𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

sixty-seven: Fighting.

SARAH NOW cleans up his wound and bandaged it, "let me know if I'm hurting you, okay?" The blonde girl asked as she pressed the bandage on. "You're doing just fine." The man groans softly. "Okay," Sarah finished off pressing the band-aid on the wound.

"Thank you, darling." Heyward said as Pope looks at his dad now. "Pop, what happened?" He asked. "Oh, I should've known better. He came in just as I was ahout to lock up. Caught me by surprise. Once he had me down, he put his knee in my chest, and he asked me about that... that... key from that drawing you showed me." He explained to his son.

Pope glanced up at JJ who had his arm around Kai's waist. "And in case you're wondering, I ain't tell him nothing." He says, looking at the other teens, making Kai smile faintly. "Now did you track it down?" He asked and Pope reached into his back pocket before taking out the key and holding it out to his dad.

"I found it in Mee-maw's old apartment above the pharmacy just like you said it was." He said as he sat down across his father. "Shit, boy, you should've gave this to me. I wouldn't have had to take a beating. What's the big deal? It ain't worth anything. Why they want it so bad?" Pope said, glancing at the other teens.

"I don't know. First, I get this letter telling me that I need to go to Charleston. And then I meet a rich lady who wants me to give her a key that I didn't even know was in my family." Pope explained to his father. "None of it makes any sense." Kie shook her head.

"Well, don't ya'll just sit here whining about it. Figure it out!" He tells them. "No. I'm just gonna give the key to that lady. It's definitely not worth--" "No, no, no. Did I raise you to back down from a fight, boy?" Heyward looks at his son with squinted eyes.

"No, sir."

"Well, alright. Now, I-I didn't think about it before. I admit that. But now... Now?" He pointed at his bandaged wound. "I'm interested. Well, did they say why they wanted it?" The man asked and Pope just nods. "Something about an old cross. I think it might be some kind of lost treasure." He explained. "You know who you should talk to?" Heyward says, holding out the key to his son. "Your great grandmother, Mee-maw." He tells the boy.

They headed back to the Chateau after and just yet again, Kai walks towards the docks. "I want to talk, Kai." JJ said, following behind his boyfriend. "Why? I don't want to..." Kai said as he took out his pack of smokes. "Can you please just... talk to me?" JJ grabbed his wrist and Kai sighed, stopping to turn around.

"Okay... what?" He said and JJ sighed. "You're keeping something from me... I want you to feel like you can talk to me. You can talk to me, you know that, right?" He asked and Kai laughed. "Like you can talk to me? JJ, we suck at communicating..." He sighs.

"I'm trying my best, I've never been in a committed relationship before ours." The blond says and Kai just pursed his lips, nodding. "Yeah... I can tell." He whispered. "What's that suppose to mean?" JJ asked, his brows furrowed together. "Well, I mean... JJ, all you did was fuck and flirt with people before me. So it's not that much of a surprise--" "not much of a surprise that what? I'm a shitty boyfriend?" JJ cut him off and Kai just bites the inside of his cheek, avoiding the question.

He sighed, "I wanna be alone..." He whispered before walking away and JJ huffs, walking away and taking off his hat, a habit he always has whenever he's irritated or upset.

Since they had plans tomorrow to drive Pope to the home Pope's great grandma was staying at, Kai got into bed after he ate and laid down, sprawled across the bed. He took out his phone and saw the message on his lock screen that made him let out a soft sigh.

Sterling
Ever since I pointed it out, it's all you're thinking about, right? Listen, I know you said you didn't want to hear me out, but I want you to know if it doesn't work out, I'll be waiting. And I'll even wait forever if I have to.

Kai took a deep breath and closed his phone, laying down onto his side as JJ walked into the room quietly, closing the door. He thought Kai was asleep as he got into bed, putting his arms around his boyfriend, being the big spoon. "Can we not fight? Like ever..." He whispered quietly and Kai just frowned at that.

"We're not fighting..." He moved to lay on his back and JJ flinched. "Jesus Christ... I thought you were sleeping." He said and Kai just chuckled softly. "I was about to sleep..." He said and then brought his hand up to the side of JJ's face, "sorry." He whispered.

"What for?" JJ brings his hand up, over Kai's and the dark haired boy just smiled. "For making you think you're a shitty boyfriend... you're good to me and I don't want you feeling that way." He says and JJ just smiled, looking away as his cheeks beneath Kai's touch become warm. Kai just smiled, admiring JJ.

The thought crossed his mind yet again, the nightmare bugging him played in his head. JJ pushing his hand away, "I wanna break up." It all felt like it could happen. A mere possibility and it just annoys Kai that he thinks of it so much. "Kie loves me. And I wanna be with her." Why did JJ have to like her? Why was this just now a constant thing for Kai to think about now? He knows both of them could never do that to him, especially Kie who's always rooted for him and JJ from the beginning.

But the what if plagued his mind, filling every thought he had about JJ, about that little what if that fucking Sterling had to point out. It was a minor problem before, because Kai knew they were just friends. But with how close the two were, he's becoming paranoid, despite knowing that JJ is extremely loyal to him.

 

AUTHORS NOTE
oh and this is just the beginning of all of the angst i had planned to 💔 anyways look at sterling, girlbossing kai back to him 😮‍💨 he's not gonna succeed tho (maybe...) hehe i love drama too much, this is so fun