Heated Lies (Jiara)

Capture

"Jesus, you guys sure are polite." She tried to crack a joke as she opened the door, but the fact that there were multiple cars outside frightened her deeply.

"Where is he?" Shoupe ignored her with an unamused look.

"Who?" She avoided eye contact.

"Don't who me. You know who. Your little reckless boyfriend. He may be a victim but he's also a criminal."

Kiaras instincts made her livid. "He's no criminal. He's JJ."

"So she isn't as stupid as she looks." Plum chuckled from beside him.

Kiara gritted her teeth, shooting daggers at the woman with her eyes. She thought they were on her side, but it certainly didn't look or feel like it. He took one look at her hands picking at her nail polish and pushed past her.

"You can't do that!" She protested and he held the document of paper permitting him to do just that.

"I know he's in here somewhere. You're getting yourself into a dollop of trouble messing with him. I know your parents. He shouldn't even be here." She hated how his voice was so determined. "Best to give him up."

"You don't have a single clue what you're talking about." She was practically analyzing his every move, subconsciously blocking view from the closet JJ was hiding in.

"Oh, we do. We've dealt with his kind before." Plum was filling in as asshole again. "He'll get what's coming to him."

And then JJ did something that she hated. He opened the closet door just as they ran toward her room upstairs. The thumping of his shoes sent them back down again just as she yelled his name.

She thought she'd seen him run fast before, but now? She could physically hear his breathing louder than any snore she could've yelled at him for.

Tears shone in her eyes as he ran, and the cops were leaving just as soon as they came. They didn't miss a beat, leaving Kiara in the dust as they followed the blonde boy back around the Outerbanks.

She cried knowing that their perilous situation could've ended whatever she had with him. To think they had bigger problems worried her, but the worst had already happened.

He was gone. She was hoping she'd leave first.

***

Being that JJ was on his feet, and the cops had vehicles, it didn't take long for them to corner him. He was gasping for air when they had him on his knees, hands up in surrender.

"Alright!" He shouted at them. "Don't shoot you fucking bastards!"

There was a sickening grin on Shoupe's lips when he harshly cuffed the boys hands. "We coulda done this the easy way, you know. It was your choice. And you ran. But I'm the bastard. Okay, son."

Now he was fighting. Those comments were a sore spot. It was almost like Shoupe was his father. He used the same degrading tactics.

He delivered a kick to Shoupe's shin, making the other man growl out a curse. Then more men in navy blue uniforms came out to put him on his feet.

They yanked him up by his shoulders despite his threatening scowl and shoved him into the backseat. JJ could see the tasers and pepper spray, and was insanely tempted, fueled by rage and a hint of heartbreak.

It was something he hadn't quite felt before. But he lost his energy when the car door slammed shut and a skinny woman began driving him to his destination.

He only now felt the cuffs digging into his wrists. They probably bled, and that did hurt, but his stomach hurt more than anything. He felt like he'd be sick.

It was the severity that made him swallow the bile in his throat. For some reason, any weakness shown would let them win. And he'd be damned to allow that.

***

Back at the Carrera house, she could've sworn none of that happened. It was too fast, she couldn't help but wonder if Shoupe would show up with JJ and a bouquet of roses.

But she wasn't surprised when that didn't happen. The sirens died down quickly, and she hated to admit it, but she knew JJ had been caught.

That boy might've been fast, but he couldn't keep that up for long. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he tired out, probably as a result of his asshole of a father.

In that moment, John B rang her cell. She stared at it for a long time, specifically his stupid smile in the profile picture he insisted she used. She couldn't imagine how he felt.

It did seem like he'd been left out.

"JB?"

"Kie?" And there it was. His voice had never sounded so sad.

"You okay?" She immediately asked, and she couldn't see it, but he pinched the beige of his nose.

It spared him the choky feeling, but there wasn't anything he could do about the actual damage.

"You talked to JJ recently? Tried calling him just now. He didn't pick up."

Before yesterday, Kiara would've told him no. But now? She wasn't hiding anything. The hesitance, unfortunately, was still there.

"The police took him because of Topper."

The Routledge boy made a sound of confusion. "He lied. Topper didn't hit him. That was his dad. But he still disobeyed direct orders and probably assaulted a police officer... judging by the yells around my neighborhood."

Her voice was mellow, exhausted. JJ had literally been at the Chateau to tell John B about Topper. He'd had a face full of bruises right in front of his friend, and John B really believed the hand prints around his neck belonged to a teenage boy.

Well now the Routledge really was crying. Even though he was relatively quiet about it, Kiara's own face crumpled at the sounds. She wanted to scream at him to shut up because if he couldn't handle it, than she couldn't either.

"Wish I'd known." He finally said. "Can't believe we cost Topper all those golf clubs. Can't believe JJ felt like he had to lie. I'm his best friend. And he didn't tell me shit. Even Pope figured it out before me."

Kiara hadn't thought of it that way. JJ kept a lot from everyone, but John B had a point. She couldn't help but hurt for him. She was sure JJ didn't even think of that though.

JJ only thought of Luke and the secret.

UNEDITED I SWEAR ILL GET TO IT😭