For Life | JJ Maybank

two

Chapter Two

☼

April

When we realized that the night had gotten away from us, and Kie's parents would begin wondering where she had gone off to if she didn't come home in the next half hour, the boys began to put the fire out, while I excused myself inside to change.

I grabbed the first thing I saw, which happened to be an oversized shirt and a pair of checkered boxers, and tied my hair back in a messy bun, before rejoining them outside to help finish cleaning up.

I walked down the steps of the Chateau and approached the lawn chairs to pick up some of the empty bottles littered on the ground, when I heard John B call out to me.

"Hey, Ape!" he said, and I snap my head towards him. "I'm taking Pope and Kie home on the HMS Pogue. You wanna come?"

I stare past him towards the marsh, and shift uncomfortably, a chill running down my spine.

Too soon.

Way too soon.

"No, it's okay," I shook my head at him, and mustered up the best fake grin I could. I wasn't ready to go out there again. I'm not sure I ever will be. "You guys go ahead. I'll just finish cleaning up and keep JJ company. Is he still around?"

"Over there," John B points to the hammock across the backyard, a teasing smile on his lips. "He's probably waiting for you, to be honest."

"Oh, JB, not you too."

"Hey, I'm just calling it how I see it, AJ," he puts his hands up in mock surrender and slowly begins backing away towards the docks.

I roll my eyes at his antics and chuckle, as Pope and Kiara follow him. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Uh-huh!" Kie shouted back, getting into the boat. "Don't do anything we wouldn't do!"

"And no pogue on pogue macking!" Pope added.

I flip them off with my free hand, and continue picking up the bottles and boxes that we left lying around. I walk over to place them in the trash, before heading the opposite way, towards JJ.

"You got room for one more?" I asked, coming up beside him with a smile.

He was laying comfortably in the hammock with both hands tucked behind his head, and for the first time since I've gotten back, I get a real chance to look at him.

My eyes travel from the red baseball cap on his head to his eyes that I could barely tell were a bright baby blue in the dim light of the night, to his shoulders, chest, and finally, his arms. Did his biceps get bigger while I was gone?

Wait. Why the fuck am I looking at his biceps?

"Enjoying the view, Barney?" he gives me a teasing smile, and I realize I've just been staring at him this whole time.

Fuck.

"I dozed off?" I try to save my own ass, but my excuse comes out more like a question.

He playfully rolls his eyes at me, and moves over to make room. "Get your ass in here."

I don't waste another second standing over him and join him in the hammock, laying my head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around me.

"So..." he said. "You wanna tell me about Malibu?"

I stare off at the trees and shrug, "It was okay."

He tilts his head down to look at me. "Just okay? You didn't meet anyone special?"