of the van.

JJ climbs out behind her. "What I would do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now."

"It would not be pretty." Pope says to JJ.

"I don't think I've eaten since yesterday." I announce, climbing out of the car.

"Damn, girl. You need to eat." JJ exclaims, wrapping an arm across my shoulders.

We all walk into The Wreck behind Kiara.

She sighs in content before greeting her father. "Hi, Dad. How did we do?"

"Didn't turn it over once." Her dad answers from behind the counter.

"It's probably just bad luck because of the storm." Kiara tries as she walks closer to her dad.

Kiara's dad wraps his arms around his daughter. "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell the banks that."

I tune out the rest of the conversation as the rest of us make our way over to the other side of the store. I look down at someone's plate of food as we walk by it. My stomach lets out a low growl.

I notice Kiara and her father look over at the four of us. The boys wave and I give a thin lipped smile as they watch us.

Kiara turns back to her dad for a brief moment before looking back at us. "Sit down."

"Oh, thank god." I say plopping down onto a chair nearby.

Kiara's dad and his daughter come out of the back room seconds later with baskets of food. I grab a thing of fries and start eating them. The boys screw around, throwing food at each other, laughing loud.

I smile in amusement as I watch them.

"What, little red?" John B asks nodding his head at me.

"You guys are chaotic." I inform him. That's when a fry hits the side of my face. I look over at JJ, my mouth hung open.

"You love it." He tells me.

"Do I?" I question. He goes to throw another fry at me but I got him with one of mine first. He lets out a chuckle, scooting my chair closer to his. He presses a chaste kiss to my cheek before continuing to scarf down food.

Kiara comes over to us with a pitcher of water, filling our cups before setting it down. She shuffles along to the music before pointing at John B. She wiggles her finger, gesturing for him to get closer. He gets up from his chair and walks over to her.

I look over at JJ in confusion, but he has an eyebrow raised instead. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yeah." He nods as he grabs my hand, pulling me up from my seat.

"Come on, Pope." I yell to the boy. He smiles as he gets up from his seat, walking over to JJ and I.

I had an arm wrapped up and around JJ's neck, his front presses against my back. His hands were placed firmly on my hips as he grinds into me. I do the same, grinding back against him. My other arm was wrapped around the back of Pope's shoulders as the three of us swayed to the music.

***

Heyward hands JJ two bags of groceries before handing me one. "You guys get these over to Figure Eight. Get straight back here when you're done. No fishin'. I promised delivery by this afternoon. Rich folk don't wait for you lazy sons of... oh, JJ, thank you. Sons of bitches."

Pope starts the boat, pulling into the Marsh.

"Doesn't even look like the storm hit here." Pope notices as we drive by Figure Eight houses.