SUNBURN | JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

014

"DCS! I know you're in there!" A deep voice shouted from outside, where Gabriella was resting on the couch, reading her 'corals of the sea' book. Her heart sank, but immediately resurfaced when she saw a familiar blonde boy. "Gotcha, slick."

"If you're looking for JB, he's not here. He went to put the scuba gear back on the Cameron boat." Gabriella told him.

"I'm actually here to speak to you," JJ confessed. Gabriella sat upright on the coach, making enough space for JJ to sit beside her. "I'm just saying, I don't understand why you don't at least try with John B. He clearly likes you." Gabriella rolled her eyes and got up, pretending she was hungry by rummaging the fridge but that didn't stop JJ from following her.

"He just found his dad's compass in the last place he'd expect it to be. I don't think he wants anyone to be making moves on him anytime soon." Gabriella defended herself. She knew that part of what JJ was saying was the truth, but did she really want to risk it, what if she had been reading the signs all wrong? What if the way their touches lingered and the way John B gazed into her eyes, making her feel like the entire world around them had vanished and it was just the two of them was wrong? Was she reading too much into it?

"Don't pretend you don't notice. I see it in your eyes. You're like, "I kinda like that," and you start blushing." JJ said, pulling himself up to sit on the counter.

"I blush?"

"Yeah."

"Really?" She asked.

"Listen, I can tell when my boy likes someone, why are you so oblivious to the signs?"

"I-" Gabriella was at a lost for words. She looked up at JJ, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and vulnerability. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, golden glow over the scene, but Gabriella's mind was far from calm. "I don't know what it feels like, JJ," she began, her voice soft and uncertain. "I've never experienced anything like this before. I've never experienced anything, really. And then there's the no Pogue on Pogue macking rule..."

JJ leaned against the cabinets, his usual carefree demeanor replaced with an unexplained seriousness. He ran a hand through his blond hair, contemplating how to respond. "Gabriella," he said, his tone gentle but firm, "that rule doesn't apply to you and John B."

She blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?"

JJ sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. "I've never seen John B's face light up as much as when he sees you. Trust me, he's been through a lot, and I know my best friend. The way he looks at you... it's different. It's real."

Gabriella's heart skipped a beat. She replayed the moments she had shared with John B in her mind, from their shared glances to the gentle touch of their fingers. The idea that she could evoke such emotions in him was both thrilling and terrifying.

"But what if I mess it up?" she whispered, her insecurities bubbling to the surface. "What if I don't know how to handle this?"

JJ moved closer, his expression softening as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You won't mess it up, Gabriella. Just be yourself. That's all John B wants. You don't need to have all the answers or experience. Just... be there for him, and let him be there for you."

Gabriella looked down, fiddling with a loose thread on her shorts. JJ's words were comforting, but the fear of the unknown still lingered. She had spent so much of her life feeling isolated, unsure of her place in the world. The thought of opening up to someone, of allowing herself to be vulnerable, was daunting.

JJ reached out, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're part of the Pogues now, Gabriella. We've got your back. And trust me, John B cares about you a lot. Just give it a chance."

She looked up at him, a small smile breaking through her uncertainty. "Thanks, JJ. I'll try."

He grinned, giving her shoulder a light squeeze before stepping back. "Now, come on. We're going to talk to Ms. Lana with JB, figure this whole thing out."

Gabriella's brows furrowed, remembering that Ms. Lana is the widow of Scooter Grubbs, she sarcastically said, "I'm sure she would just love to talk to us. It's not like her husband just drowned or anything."

She followed JJ on the road towards the house, expecting to meet John B there. Gabriella felt a newfound sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could let herself believe in the possibility of something beautiful with John B.

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authors note!

jj is so supportive, he's so adorable!

do you love the dynamic between the two because i know i do. i'm trying really hard to create a sibling like duo between them so please let me know if its working <3

- xoxo, LEE.