𝓕𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓕𝓵𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼 ~ 𝓙𝓲𝓪𝓻𝓪

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 31

JJ made it to his house to pick up Pope. Honking the horn, he saw him leaving the porch. He noticed a bag in his hand.

"I thought you got her flowers yesterday?" JJ asked, looking through the passenger doorway.

He sat inside passing it to him, "Oh, this isn't mine."

He took it, "Is it from JB?"

"Nope, it's from...Kiara."

His brows knitted together, "She stopped by?"

"Mhm, I guess she wanted to surprise you but she got me instead."

He set his hand on his shoulder,"Aww, I'm pretty sure she loved you." he teased endearingly.

Pope shot him a glare, "Shut up."

"Seriously though, she really came here?"

"Yeah in the flesh and everything. By the way, she's not completely a bitch."

He pretended to be shocked by the statement,"Oh she isn't now?"

"I might've missed judgment, alright. She's cool. She actually has a heart."

He chuckled amongst himself, "Let her find out and it's the end of the world."

JJ began to open the bag hearing it crumble to his touch.

"So like, not to sound pushy but do you like her?"

JJ was half listening while shuffling through the gift paper, "Like who?"

"Do you like Carrera?As in more than a friend?"

He didn't say much as he pulled out the gift.
It was a moss green tea kettle with leaves engraved all around. In each little leaf, gold specks sprinkled every inch. It was beautiful. It was unique. Feeling something else in the bag, he stuck his hand inside taking out a box of chamomile tea. Without even noticing, a grin formed on his lips. She remembered.

"Hello?"

He turned abruptly, "Huh?"

"I said, do you like her?"

JJ took a moment. Whatever he said now could potentially change everything. Of course, he did care for her. He's cared for since that night of the storm. He cared for her when she took him in when he was feeling overwhelmed about their plummeting debt. He cared for her when she got him out of jail. He cared for her when they watched the sunset together. He cared for her in a way he never thought he would. Too much than he would rather like, but to go as far as believing he genuinely has crushy feelings for the brunette is completely absurd. Though, it didn't feel like the worst thing. Not even a little bit.

"No, she's just a friend." he uttered before setting the gifts back in the bag and placing them on the back seat.

Pope saw the small grin still lingering as they started to drive away. Maybe Kiara wasn't the one he should've been asking those questions to after all.

***
Kiara sat on the couch watching tv. It was just noise to ease her disruptive mind. All she could think about was what she said. About him. The sheer moment of vulnerability. The way her heart feels less of the hostility about him. The way he makes her feel in general. Pope saw it. Perhaps he's unbeknownst as to why she feels the way she does but he knows nonetheless. He knows she wouldn't have done what she did if she truly envisioned them as the enemy. He knows. God, he knows.

Kiara doesn't want to believe what she's feeling because if she does, even for a sliver of a moment, then everything will go to hell. She possibly can't. She won't.

Ring. Ring.

Breaking her thoughts was her phone. She quickly grabbed it from the table and saw that it was him. She took a couple seconds to gather the thoughts she did have left.