For Life | JJ Maybank

six

Chapter Six

☼

JJ

"Hey, Ape?" I asked, staring up at the stars that had now filled the night sky.

"Yeah, J?" I hear her voice beside me, as we floated in the water, side by side.

"You ever think we'll get out of here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, this can't be all there is for us, right?" I asked, picking my head up out of the water. She does the same, and we face each other. "We can't just be bound to work and live on the Cut for the rest of our lives?"

"I hope not," she shrugged, a small smile spreading across her lips.

The same lips I can't seem to stop staring at these days.

"God knows Malibu would've been a hundred times better with you," she says, treading the water around her. "Everything is."

I can't help the smirk that comes over my face as I move myself closer to her. "April Jade," I tease, kinking a brow. "Are you saying you want to travel the world with me?"

"That depends, Jesse James," she smiles, slowly closing the already small distance between us.

I usually hated when people called me by my full name, but I never minded much when she said it. It rolled off her tongue so well, and I've always loved her voice. It had this rasp to it that made it sound like music to my ears. I could listen to her talk all day.

"Are you saying yes?" she asked, her lips just right above mine.

I feel my heart begin to race, and for a second, I wonder if hers is too.

Ever since she told me that Kie's given her just as much shit about me as John B and Pope have been giving me about her, I haven't been able to stop thinking about how everything's felt since she's come back. For some reason, it's felt as if we aren't the same April and JJ we've always been. It's felt more than that.

The only question was... does she feel it too?

"JJ," I feel her breath on me again, and I realize I've just been staring at her lips this entire time.

Fuck. What is she doing to me?

I snake an arm around her waist and pull her to me, a laugh escaping her lips, as her body pressed against mine.

"J, stop," she wiggles against me, and I feel myself get hard under my shorts, so I tighten my grip on her waist to keep her steady.

"Don't do that, Ape," I tell her, my voice low.

She tilts her head up to have her eyes meet mine, and kinks a brow at me. "And why's that, JJ?"

I'm about to answer her, when a loud voice interrupts us, and we both turn our heads towards the party.

"Hey, John B, don't make me drown you like your old man, all right?" Topper was standing over John B, who had tumbled into the water.

"What the hell?" Ape immediately swims away from me, and towards the shore to see what's going on.

She begins to run towards the forming crowd, and I follow, but not before grabbing both our clothes.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" people chanted, as John B tackled Topper.

"John B!" Kie shouted at them, as Sarah yelled, "Topper, stop!"

Ape stops at the edge of the crowd and I come up beside her, exchanging glances with Pope, who was watching the fight with wide eyes.