✔𝚮𝐞𝐥𝐥𝛐 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 ➳ 𝚩𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝚩𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 50: 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝛐 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲

𝐋𝛐𝛐𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝛐𝐧 𝐢𝐭, Jo was almost sure she had either been incredibly high or had another overdose. Everything was flashes of moments. They went upstairs, and she packed her bags again, only taking clothes. She tried to explain it to Tony, Pietro, and Wanda. She didn't know whether they fully got it or not. She remembered hugging them while they told her everything would be alright. The smell of their clothes, how rough it felt against her soft hands.

Then, she was in the car. Her Camaro. This time the passenger seat was hers to take, and Bucky had put himself in the driver's seat after lugging their baggage in the boot. The rain was pouring down the windows, creating a comfortable buzz of background noise.

Dad and Mom knew everything. Peggy had told them everything. They knew about her and Bucky. They knew how she had overdosed and how much shit she had done while still living under their roof. They knew how she was planning on being an artist and going to art school without caring what they thought.

And that was where they were heading now. Tony had asked if she wanted him to come with them but, in the end, she said no. There was the slight hope her three friends would still enjoy their days at the Ivory House without her, it was part of the reason she said no, but mostly, it was because she didn't want any of her friends to see whatever would go down.

"We'll be alright, honey," Bucky spoke and squeezed her thigh.

She looked up at him with glossy eyes, and the smiles were so strained they might as well not try. He would be alright. Jo knew that much, but she wasn't sure if the same thing could be said for her.

Harrison Carter wasn't a violent man, not unless he had to be. For most of her time growing up, his threats were enough to keep her in line. The fear of him going through with them remained. She never put it past him to do something like that.

As impulsive and messy as she was, that form of uncertainty terrified her to the core. Jo had no clue what her parents were going to do. The faster this was over, the happier she would be. The real problem was the length of the drive. Bucky was speeding again. He could tell her thoughts were running wild and in turn, he wanted to finish this. This state of mind wasn't good for her. Or him.

"My dad wanted me to look into a hotel," he eventually spoke up after they had been driving for about an hour, and she was still bouncing her leg while glaring at the rain on the window.

Jo leaned forward and turned down the rock music she had been blasting. Focusing on the lyrics usually helped her thoughts quiet down. The worry was still in her either way. Worry, guilt, anger... all of it was flowing together and mixing into one big ball of 'I'm-a-bad-person'.

"A hotel, huh?" She asked and sent him a kinder smile.

"Yeah, it's this big one on the Upper East Side. There's a restaurant, casino, ballroom... it's got everything," Bucky smiled, happy he was able to distract. Even if it was just for a time.

"That sounds like a place I'd never get into," she chuckled and started playing with the edge of her dad's old leather jacket.

"Maybe I should buy it then? Make you the owner by association."

"I'm not saying I know a lot about investments and that sort of thing, but I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."

"Do you wanna learn?" He asked with a wide grin. "I can make you my partner in crime."

"I think I'll stick to painting," she laughed and shook her head. It seemed very sudden that it hit her. "You're... rich-rich, aren't you?"

"What do you mean rich-rich?"