Together

128. No, baby, it's not

Intoxicating, your kiss
Intoxicating, your lips
Nobody does it like this
I find it hard to resist, oh-ooh
Feeling out of control, beautifully so
What's coming over me?
It's a total eclipse of rationality
-ILLENIUM and Bahari

AN- Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding as I took a much needed break. Your support was so appreciated, thank you!
So happy to be back and hope you enjoy this chapter.
-Lis 🖤

It's been two weeks since Kiara was attacked by Travis, and she's trying to sleep in her bed. Key word: trying. Because unlike it was before Travis attacked, she doesn't sleep alone. Both of her parents are laying in bed with her. Her dad on one side, her mom on the other.

She loves them, she really does, but they were being a little...clingy. Couldn't blame them, really. They almost lost her.

Kiara doesn't like thinking about that though. Doesn't like thinking about any of it actually. It wasn't like she was avoiding reminders of what happened, but the more she thought about it the more disgusted she felt.

Thinking about Travis' hands around her neck made her shudder. The reminder of him slamming her against the car made her wince. Remembering his voice yelling in her face made her want to scream.

It wasn't just the memories themselves that bothered her, though. It was what accompanied them. Anytime one creeped up she had to push away the thoughts that filled her mind. That was what bothered her the most. The ones that told her she was weak, feeble, defenseless.

She didn't want to be any of those things, but logically, being at least fifty pounds lighter than her assailant, it was expected that she was the prey in that situation. So she lays in bed and thinks about the things that could have happened differently if she'd been smarter, stronger, faster. If she only—

A soft tap on her window has her thoughts interrupted and her lifting her head off her pillow, turning towards the sound because she knows exactly who it is.

She looks at both of her parents, sleeping soundly on either side of her. At least they are getting some sleep. She pulls herself up, unwrapping her mom's arm from around her waist. Both her parents are heavy sleepers, she's figured out. No way she's worried about them hearing JJ in her room ever again.

She crawls out of bed, tip toeing across the floor and grabbing her sweatshirt before descending the stairs. When she gets around the corner of her house, JJ has just stepped down from climbing her house, wiping at his pants. He grins, "Evening."

"You mean middle of the night," she returns his smile.

He steps towards her, hands coming to her face. She pulls him into her, kissing him and feeling his smile against her lips when they pull apart.

She doesn't actually ask him why he's here. Doesn't have to, she already knows.

"You okay?"

She shrugs a shoulder, looking up at her bedroom window. "Be a lot easier to get some sleep if they didn't insist on sleeping in my bed, too," she complains. "I think I have a bruise from my mom kicking me."

JJ chuckles. "Now we know where you get it from."

Her mouth drops open. "Takes that back," she demands.

"And if I don't?" he mock wonders, causing her to scrunch her face in faux anger.

She gets a causal look on her face. Kinda bratty too. "I'm just gonna go inside, sleep with my parents," she tells him. Before she can even fully turn from him he's grabbing her wrist, delaying her attempted departure.