Heated Lies (Jiara)

And the Wreckage

The drive to Nora's place was calming and nerve wracking. JJ watched almost everyone else fall asleep. Nora leaned on Kiara, so now he was supporting the both of them.

Sarah passed out before she did. It had been gradual, but after explaining to John B that she loved him, she was out like a light. JJ longed for that kind of relationship.

They made it look so easy. Pope had literally fallen into the blankets at their feet, and stayed there. If he wasn't asleep, JJ wasn't sure what he was doing.

While he enjoyed some of the silence, becasue he needed a break from the constant chaos, it still forced him to think about his next move. Although he was quite literally cuddling into her, his brain still felt betrayed by her actions.

It angered him that he hadn't been able to decide how he felt. It angered him that Kiara had put him in that situation. He licked his lip, finding the same split she'd cleaned and kissed multiple times before.

It made him want to scream. Instead, he thunked his head on the glass window to his right. The cool surface allowed him to close his eyes, but his thoughts still surfaced.

John B heard the sound. "John Jacob, is that you?"

He had to laugh at that, despite knowing he hated his stupid name. "Shut up, man, who else?"

"I had a feeling you weren't napping like the rest of them." He continued. "You wanna switch spots? You look like you need a distraction."

JJ glanced at the girl in his arms. She was so fucking warm.

"No, I'm alright. Thanks, though."

He tapped on the steering wheel. "Kinda boring. What time is it?"

The Maybank unlocked his phone to read the bright numbers. "Past four."

"Damn." The Routledge pulled over. "I gotta take a leak. Be back in a minute."

JJ didn't protest. He stayed with everyone as he left the drivers seat and closed the door behind him. Kiara was still in his arms, chest rising and falling in rhythm. He could feel the fury in his chest.

It was like a ticking time bomb. He wanted to push her away, to tell her what she did was awful, repulsive, and just plain wrong. But his limbs wouldn't move.

It was so dark out, and he found himself staring out the window at the night sky. There were so many stars out. He was close, very close, to pulling the door handle and running.

His free hand reached metal, fingers shaking with anticipation... and then John B came back.

"Dude, I swear I saw a wolf. Or a bear. I saw something." He turned the ignition, making Kiara stir in the blonde boy's arms.

"Glad you made it back in one piece." JJ says, nearly disappointed. Not even seconds later, he's upset with himself for attempting such a thing.

When they arrived at the home, John B was shocked to find that it was a beach house. It was huge, and it reminded him he wasn't exactly on the rich side.

JJ gently shook her shoulders, and she woke up with a yawn. "Where are we?"

Her voice was soft, making JJ falter a little. "Uhm... Nora named a place."

She nodded, stumbling out of the vehicle and leaving a cold boy behind. Pope woke up next, getting up and following his friend. John B went to wake Nora and Sarah, and they all piled up the steps in a sluggish manner.

"I will see you all in the morning." John B announced, crashing on the first soft surface he could find. It happened to be the living room couch.

Sarah just followed him. It didn't seem to matter that there were other beds in that moment. Nora knew where she was going, and gave a small salute to Kiara as she left.

"Where to, JJ?" She mumbled next.

He took a look at her, and then to himself. His fingers twitched, but he managed to bite his tongue until he found a civilized way to speak with her.

"I actually..." He tapered off, suddenly feeling unsure. "I wanna sleep alone."

Her eyes fully opened now. She turned to face him. "You alright?"

"Yeah." But he wouldn't look at her.

She shook her head, trying to get closer to him. "What's wrong?" She tried again.

He removed her hands from his body. It was how calmly he did it that almost made it worse. It hurt to see him push her away.

"I just need time, Kiara." He finally made eye contact, and she could see the repressed anger behind the lids. He didn't even abbreviate her name.

"JJ!" She stopped him before he left her alone. "Wait, please. We've been apart all this time. I really missed you. I was hoping we could pick up where we left off."

His eyes softened at her honesty. He wanted to go with her, but the grudge wouldn't let him. Then he said something that left them both speechless.

"You should've thought about that before you snitched." Now that he'd said it, words flooded his head like he'd unlocked a room full of disgust. "Yeah, I know. First the Sherrif, then Pope and John B, and then Sarah. You told them after I told you not to. You promised, Kie."

Oh, now he wants to use the nickname

She was quiet, looking away from him. Her eyes had started glistening again, but she didn't want him to see.

"The first time it was just a hunch." She admitted. "I saw like... the beer around the house. The way you acted when your dad got home... JJ, you looked so scared."

That was the wrong thing to say. His jaw clenched, and his hands went from fists to relaxed. His eyes closed. She could literally see the effort it took for him to calm down.

"I had to tell someone. I didn't want to see you keep getting hurt."

His features crumpled for a split second, but he straightened up even faster.

"It wasn't your information to tell, Kiara!" His voice got louder and she backed away from him. "I trusted you!"

He wanted to fight something. That was the worst part. He couldn't fight Kiara. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to punch another mirror. He needed to bleed, to feel the release.

For moment, Kiara actually looked afraid of him. She wasn't, she was only worried, but he couldn't see that. Not when he was seconds away from snapping.

"I know now that I shouldn't have." He settled for daggers in his words instead, sucking in a breath through his teeth.

He stormed off toward an empty room, leaving Kiara to collect her thoughts. A part of her felt like that was deserved, but it didn't stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks. The exhaustion weighed her body down like a ton of bricks.