Storm Chaser // JJ Maybank

48

When we get back to Kildare I'm not as happy as I thought I would be. I have to admit I miss Pougelandia. For that month everything was about survival and friendship. Now I have to go back to a home I don't want to be in.

We walk down the dock towards Kie's house.

"Welcome to the Outer Banks, Cleo," Pope tells her.

He told her she could stay at his place. Probably not the best thing to tell her before asking his parents who probably thought their son was dead for the past month.

"You're crazy, Pope," Cleo tells him. "Your parents are not going to appreciate me shacking up."

"Of course they will," Pope insists. "Are you kidding? Heyward might put you to work, but we could always use the help."

"I don't know, man. You sure?" Cleo asks.

Pope puts his hand on Cleo's shoulder. "Yeah, look, he might squawk a little bit, but let me talk to him. We'll figure it out."

"This is me," Kie says as we make it to her back gate. "Home sweet home."

Cleo looks around the backyard. "Damn, Kiara. You live here? This is like the White House, man."

"How bad you think it's gonna be?" Pope asks Kie.

"Scale of one to ten? Twenty," Kie offers.

"Do you want us to hold up here?" Cleo offers.

Kie shakes her head. "No, I... I gotta take this. Thanks for walking me."

The rest of us go our own ways. JJ wanted to come with me, but I thought it best to go without him. My mom's never been a fan of his. Somehow what should be the happy return of her lost daughter will wind up an argument if JJ shows up. She'd probably blame him for everything. When really, it's John B's fault for getting us involved with the gold in the first place.

When I open the door, my mom is nowhere to be seen and some guy is lying down on the couch watching TV.

"Who are you?" I ask.

The guy looks at me. "Tom."

"Why are you in my house?" I question.

"Your house?" Tom asks.

My mom walks out of the kitchen two beers in her hand. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees me. "Storm?"

"Yeah Mom," I say as I nod my head.

"Where the hell have you been?" my mom asks.

I scoff. "Haven't you seen the news? Like once in the past month?"

"I've been busy," Mom tells me.

I point to the guy still sitting on the couch. "With Tom, no doubt." I look back to him. "Seriously, who are you anyway?"

"I guess I'm your new stepdad," Tom tells me.

"I'm sorry what?" I swear my jaw hits the floor. "Stepdad? What the eff is he talking about?"

My mom smiles. "We got married while you were gone."

"I wasn't gone Mom," I tell her. "I was stuck on an island in the Caribbean for the past month. I wasn't at JJ's. I wasn't at John B's. I wasn't on vacation. I was missing."

My mom nods her head. "So you told me."

I shake my head. "You don't even care." I feel tears coming to my eyes. "How can you not care? I'm your daughter. I was fighting to survive and you're off marrying Tom?" I wipe the tears from my eyes. "I'm done."