𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 65: Homecoming

"So you sure you didn't tell him where the diary is?"

Grace twisted the steering while a bit. "JJ, respectfully, I'm not a dumbass."

JJ held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, I didn't say that."

"Kie told him we've seen it. But neither of us told him where," Grace added.

JJ wandered over to her side. "Why does Singh want it so much?"

"Singh said that he thinks the diary has a clue to the location of some city of gold." While she spoke JJ got comfy on a seat nearby. "Like the gold on the Merchant was just a small part of it."

"Okay, so the diary we have leads to a 500-year-old treasure that no one's ever found?" JJ repeated.

Grace nodded. "Supposedly."

JJ wore a look of deep thought for a moment before grinning. "I'm in. It's kind of like our best option at this point, so... definitely beats geometry class."

Grace groaned dramatically. "Don't even talk about geometry class."

JJ smiled and stood up next to her. "I mean, I don't even know what'll happen when we get back to the OBX. Nothing good. I can tell you that. Nothing good."

Grace nodded, thinking about what she'd left behind. It wasn't much. Rick had finally seemed to be improving but who knew what state he would be in now that she'd been gone for over a month. School sucked. She'd have to work again. It would be different. On the island they were both so calm. All they had to worry about was gathering coconuts, hunting for fish and carving surfboards out of drift wood. It felt like they'd skipped ahead to their surf trip. 

"I miss Poguelandia," she voiced her thoughts.

"Yeah, I do too... Arrows are gonna be coming in hot, that's for sure," JJ said making Grace shoot him a sympathetic look. It was bad for her but worse for him. Luke was gone which meant he was fully parentless, he still had his restitution and he hated school more than she did. "But you know what we do when arrows come flying?"

Before she could respond JJ began throwing his arms around, pretending to be stopping arrows with his bare hands while making the sound effects and everything. Grace laughed while she watched him. That was one of the many things she loved about him. Even when shit was hitting the fan he was eager to make the people he cared about feel better.

"And you shoot right back at them," JJ grinned at her smiley expression, proud that he was able to make her look like that. 

"And that spear comes at you, you plant," JJ stood firmly, "grab," he patted his hands against his thighs, "disarm," he twisted his hands around, "straight into the jugular," he stabbed his imaginary attacker, "finish them off like..." he stabbed the ground.

Grace laughed while watching him before making her way towards him with a mischievous expression. Before she could strike the boat rocked making JJ stumble slightly. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist to steady him while he did the same to her.

JJ's eyes shifted between hers and her lips. It felt like it did back at the beginning of the summer, outside the lighthouse when they both were about to kiss before getting harshly interrupted by sirens. The way he was looking at her, eyes narrowed on her lips, brought her right back to when it was a fun treasure hunt and not a multiple month long journey.

"J?" she whispered. 

His eyes remained locked on her lips. "Mhm?"

"I just need you to know that whatever happens I'll be here for you, okay?"

JJ's eyes finally met hers. "I know."

"I need you to promise that you won't shut down, okay? You can come to me if you need support. I know that you don't like to, but I'm always here, okay?"