The Ocean Remembers | JJ Maybank

C H A P T E R 14

TAKE CARE OF HER

𝐈 𝐖𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐘 to the sound of JJ's snores, his arms still wrapped around me. His snores weren't very loud but I could still hear them and it made me smile.

I slowly took his arms off me and got up from the bed, relieved to see he didn't open his eyes. I went to the bathroom, fixed my hair and brushed my teeth, before going to my mother's room, just to see if she was back home. I opened the door, made my way to her bed and noticed she wasn't in there. Her bed was still made, so I figured she had not gone back home and I started to panic.

I rushed downstairs, to the living-room, and it's when I noticed she was asleep on the sofa, a bottle of Vodka on the ground next to her.
I sighed and kneeled next to her, which had me noticing she was breathing and she looked quite fine. She had big bags under her eyes, bigger than they usually were, even though she always kind of had them on her tired face.

I threw the empty bottle in the trash can, put a pain killer with a glass of water near her for her headache when she wakes up, and kissed her head. I had learnt how to take care of her, how to deal with her when she was hungover through those years. I turned around and saw JJ leaning against the door frame, smiling a little. I blushed awkwardly, because I didn't want him to be there. It couldn't be how he met my mother for the first time.

He walked to me slowly and gave me a warm hug, as I felt tears coming slowly in my eyes. I hugged back tightly, appreciating the feeling of his body against mine, and my head against his skin. His naked chest was warm, I could feel my cold hands against the skin of his back were giving him goosebumps. He hugged me tighter and I felt even safer.

Something about him was reassuring, I couldn't tell what, maybe it was simply his presence, but I felt like everything was okay as long as he was here, with me. We stayed silent for a little while, holding each other, here in the living-room, next to my asleep and drunk mother.

He softly kissed the top of my head and we pulled away. "Why'd you leave the bed so early?" he demanded, his sleepy voice tickling my ears.

"Early? It's 11am JJ," I laughed and he rolled eyes like he didn't really care what time it was.

"Well, it is what I call early," he laughed.

I smiled softly and looked at my mother, as he grabbed my hand holding it into his. His contact gave me confidence, and I knew he was doing it on purpose. He hugged me from behind, looking at my mother too. He kissed my temple softly, as I closed my eyes. "You're such a great daughter for her," he whispered.

"Thank you," I answered. "Let's not stay here watch her all day"

He took his arms off me and we both walked away from the living-room. As he was walking before me, I could see his muscular back, looking very hot.