𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

XXXIII. I'm Sorry.

THE QUESTION caught Jake completely off guard as he looked back at the boy before him. "What? No... you're crazy. She's our friend." He says right away, denying it and JJ squints his eyes, nodding softly. "Sure... But come on, you were all for going home up until now. Is it because you upset Kie?" He asked and Jake shrugs, glancing around.

"I-I suppose it's a reason why." He says quietly and JJ smirks slightly. "I think you guys would be really cute. Forget everything else or the no Pogue-on-Pogue macking rule... You like her, don't you? It's the first girl since Liv." He says and Jake sighs, shrugging as he looks away. "For the past year or so... no one else really mattered to me the way Evie does." He says and JJ smacks his hand onto Jake's arm.

"But then Kie came along." He says and Jake just looks away, rolling his eyes. "It's really not like that." He says and JJ gestured. "Jake Lennox. Go to her." He says and Jake rolls his eyes. "You're stupid." He said but walked up the dock anyway to where Kie had disappeared off to. It was inside the Chateau.

She's sitting at the couch, strumming her ukelele and looking at the floor. He quietly walked over and sat down in front of her. He glanced up at her and she doesn't meet his gaze. "I'm sorry I raised my voice." He says quietly and she finally looks at him. "I'm usually never... like that. I actually have a very high patience, ever since I became a dad. But I was at the edge already and I've been tense recently... So, I'm sorry." He finished off his apology by saying he's sorry once again.

"Jake?" She looked at him and he meets her eyes. "How come I didn't know?" She asked quietly and he shrugs. "You never asked..." He chuckles and she just rolls her eyes with a small smile as she glanced away.

"Fair point... But I would've loved to known. Like the others clearly do." She glanced away and he sighs. "It's not really something I like to parade around. I mean, I love Evie, I really do, she's my little miracle but it's... not exactly something I'm proud of, being so dumb at such a young age, I mean, I was only fifteen." He says and she looked at him right away.

"Holy shit... really?" She asked and he nods. "Your Kook year? Uh, I met this girl and I really liked her and... well, she got pregnant and now I'm stuck all alone with Evie. My girl." He emphasized, looking at her and she slowly nods, glancing away from his gaze.

"Anyway... I-I'm sorry for yelling at you." He says as he looks down and Kie just sighs. "You guys were right... I do feel guilty. I felt like I wasn't a good enough best friend for John B. That's why I'm always doing my best to support him." She confessed and he looks up.

"And that's okay. But you don't have to hold onto the past, alright?" He says, grabbing her hand and she looks at their hands before looking up at him. "We can't change the past, right?" He says and she just nods, looking away. "I do feel like shit... Pope and I just ganged up on you and I'm sorry. That wasn't very nice of me." He said when he pulled his hand away. "It's fine..." She says but the look in her eyes still makes him feel like shit.

She was crying like he thought she was. "You should go home to your daughter, you're right. Your life doesn't revolve around your stupid friends..." She says and he looks up at the girl. "Yeah. It doesn't. Cause you guys are my family." He says and she looks at him right away. He smiles when he saw that certain glimmer in Kie's eyes had come back.

She smiles back before looking away. "So... what's she like? Your girl?" She asked and Jake chuckles. "Oh... she's really cute. Very cute, cuter than me." He says and she chuckles back. "She's the reason why I'm all in on this. All of it, the gold and stuff... I'm doing this for my girl. So that I can get out of here with her. It'll just be me and her, on the road." He smiles at his little daydream of him driving in his dream car, Evie in the back seat and everything.

"That sounds nice..." Kie says, staring at him and he glanced up, smiling before looking away. "And who is she? The... mom?" She asked and he looks down, pursing his lips. "Can we have that conversation another time?" He asked and she quickly nods. "Of course."

The two sat in silence when JJ walked in, twirling the boat keys in his hand. "You two make up? Or make out?" He asked and Kie tossed a pillow at him as Jake rolls his eyes. But the thought has both of them blushing.

In the morning, Jake noticed the van arriving to the Chateau and John B coming out of the driver's side. After that, he fills them in on everything down by the boat, about how all of the gold was gone from the well.

"You sure he got everything?" Kie asked, glancing over at Jake who's sitting by where John B was laying down. "Every bar. The whole enchilada." John B then takes off his cast making Jake look at him. "Look, it's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit." He tossed it to the side and Jake sighed.

"John B." Kie says and the boy glanced up at him. "What, Kie? It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?" He asked him and Jake glanced away, rolling his eyes at that. "You should care. Your arm's gonna be messed up for life." Jake tells him and John B raised his arm. "It's fine. See?" He wiggles his fingers and tapped Jake who just glanced at him again.

"Guys!" Pope came running down the pier making them all look over at the panting running boy. "Guys!" He slowed down. "Oh! Oh! Oh, God. I ran all the way here." He says as Jake stood up, crossing his arms. "You alright?" John B asked and Kie looks at Pope. "How was the interview, Pope?" JJ asked.

"Don't ask." Pope pants as Jake leans against the rail. "JB." He stood up straight. "Look, I'm sorry, dude. About everything." He says. "It's fine." The curly haired boy replies. "But-- but I don't have a lot of time, and-- and I have information that is tactically relevant." Pope tells him. "So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane. Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off." He explains to him.

"So, I'm there sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, hm. Why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?" He asked as John B slowly sits up. "Gold." JJ answers him.

"That's right." John B says as Pope exaggeratedly flailed his arms before pointing at the blond. "Exactly." He says and John B looks up at him. "Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go." Pope says as Jake glanced around at them all.

"Guys, we can't give up now." Kie said as she got off the railing she was sitting on. "What's the plan, big man?" JJ asked John B who they all look at now. "We're gonna steal that shit back." John B says, smiling at him.

"Let's do this!"

"Come on, boys!"

 

A.N.
jake and kie <3
that's all.
living in my mind rent free 🫶