Bad Karma

thirty-two

Leilani Elrod

Episode 8. The Runaway

I had stayed up most of the night, going from the couch to the kitchen to grab water and returning to the couch. I repeated this for Lord knows how long and just decided to go and lay out on the Hammock, listening to the nighttime sounds. I drifted off at some point in what had to be the early warning.

"Lee?" I turned a little, but still refused to open my eyes, "Lee, wake up. Come on, you have to come in."

"I don't want to." I slurred sleepily, still not exactly processing what was happening.

"I know you don't, but you have to." Arms went around me and lifted me up, which finally flipped a switch in my brain, actually waking me up. When I opened my eyes, JJ was looking down at me as he kicked the door open.

"JJ, put me down. I'm awake." My heart still fluttered and my cheeks turned a light shade of pink. When he set me down next to the couch, I shoved him back, him falling onto the sofa, "Stay." I ordered him, then entering the kitchen and filling up three large bags of ice.

"What are you-" I sat next to him, placing the bags over the bruises on his torso, "You don't need to do that."

I know that I didn't need to, but I was going to. Not only because I cared about him, but because I.. I guess I felt responsible for it? If he hadn't gone home, he would be fine right now. He wouldn't have had to gone through that.

"Lee, talk to me." He said quietly.

"I- It's nothing." I couldn't even look at him. Guilt was kind of like syrup. It stuck you and no matter how hard you try, it leaves residue on you, never really going away. And right now, I felt like I was absolutely drowning in it.

"Come on, don't leave me in the dark." I let out a soft cry and he moved the ice bags, putting them to the side and grabbing my hands, "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry." I sobbed, "If I had just said you weren't alone, if I had supported you in whatever you thought was right.. I never meant to make you feel like that and then you went home and you're dad.. he-"

"That's not your fault, Lee. My dad is a dead-beat piece of shit, no matter what happened, he would've found a way to hurt me. You didn't do anything wrong, I was being emotional and- I'm sorry. For being difficult. I just took it all out on Barry and it was wrong of me. Look at me." His fingers went under my chin and he brought my eyes level with his, "You didn't do anything wrong. At all."

"Thanks, J." I put my hands on his chest and shoved him back down, "Now ice them, otherwise they'll just get worse."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, which told me that he was most definitely enjoying this.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Not unless you join me." I was about to question what he meant, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me down next to him, his arms wrapping around me tightly. I didn't try to fight him or wiggle out, instead I laid my head down on him and let myself just enjoy this moment. I let myself relax.

Later that evening Pope and Kie had stopped by before we left to go to Crains and get the gold, making a mini-model of what we were going to do. By the time we set it up, John B still hadn't turned up.

Kie and Pope tested the pulley out while JJ and I sat by the hot tub, his feet dangling in the water while I was sat criss-crossed with a inflatable flamingo in my lap. I had to admit, this thing was actually pretty cool and our backyard was pretty decked out. Was it worth losing the drug lords money? Most definitely not, but hey, nothing we can do about it now so we might as well just enjoy it.