𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝟮𝟰/𝟳

Chapter 23

We boated in the night, underneath the stars. I could hear Sarah down below the deck quietly talking with Pope and Kie, probably about John B running off.

I stayed up on deck to give JJ a bit of company while he steered the boat. It could be a little lonely staring up at the moon.

"Here, Jayj, I can take over," I offered, standing up and moving towards him with the steering wheel.

"Nah, s'okay," he shrugged.

"No, seriously—"

The boat gave a jerk, and we both tripped, falling over each other, until we were standing very close, with me in his arms, staring right up at his face.

"Did you do that on purpose?" I laughed, but then my laughter died away once I saw his expression.

"Maybe," he swallowed, his face getting closer by the minute.

"JJ," I breathed, leaning in so our lips were just inches away.

"Uh—nah," he jerked back, coughing, and rubbed his neck. "Nah, that was just the tide, I guess."

"Yeah, must've been," I muttered. "I'm going to go join the others," I didn't wait for his response and left him.

I joined Sarah under the deck in the captain's room, where she sat sniffling on a small cot. Both Pope and Kie smiled at me but left us alone in privacy, joining JJ up above deck.

I didn't say much to Sarah, just sat down next to her on the bed and wrapped my arm around her. She was upset about John B leaving, or us leaving him, I wasn't sure. I could also feel my own feelings swirling around, and I didn't feel like talking.

Obviously, Sarah being my best friend and she'd known me since literally seventh grade, picked up on my own feelings. She quickly wiped her eyes, sat up, collecting herself, before she turned to me. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, I interrupted her.

"Don't you dare," I ordered.

"What—?"

"I'm supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around."

"Yeah, but you're awful at this therapy stuff. I don't even understand why you try," Sarah pointed out.

"So at least on the outside I look like a good friend," I huffed. "Besides, I can try."

"Yeah, and the last time I cried in front of you, you laughed," Sarah snorted.

"That was—an accident," I struggled.

"It's alright," she patted my knee. "What's bothering you? And don't try lying, you know I can see right through you."

"Well ..." My mind rushed through scenario after scenario, trying to find something that could be suitable to fib instead of what just happened with JJ. "It's about my dad," I blurted out. Okay, I guess we were going with this then.

"Yeah?" Sarah was really good at the therapist type of thing, she turned her full attention towards me, and didn't fidget at all.

I talked for a while about how we'd been close before this whole ... everything had happened. Before I'd met the Pogues or JJ, my father and I had been very close, I trusted him, he trusted me, we worked together, he was a good dad, and it was just the two of us.

Then I started to become distant, hung out around the Pogues a lot more, I got a taste of real adventure and not the sheriff kind either. I knew he was disappointed in my behavior, but I still came home, he was still my dad.