Together

121. It is with great pleasure that I inform you...

Now we're four shots in
Slowly getting sober from the taste of your skin, uh
We bring the light to the sin
You pull my head up as you're dripping down my chin, uh
I feel your heart start to beat
When I hit the spot you know I hit it perfectly, yeah
And you taste so sweet
Leave me wanting more soon as we get out the sheets
-Jade LeMac

It's been two weeks since Hickeygate.

Kie has been working shifts with Travis nearly every day she comes in. It's like he asked for his schedule to line up with hers or something, JJ swears. WOuldn't put it past the fucking dirt bag.

JJ's been coming by the Wreck, dropping her off, picking her up. Sometimes he swings in mid shift just to grab something to eat and chat with her. He hated leaving her in the same building as Travis, so any chance he got he was there, checking in.

Thankfully, Mike hasn't scheduled Travis to close with Kie, yet. He wasn't sure why, but whatever the reason, JJ hoped it would stay that way. Last thing he wanted was for her to be alone with him in an empty restaurant.

When she worked the Wreck was already full of other employees and customers, and he was still about to climb the walls knowing that she was in the same building as him.

"I just hate the way he looks at her, dude," JJ vents to John B and Pope in their study hall. "Like she's a fucking meal or something."

He needed to talk about it. Two weeks of holding back every instinct he had that was telling his body to act was difficult to tame on his own. Not that John B and Pope were the best at keeping him calm in this situation.

"I don't know why you haven't jumped him in the back of the Wreck," is John B's brilliant reply.

"Honestly, if there was ever a time to go off, this would be it," Pope surmises.

They weren't even trying to provoke him, that was the odd thing. It was genuine curiosity as to why their quick tempered and protective brother hadn't made an another move on the guy that was clearly ogling his girlfriend and their best friend.

John B got the pleasure of hanging back when Kie dragged JJ out of the Wreck the first time. Said the guy straight stared at them as they left, to the point John B pointed it out to him and he went away flustered.

"Believe me, I'm getting close."

That was the truth too. Every day that passes is another miracle that he doesn't. Kie's plea for him to love her more ever in his mind. He would always love her more than any other emotion he has. But that love came with a deep need and desire to protect. Not just her physical well being either.

"He still being a dick to her?" Pope asks.

JJ clenches his jaw at the reminder, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling while he nods the affirmative.

Even better than this dick being with her nearly every day while she worked at her own parents fucking restaurant, was that he had become a major asshole to her since he told Mike about the hickey. He hadn't touched her again, which, good for him, he gets to keep his life, but he didn't need to be physical to hurt her, apparently.

The guy was just weird. He wanted her attention so badly. Pestered her and nagged and when that didn't work, he tried to sabotage her. Seemed like he just loved to mess things up for her while they worked together. Any chance he got really.

For example, he was expoing food once, and when Kie came back to grab the plates for her table he shrugged and acted like he had no idea where it went, said she probably forgot to ring it in. She saw it in the trash a minute later.