Together

61. Because I'm Afraid

Just the same in everything you do
Did you really think that they take notice?
They just have to take one look at you
And they'll soon scratch beneath the surface
-Demons of Ruby Mae

The ferry ride back to Kildare Island was tense. It was the only way back and once on board there was nothing you could do to reverse course save for jumping overboard.

JJ wasn't afraid of Luke somehow reaching them while returning to the Island, but he could tell Kie was. She seemed in shock from the sudden altercation, constantly looking over her shoulder, eyes on the lookout. 

At first, JJ wasn't sure why it appeared to bother her so much. They've been in countless scrapes over the years and even after all the treasure hunting was put to bed JJ still had gotten in several fights, a lot that she witnessed. It'd never bothered her like this before.

Then it hit him. What she said when they were talking in the marsh and she was trying to get him to see Shoupe's side.

"Not everyone is as used to you being treated like that."

She was used to seeing him leap into fights, defend himself from kooks and other people trying to hurt them. But she hasn't actually seen Luke go at him. None of the pogues had. It was one part of his life that he had been able to keep separate. Though everyone knew about it, no one actually saw it. He hated that she saw it.

For her benefit, JJ kept watch while passengers boarded the ferry, noting none of them were his dad. He reassured her as they waited in the Jeep, doors remaining locked, that his father wasn't there, and they were safe.

She only nodded.

Once docked, they make their way through the winding roads of Kildare, JJ not sure where to go. He needed to get cleaned up, his bloody nose stained his shirt, and he could almost guarantee that he would have a bruise on the side of his face. The usual.

"Can we clean up at your house?" he asked, staring straight ahead.

Her house wasn't ideal, but he couldn't go to his own yet and he didn't want to answer a constant inquisition from the rest of the Pogues that were at the chateau.

"Yeah," she says quietly. Her voice sounded hoarse, almost raspy from disuse the last few hours. "My parents should be at the Wreck."

Once in her room, JJ takes off his blood stained shirt and seeks out a new one from her dresser. Like he thought, she's got several in the drawer that originated with him. He raises a red t-shirt and looks at her in question. Like he needed permission to take it back. She nodded, of course, and he slips it on.

Kie stands in the middle of the room, hugging her middle while watching JJ get changed. His nose had stopped bleeding but he still had dried blood on his face and neck from when it was gushing out of him like a horror movie. She shutters at the memory.

Watching Luke flip his switch from seemingly annoyed to outright irate was shocking. She didn't know what she was more disturbed by, the fact that Luke attacked his own beautiful son or how that boy was currently reacting to it. Which was like nothing happened at all, honestly.

It's like she's watching him come back to the chateau after a fight with a touron on the beach. Just taking care of business and moving on like nothing is out of the ordinary, little tiffs happen all the time. No big deal.

It makes her wonder how many times he's lied to her in the middle of the night, climbing through her window to ask for first aide. Telling her it was some kook mouthing off and taking it too far when it was really Luke.