𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 24: Hot Tub

"Look what we have here," came an all too familiar voice. Grace ignored him and continued walking.

"Hey! What're you doing out here?" he yelled after her. 

She spun on her heel, "None of your business."

"You're my sister, it's my business."

"Oh, so now I'm your sister," she rolled her eyes and turned around, walking off. 

She had put some distance between them and assumed she was in the clear when the sound of a dirt bike crushed that dream.

The bike stopped next to her, "Get on," Rafe said after peeling off his helmet. It wasn't an offer it was an order.

She smiled sarcastically, "I'm good."

He ran a frustrated hand over his face, "Look, Grace. Just listen for once in your life. Dad will lose his shit if you get jumped out here and I'll be responsible. Just get on."

She nodded, "Oh, so that's what this is about, Ward."

"Look-" he took a deep breath, trying not to lash out. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"Yeah." She didn't. 

He raised his brows at her.

"I don't need your help."

Rafe nodded while smirking, "Really? Cause you're going deeper into the crack houses, your house is that way," he pointed in the opposite direction.

She smiled sarcastically then turned around to walk the right way.

"Grace just get on. I'll drive you back to John B's house if that's what you want."

He really wasn't giving up. She sighed dramatically then turned around and grabbed the spare helmet he was holding.

"John B's then?" he asked as she climbed on behind him.

"Uh...Rick's," she corrected.

"I'm not taking you to Rick's," Rafe replied immediately.

She scoffed, "Why?"

"He's a coke addict Grace. He's at Barry's all the time."

"Rich coming from you."

He chose to ignore her jab, "John B's?"

She thought for a second, "Um, Tannyhill."

To her surprise he didn't say anything and instead revved the engine and took off for his house. 

The houses slowly got larger and fancier as they drove until they pulled into the long drive of Tannyhill.

He stopped the bike and she immediately climbed off and handed him his helmet then headed into the house without saying anything. 

"No thank you?" he shouted after her.

"I did you a favour. Go tell dad about your heroism," she said over her shoulder.

Grace crept through the house and into Sarah's room. She used to have her own but it had been turned into Wheezie's room once she cut off contact. She flopped down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She didn't want to think about what happened, about the shitty day she'd had. She didn't want to think about JJ but his face was burnt into her mind and she couldn't stop reliving their argument. 

It was all so stupid. She'd agreed with him. She sided with him against all of their friends and he still yelled at her. Grace wasn't going to scold him. She was going to talk to him, figure out why he was losing his mind and do whatever it was she could to make it better. She knew why JJ lashed out. He felt cornered and ganged up on and he couldn't distinguish between someone trying to help and someone trying to attack him. Sure they had little arguments and spats where he'd make subtle jabs but he'd never yell at her. She just couldn't understand. Her eyes bored holes in the ceiling and her brain was whirring.