Together

66. I know my plan failed, okay?

I hope I die first
'Cause I don't wanna live without you
I don't wanna ever learn
How to fall asleep without you
Tell me what's worse
Losing you now or later?
Maybe I can break the curse
And I can be in love forever
If I die first
-Nessa Barrett

The following Monday Kiara's parents drop her off at school themselves. To say they are less than thrilled with her interactions with Luke Maybank would be putting it mildly and have since taken a just as protective stance in her comings and goings as Shoupe did with JJ.

In addition to being her personal escorts to and from school, they kept her cooped up in the house all weekend while thinking about their options on how to deal with Luke Maybank.

They talked about filing restraining orders and lawsuits to get the cash back, but most of that was said in the heat of the moment after Shoupe threw Luke out of the restaurant. No one really expected that they would get either of those things since Kiara was the one who freely gave the money to him without threat to herself. Being afraid that a father would take back his son was not reason enough for her actions in the court of law.

Eventually they just settled on calling it a wash and making Kiara feel like a toddler that needs constant supervision.

They had taken her phone for the weekend as well and she had stupidly forgotten the emergency phone at the chateau weeks ago, so she had no way to contact JJ.

He didn't come to her in the middle of the night, and she didn't dare try to leave her house. Her parents were livid as it is, the last thing she needed was for them to find her not in her bed.

To not be able to talk to him about everything was agonizing and she had a constant knot in her stomach. She was so worried about him she was halfway begging her parents to just let her leave for an hour to go to his house to check on him. They straight up refused, telling her that she could talk to him at school.

Anna gave Kiara her phone back before they left for school, warning her it would be taken back just as quickly if she did anything as reckless as before. She swipes it open and flies to her messages. She sees that JJ has sent her a couple texts in the aftermath of Luke being thrown out of the Wreck.

JJ: What the fuck just happened?

JJ: You need to explain to me what my dad was talking about.

She feels like she's going to be sick. He's angry. Or was. He hasn't sent anything since. She sees that she's missed several messages in the Pogue chat as well and shoots everyone a message apologizing for her lack of responsiveness and explains that her phone was confiscated, not that they probably didn't assume that based on her lack of appearance at the chateau this weekend. Several thumbs up reactions show up but no response from JJ arrives.

She goes back to their individual text thread and contemplates responding to him now but she's suddenly chicken shit and tucks it away, deciding to face him at school instead. This was a conversation best served in person anyway.

When she walks into the school, she spots Sarah leaning against her locker. Sarah had also been texting and calling, telling her that John B spilled and wanting to talk to her about whatever the hell deal she made with Luke. She didn't have a chance to respond before now.

"Hey," she says tentatively.

"Hey!" Sarah responds, pushing herself off the locker, embracing her in a hug. "Are you okay?" The concern in her voice makes Kiara's heart pull and she gives a small smile.

"As I can be," she says, tiredly. "So, John B told you guys?"

"Yeah, at least most of it," Sarah confirms. "Seriously, are you okay? That must have been intense. John B said that Luke looked off his rocker."