𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

- 23 -

✯✯✯

i have a million questions that i wanted to ask john b - and her - but before i could ask any of them, she spoke up.

"y/n. i heard what happened with my brother, and i mean, i tried to call you but you didn't pick up..." i stare at her.

she can't possibly think that i think that she was somehow connected with him on this plan? she's my best friend, of course i knew better than that.

but what i really want to know is how john b initiated this whole thing. i thought he didn't like any of the kooks? definitely something that i need to ask.

"oh.. yeah, i saw your calls on my phone. i was just at the hospital the whole time and you know.. but you can't think that i think you had something to do with this? i know how much you don't like rafe.."

i saw her face go into a state of relief. i sat across from her, while john b sat next to me.

"but, you should know something. my dad got him out of jail, and now he's in a whole other country. he's in the bahamas. nassau, specifically."

i sighed. it was one of the things that i factored in, while sitting in the hospital. that ward would most likely send rafe somewhere else until everything died down.

by now, i wouldn't be surprised if the whole island knew what happened. i'm sure that ward would be spreading it around as a 'misunderstanding' and 'that isn't what really happened', like he was there to witness the event.

he had no idea what happened, but is influenced by the lies rafe probably told him.

"or at least, he's supposed to be." i shot my head around back to meet eye contact with her.

"what do you mean?"

"well, you know how rafe is. how he doesn't stop until he gets exactly what he wants? that's what's happening now." she paused. "i heard from kelce that he's in charleston right now."

"so what does this mean? he's supposed to be in the bahamas, right? but he's in charleston? i don't really see how this is totally bad, as long as he's away from the outer banks." i looked over to john b, who was looking over to sarah like i totally missed something.

"he didn't actually want," john b started, "to shoot jj. jj did nothing to him, except for being a pogue and hanging out with you. you're the one he's after. he's been after you this whole time."

i took a deep breath. this certainly changes things. if he didn't mean to shoot jj in the first place, and was supposed to be killing / shooting me, what changed his mind? i'm not entirely sure i want to find out.

"so, what? he's hiding in charleston until he sees the perfect time to come after me and get his revenge?"

sarah nodded. "pretty much. at least that's what i think. you never really know anything when it comes to rafe."

"um.. okay. let's just put a pause to this conversation and answer one of the questions that i've been dying to ask you."

they both looked at me, and i looked over to john b.

"how did you set this up with her? i thought you didn't like any of the kooks?" i turned to sarah. "and i thought topper definitely wouldn't want you hanging out with a pogue."

john b pretended to check his fake watch. "oh wow, looks like it's almost an hour. we gotta go get back to the hospital!"

he stood up and practically dragged me out of there, leaving almost no time to say bye to sarah.

"ouch. you're hurting my wrist."

at that moment john b seemed to realize what he was doing and let go. "oh, sorry."

he didn't say anything the rest of the drive back to the hospital, meanwhile i was asking him tons of questions about what's really going on between him and sarah.

but he didn't answer one of them. he's extremely stubborn.

we made it back to the hospital in an hour, just like he said. i'm surprised.

i speed walked all the way over to his room, to see no changes. he was still asleep.

i walked back to my 'favorite chair' and sat there until i saw john b catch up to me.

"didn't know you could walk so fast.." he took a look at jj and sighed. "i'm going to go to the cafe. text me if anything changes?"

i nod, watching him walk out. i understand that he wouldn't want to be here, seeing his best friend in the hospital, recovering after being shot in the chest.

i looked over at jj asleep and felt the sudden urge to hold his hand.

i sat there, holding his hand and thinking about what i was supposed to do with the whole rafe situation.

i have no idea how he could just simply 'escape' from the bahamas and go back to charleston. i don't understand why he would want to; i've gone one time during one of my yearly family vacations and it's practically heaven there.

i don't know what i'm supposed to do either, because one day rafe is just gonna catch up with me and get what he wants. which is killing me, or shooting me. one of the two.

at that moment, i felt jj's hand move.