✧*̥˚RISK TAKERS *̥˚✧ J.M 3

011

┊͙✧˖*°࿐
Hope you find peace for yourself
Steve Lacy

The entirety of the journey back to Kildare felt like a fever-dream. And, Aria? She couldn't have been happier to be back home. She never thought she'd admit that.

Aria could kiss the ground, that's how much adrenaline being back home had given her. She ran her fingers through he greasy hair, her eyes lighting up as they caught glimpse of the long brick driveway, white posts welcoming her.

"This is me." Aria exclaimed, exhaling deeply, her hands shaking, "Home sweet home."

"Damn, Aria. You live here?" Cleo clicked her tongue in awe, "This is like the White House, man."

JJ stood beside her, scratching the back of his neck, feeling how tense things were between them, "How bad you think it's gonna be? Scale of one to ten?"

"Twenty." Aria answered in seriousness, dragging her eyes from the concrete, facing him with her hands in her back pocket.

"Do you want us to hold up here?" JJ asked, watching her shake her head with a forced smile.

Aria breathed out, squinting her eyes slightly due to the bright sun, "No, I... I gotta take this. Thanks for walking me. Bye, J."

His lips curled into a smile as she kissed the corner of his mouth, it tore him apart as he watched her walk onto her back patio, disappearing from his sight. He sighed, the pit in his stomach making him nauseous.

Aria could feel her heart pounding, she prayed no one would be home. She unlocked the small white gate, hearing it click behind her. Her eyes ran along the small details she'd forgotten. The deck was freshly power washed, the smell of fresh vegetables from her mothers garden made her shiver.

Her hand reached for the backdoor, it opening before she could. Her mother was in distress, her voice cracking as she yelled at someone on her phone, her light eyes flicked up.

Belles face completely twist from somber to relief, her phone falling to the dark gray deck, her arms wrapping around her daughter, a small sob leaving her pink lips.

Her mother was pale, her roots outgrown, her eye bags more noticeable then they'd ever been. It made Arias eyes brim with tears, knowing her mother had actually been distraught.

"Hey, Mom. I'm really sorry." Aria croaked, hugging the fragile woman tightly, her eyes shutting.

"Oh my God. Are you okay?" Her mother expressed her concern tearfully, her head cocking to the side, her voice echoing, "Victor!"

Aria could feel her body tense at her fathers name, knowing he was the reason she ended up on the island in the first place.

Victors footsteps made Belle pull away from her daughter. His face scrunching up with reassurance, his hand holding the back of her head as he held his daughter, silent tears running down his cheek as he mumbled into the side of her head, "I'm sorry."

She just nodded silently, knowing his apology wasn't pure. She soon disappeared off to her room, running her hands through her freshly washed hair, she adjusted the white towel as it slipped from her tan body, throwing on a pair of black elastic shorts and a small top.

The glass shards on the table pricked her finger making her brows furrow, her eyes shooting up to the frame. The picture of her and JJ had been smashed, then whoever had done it, placed it back despite it being destroyed.

The picture was ripped in half, then glued back together. Like, whoever had done it, had felt bad. Aria breathed out with anger, knowing it had to have been one of her parents. She balled her fists up, glancing at her balcony. Knowing if she had just ran off, there would be wide police search.

She grabbed her phone from her side table, pressing her email, a small gasp leaving her mouth as she put the phone closer to her face as she tightened her brows.

Preparing herself for an argument, she folded her hands over her stomach as she entered the kitchen, her parents sitting at the table with a bottle of champagne.

Her mother flashed her a warm smile, "Hi, Aria."

"Hey, mom." Aria smiled back awkwardly, she inhaled, "I actually had a question. Uh, I need to go visit a friend, if you don't mind."

Victor visibly tensed, his grip around the wine glass tightened.

"Oh." Belle nodded with parted lips, glancing at her husbands tight jaw, "Will you be home before dark?"

"Yes, of course." Aria swallowed, knowing her track of time was horrible.

Victor sighed, holding his knuckle's against his chin, "Yeah, sure. One thing though. When you get home, I need you to run to the Cameron's. There's a paper in Wards office. Would you grab it for me on the way home?"

"I mean...sure?" Aria furrowed her brows as her father gave her a tightlipped smile, she tucked her dark hair behind her ears before leaving her home.

Swinging her leg over her bike, it shook as she began to peddle towards The Cut, passing then run down houses with overgrown grass.

She threw her bike to the ground, eyeing JJ's home. It was seemingly empty, eerie even. Her heart feel to the bottom of her body as she lifted her fingers to the bright yellow sign stapled on the front door.

EVECTION NOTICE.

Aria jiggled the doorknob, notice the caution tape was almost falling down, knowing JJ had been inside, she peeked through the window, seeing nothing but the mess of the Maybank home.

That's when she head the revving of a bikes engine, hearing it shut off as someone shuffled through the grass.

She peered around the corner, eyeing the blonde as he stood at a small table. She walked towards him, keeping a small distance as his back faced her, "Hey. What's with the sign?"

JJ didn't turn, knowing the sound of her voice, "Eviction notice. For, like, nonpayment or whatever." He sighed deeply, holding a wrench in his hand, "Doesn't matter. This place sucks anyway. Great to be back in the Outer Banks, right?"

Aria felt her throat tighten, changing the subject as she turned to stand by him, "So get this. I, uh, had an email waiting for me when I got home. John B actually found Big John. He's alive."

"Seriously?" JJ's head snapped up, flicking his eyes between hers in disbelief.

She nodded with the largest grin, biting her bottom lip, the taste of chapstick hitting her tongue, "Yeah. He's at the Chateau."

"Damn." JJ chuckled.

Aria parted her lips, glancing down at her beat up converse, "Yeah, he thinks we're close to the same treasure Singh was talking about."

JJ just sniffled, he didn't answer. He didn't even have a reaction towards it. Aria pressed her palm against her forehead, "JJ..."

authors note!
uh oh...buckled up!!!!! it's only going downhill, for now.