After the Storm- JJ Maybank (Outer Banks)

31.

I felt his body press against my back, running his hands through my messy hair. He was being gentle, trying not to pull hard. I felt his lips touch the side of my ear, pulling back to reach up to my forehead.

"You know I'd kill for you, my princess." His soft words whispered into my ear as he placed another kiss on to my forehead.

"I would too. We're in this together, baby."

"Always forever?"

I looked back, placing my hand on his cheek. I ran it down his face, seeing blood trail down my fingers. My eyes widened when I felt the knife exit my stomach. I quickly reached down to cover the wound, feeling the hot blood between my fingers. It ran down on to my bed. He grabbed my face and laid me down on the pillow, hovering his face over me.

"Always. Forever." I whispered in between breathy sighs.

He smirked.

"Good girl."

"Why did you do this, Rafe?"

"Because I never loved you. I manipulated you into thinking I did. I made you loose all of your friends, family, everything. I wanted you all to myself, and now I get to have you forever."

I sighed, feeling the last piece of life exit my body.

-

I sat inside John B's, listening to everyone whisper in the kitchen as JJ stood in front of me.

"Are you even listening to me, Rachel?" He snapped his fingers in front of me.

"I'm sorry, I was-"

He sighed, throwing his body on to the couch across from me. His head went into his hands.

"JJ, I'm sorry. I really am. I don't know why you're so upset."

"It seems as if you wanted to cover up that Rafe did something to you again."

"I just want everything to stop."

"He's gonna be put away for a long time. But, we can add a few more years if you go to the police again."

"I don't want to do that again. I just want to leave town. I can't do the OBX anymore, nothing but pain has happened to me here."

"You have nothing good here then? I'm just chopped liver?"

"Why are you taking everything so personally, JJ? This is why I keep to myself."

"Keep to yourself? Oh, so we've been keeping things from each other? Not me. I guess you can't say the same."

"I have never kept anything from you. I wasn't planning on covering this up. John B just came back and I wanted to be able to enjoy our time together without drama."

"Our lives are never going to be drama free, Rachel. This isn't the Figure Eight. You're a pogue, remember?"

"We're only 17, JJ. All of things we've been through should've never happened to us. We're too young for all of this. We should let the adults handle it."

"The only reason that Rafe is getting what he deserves is because of us. We got that gun, we turned it in, you spoke up. John B is free. He is finally fucking free and you're having doubts or some shit? I can't take this."

"You can't take it? Rafe assaulted me more times than I can count. He almost killed me last night and you're worried that I'm on his fucking side or something? Don't fucking talk to me, fuck you." I get up, walking out the front door.