𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 71: Don't Want To Be With You

"Morning," Grace rubbed her eyes as she stumbled out of the guest room. Kie had told her that things had settled down enough at her house but she really didn't feel like dealing with yet another set of parents. It was like her and parents were cursed. Something was up with that.

"Grace! You're awake!" Big John smiled, eagerly grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards the dining table. No one else was home. Sarah had went out early in the morning to pick up Kie, JJ had slept at his house and Pope and Cleo returned to Heywards. Grace was worried about JJ staying at his house but she didn't want to push him any further away by asking questions.

"Hey, Gracie," John B smiled when she sat down next to him.

"What's with the totem thing?"

"Leads to El Dorado," Big John explained. He sounded like a little kid showing their mom a drawing.

"How'd you get it?"

John B continued taping it up. "We went to Charleston... Committed a minor robbery."

Grace furrowed her brows. "Do I want to know?"

John B pursed his lips and shook his head.

"We gotta be hush-hush about this, guys, you know that right? We can't tell your friends."

Grace hadn't realized this was a secret thing. She thought they were going to tell everybody else just like they told her.

"You told me," Grace raised her brows in confusion.

Big John shook his head. "That's different, darling. You're family."

Grace felt her heart swell at the sentiment. She just had to continue pushing down the memory of the jet ski and the boat and the murders and all would be well.

"Dad, they're just as much a part of this as you are," John B complained.

Grace nodded beside him. As flattered as she was to be included, she didn't want that to mean she had to hide things from the people she cared about most. From JJ. She pushed the thought away.

"Do you want to put them in danger?"

"What-"

Big John cut off his son's protests, "Would you knowingly put them in harm's way if you could help it?"

John B sighed and looked away.

"If you could help it?" Big John repeated.

Neither teen responded.

"I didn't think so. Splits are still the same. We'll tell them later, but for now, for safety..." he whistled while motioning his hand next to his neck, "...got it?"

John B looked down, deflated. "Yeah."

"Grace?"

She looked up at him and nodded.

___________

Grace felt like she was watching her friends reunite with Big John through someone else's eyes. It was like she wasn't even there.

She watched as Big John hugged Pope tight, commenting about how grown he looked.

JJ hopped onto his back and messed up his hair while grinning ear to ear and laughing.

In any other instance, the sight would fill Grace's chest with joy but now her heart felt heavy. She had to keep the treasure a secret from them. She had watched Big John kill two men. Everything was wrong but her friends were none the wiser. The fact that her and JJ weren't speaking like they usually did only made her feel that much more isolated.