lovers - obx

• THREE •

TW: mentions of self harm; mentions of alcohol

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The next morning, JJ made his way out into the living room after he woke up. He looked over at the couch, then at the outside. He furrowed his brows before looking back down at the couch, observing what the scene before him.

Pope and Katie asleep together on the couch.

JJ kept calm, not letting his anger get the best of him. He ran his hand through his messy hair. Looking back outside, he let out a breath, trying to remain calm.

"JJ," A voice spoke, snapping JJ from his thoughts.

JJ looked down to see that Pope had woken up. The blonde gave him a look, signaling for him
to explain what this was about. Pope sighed.

"I found her out here last night. She was upset and started to cry. So, I pulled her in for a hug and then she fell asleep," Pope explained, "I didn't want to wake her by trying to move her, and I would have felt awful for leaving her alone."

JJ nodded, his hands placed on his hips.

"Okay," JJ said.

He turned and made his way into the bathroom. He fully accepted that Pope and Katie were just friends. However, seeing Katie in the arms of someone else...someone who was not him, made him sick to his stomach.

After a while everyone else was awake and sitting on the porch. JJ and Katie shared the couch while Pope, Kie, and John B all occupied their own chair.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Kie asked, looking around at the group.

"We could go out to the marsh," John B suggested, "The HMS Pogue has been dying to go out on the water."

The group nodded in agreement. They all loved hanging out on the HMS Pogue in the marsh. Kie and Katie loved it because they would tan and swim, while the boys loved it because they could fish and tease the girls.

Katie looked over at John B and was about to give her verbal agreement when Sheriff Peterkin knocked on the door of the screened in porch.

Everyone looked up at Sheriff Peterkin, and then they shifted their gaze to Katie. They knew what this was about. They just didn't think they would hear anything about it so soon.

John B stood up and let Peterkin in. She walked over and stood in front of Katie.

"Can we talk?" She asked the girl, "In private?"

Katie nodded and quickly led herself and Peterkin into the house. Once inside the house, and sure her friends wouldn't hear her, Katie faced Peterkin.

"So," She began, "What's up?" She asked.

Peterkin sighed, "You're not going to be very happy with me, Kate."

Peterkin was the only person who called the girl "Kate" besides her mother. However, Peterkin felt like a mother to Katie, so she allowed it.

"The charges against Rafe were dropped," She said.

Peterkin scanned the girl's face for a reaction, but it was blank. It was more blank than a sheet of paper. But, a reaction came when Katie spun around a threw up in the garbage can. She wiped her mouth with a towel before turning to face Peterkin again.

"I'm so sorry," Peterkin said, "I know what you went through was hard, but you know Ward Cameron has his ways."

Katie nodded, her hands placed on her hips. She felt a tear fall from her eye and land on her cheek. She quickly wiped it.