𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

XXXVII. Beautiful.

    

      JAKE SHOOK his head, sighing, "stop. Can you stop?" He looked back at JJ who looks at him, chuckling. "Hey... Uh, be honest, you... liked Kie, didn't you?" He asked and JJ furrows his brows. "Yeah... I mean, we all like her. She's our friend." He reasoned and Jake just looks away. "No... like, more than a friend. You said it yourself before. You... think she's hot." He says and JJ shrugs, looking around.

"Yeah, for sure... But it's so clear she likes you, bro." He says and Jake shrugs. "I feel kinda bad... I think Pope really liked her too." He says quietly and JJ shook his head. "I guarantee you that despite how Pope feels about her, he'd care more about you being happy..." He says and Jake just looked away.

"Do you really think she likes me?" He looked back over at JJ who immediately nods. "It's kinda gross to watch you two sometimes. The will they? Won't they? kind of shit," he says and Jake just rolls his eyes, smiling faintly. "It's just... too sudden and difficult at the moment. Especially with everything else." He shrugs and JJ nods, looking out the window.

When Pope and Kie got back, Jake couldn't help but notice the tension between them. "You two okay?" He asked and Kie immediately nods, turning off her flashlight. "Of course." She said so Jake glanced back at Pope.

They ended up at the Wreck for the night where they all took tables where they can lay down onto the tables and get some rest. Jake looked up to see Kie approach him. "Hey." She said and sat onto the table next to where he was sitting. "Hey." He smiles faintly.

She glanced over to where Pope and JJ were, seeing Pope glance over to where the two of them were as Jake sighs, fidgeting with his hands. "Hey... so will you finally tell me about her? The mom?" Kie asked as she slides further to the wall side of the table before she laid down, resting her head gently onto the top of the table and Jake glanced at her.

His eyes linger on her for a moment, thinking about how pretty she looks before looking away. "Uh, yeah... Her name was Liv, short for Olivia and she was... nice and pretty. But I think it was just a front. She showed her true colours the night Evie was born... She just left." He says, fidgeting with his hands some more and Kie just stared up at the ceiling.

"Shit... that sucks." She says and Jake nods softly. "Yeah. I always told myself I'd never leave my kids like my dad did, but unfortunately, the first kid I ever have and she doesn't get to have a present mom." He explains as he turns around so he's facing Kie who moves to lay on her side, facing him completely.

"I'm sure you're enough for her." She put her hand on top of his and he looked at her in the eyes right away. "Thanks..." He said, glancing down at their hands, putting his other hand on top of hers. Kie finds it comforting so she just closes her eyes and Jake stayed there like that the whole time, holding her hand. Once she fell asleep, he looked up at her.

She looks so pretty. He couldn't get over it, how beautiful she looks doing anything. Putting people in their place, rambling about turtles and saving the planet, or even just sleeping. She never puts an effort into any of it, yet still looks so pretty and breathtaking.

He leaned closer and kept his hands on her hand, before resting his head on top of the table where she's sleeping. He fell asleep like that, still holding onto her hand. In the morning, Kie had woken up first, sitting up and listening to JJ and Pope talk. She looked down at Jake who's still sleeping before she spoke up as she looked over at the boys by the door.

Jake woke up right when Kie walked out, going after Pope so he got up slowly. "What's going on?" He asked as he rubs his eyes. "What do you think? Pope's taking off to get gas and there's obviously tension between him and Kie." JJ replied as Jake stood next to him while Pope kept revving the dirtbike to avoid Kie who's trying to talk to him. Jake stepped outside as Pope drove off and before he can say anything to Kiara, a helicopter flies over. "Who the hell is that?" JJ asked the other two.

"So, what was that about?" Jake asked Kie who came back up the steps leading to the door and she sighed. "I kind of... hurt his feelings the other night so I guess he's angry at me." She says and Jake furrows his brows slightly.

Inside the Wreck, the three of them gathered some food and supplies together while Kie explained Pope had said something to her that caused her to have a bad reaction to it and how Pope was hurt by her. "But it's Pope, he-he'll get over it... Right?" Jake asked as he then glanced over at JJ next to him.

"Yeah... totally." He shrugs as he stuffs the supplies into the box in front of him. "You sure he wasn't just being weird Pope?" He then asked, looking at Kie who grabs some bread. "It wasn't really the kind of thing that needed interpretation." She explains.

"Is that gonna be enough food for them?" Jake asked as he peers over JJ's shoulder to look inside the box. "I mean, for a couple of weeks, and that's all they need, so..." JJ grabbed his backpack and walked off with the box as Kie looks at Jake. "Look, I think I actually hurt his feelings." She tells him.

"Don't beat yourself up too much, Kie..." He says as they now walk side by side to outside the exit where JJ was waiting. "Yeah, he's completely changed his feels. The past 24 hours have been like Jekyll and Hyde." He says as he heads out the building first with the pair following behind. "I hate to admit it, but I miss the old Pope. At least I knew what to expect from him." She says as JJ put the box of food into the back of the green SUV.

"Where have you been?" A curly haired brown haired woman approached Kie who Jake assumed was her mom as he glanced over. "Um... I-I'm fine. I slept here." She gestured to the Wreck. "Well, we were up half the night, scared to death, lookin' for you. Were you even gonna tell us?" She asked Kie as JJ shut the back door, glancing at Jake.

"Well, I'm telling you right now." Kie tells her as the woman looks at Jake and JJ. "Alright. What the hell are you three up to?" She asked, looking back at her daughter. "I'm sorry, Miss Anna. We just gotta go." JJ tells her.

"No. I'm sorry. Absolutely not." The woman says as the two boys go to the other side of the car. "Anna? Why are you on first name basis with Kie's mom?" Jake whispers and JJ nudged his arm with a wide grin. "Don't be jealous." He says as Jake rolls his eyes, getting into the front seat and the blond got into the back.

"I'm sorry, mom. I have to go!" Kie said as she got into the car and Jake just awkwardly glanced to them. "These cops are armed, Kiara. You're gonna get shot." Kie's mom said worriedly and the teen girl looks at her. "I have to go!" She tries to close the door. "I am not letting you do this!" Anna refused, keeping the door open. "Mom, John B needs me!" She exclaims and Jake fidgets with his hands.

"I understand. I'll be careful."

After she got the door closed, Kie kept apologizing to her mom as she started the engine before driving off. The drive is quiet and Jake kept glancing over at Kie who looks like she feels guilty about the whole thing. So, he reached out and grabbed her hand gently.

She grips his back softly, glancing at him before she went back to focusing on the road. JJ glanced down at their hands and smiled faintly before glancing out the window. Just so she can use both her hands, Jake pulled his hand back gently and kept glancing at her again as she adjusted her hair, pushing it behind her ear with the hand she had used to hold his.

  

 

  

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

    

A.N.
i'm too impatient for slowburns sometimes