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Chapter Eight ✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯
The name felt familiar to her for some reason.
"Regards, C Limbrey" Kie read out loud. Between her fingers sat a cursive letter addressed to Pope.
"Did you just say Limbrey?" Avery questioned. She inched closer, squeezing her way between Kie and JJ to get a better look at the letter herself.
"Charleston?" JJ frowned, trying to mentally connect the dots. His eyes glanced over and carefully watched Avery as she sighed heavily and fiddled with her hands.
"It's like an eight-hour drive, plus the ferry. How will we get there tonight?" Pope paced, annoying Avery as she couldn't help but focus on anything other than how annoying it was.
"We'd have to leave right now" JJ whispered loudly, not wanting the staff to overhear them. "Material evidence? What does that even mean, material evidence?"
"It means whoever they are can clear Johnny" Avery spoke up, looking up from her hands. JJ held her gaze, a slight frown crinkling his forehead before he snapped his focus back to Pope.
"Oh, shit, then we're going to Charleston" JJ didn't hesitate to decide. If it was a step closer to clearing their friend's name, he wasn't going to let anything stop him.
•✿•✿•
Somehow, JJ had convinced Avery to let him join her on her trip to the surf shop. Admittedly, he had been purposefully avoiding her father since the breakup. He knew Noah was protective of Avery, she was his little girl, it was understandable. Yet, he doubted that their relationship would be the same now they have split. The blond boy didn't admit it but he was nervous as hell to face Noah again after weeks.
Avery frantically smacked the small service bell that sat on the front counter. The noise made JJ flinch, he had been busy gazing at all the new boards on display. Noah called through from the back, claiming he will be out in a moment to serve them. The man emerged from the workshop, rubbing his dusty hands together.
Looking up, Noah wasn't expecting to see his daughter, nor her ex boyfriend with her. "Oh, hey Aves. Everything ok?"
"Yeah," She nodded. "Kinda. Well, actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. It's going to sound crazy but–"
"Oh god, he didn't–" Noah immediately assumed. JJ's eyes widened and eagerly shook his head at him.
"Oh my god, no Dad! Not that," Avery gasped, her cheeks reddening at the realisation of what just crossed her father's mind. "Can I go Charleston? We might have a good lead to getting John B's name cleared. He wants to come home"
It took a moment for Noah to realise what she had said. His eyes flickered between the two smiling teens. JJ fished out his phone to show him the conversation John B created. He slid the phone over the counter so Noah could see. The man took a long moment to read the texts, and to reread them. A frown rested on his face before a smile split across his lips.
"You can't kill a Pogue. That's great," He gently pushed JJ's phone away. Shrugging, Noah said, "if it's what you have got to do, than do it. For John B. Just be safe, all right?"
"Always am," Avery beamed. She was about to thank him when a thought came to mind. "Uh, also. Did Mom ever know a Limbrey?"
Noah hummed in thought, "Uh, don't think so. I can't say I remember anyone with the name. How come?"
"Pope received a letter today. It's our lead. It seemed familiar to me, that's all" Avery shrugged. Although she didn't push the question any further, it settled in the back of her mind.
"You two be safe, ok? Come back soon" Noah told them both, hoping they would listen for once. They both nodded and reassured him before they went rushing out the front door.
It was silence between the two. They walked to the meeting point where Pope told them that he would pick them up from before they leave for the long drive. JJ trailed behind Avery, trying his best not the pry but he was too intrigued to know why Avery questioned the name. And why she related it to her mother.
"Hey, Avery. Hey, hey," JJ caught her attention. Her pace slowed down and she gradually came to a stop, noticing JJ had haltered. She twirled around and waited for him to continue. "Do you know who Limbrey is? Did your mom know her?"
It took her a moment to reply, hesitant to say anything. "It doesn't matter. It's nothing"
"Talk to me, Aves–"
Twirling around, she scoffed, a humourless smile on her lips. "No, no. You don't get to do that"
"I know you, whether you like it or not," JJ sternly said. He was right and she hated it, knowing that even at their worst, he could see straight through her. "You aren't telling me something. And if it's something to do with this letter, or clearing John B, then I have every right to question you"
"Now you want to talk?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. He snatched his cap off his head and roughly ran his hands through his messy hair.
"I wanted to talk to you every damn day. You were the one to shut me out! Like always. It's what you do" JJ barked, gesturing with his hands. She flinched at his sudden movements, hoping he hadn't noticed but he had, dropping his hands to his sides almost immediately.
"We aren't having this conversation. Not again," She sighed, turning her back. As she contained walking, she muttered under her breath and didn't realise he heard, "it didn't end well last time"
Thankfully, Pope rounded the corner at the moment and intervened their conversation. Avery was the first to move, quickly walking over to the truck and swinging the door open. Kie jumped out of the passenger's side to join her in the backseats as JJ approached, taking her spot in the front. Kie and Pope sensed an atmosphere as soon as the two former lovers entered the truck.
•✿•✿•✿•✿• Author's note! Might start to publish on Monday's if I remember to. That way you get two updates a week instead! Anyways, it was so fun to tie Avery and further her story in this book. It took me a while to work out how to neatly incorporate it and not make it sound too crazy or far fetched, hopefully I was successful. A lot more will unravel in the next couple chapters. Happy Monday! A new week, make it a good one!
