SUNBURN | JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

063

Rafe was just about to swing his leg over his motorcycle when he caught sight of Gabriella standing by the side of the road. His eyes narrowed as he strode over to her, grabbing her arm and yanking her roughly toward him. "I know what you did," he hissed, his voice low and menacing.

Gabriella, unfazed, raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, what did I do, Rafe?" she replied, her tone dripping with mock innocence.

"I know you're stealing 25K from a drug dealer," Rafe shot back, his voice tight with barely concealed anger.

Gabriella laughed in his face, the sound sharp and defiant. "Don't you mean your best friend?" she retorted cockily, tapping her nose as if she was sharing an inside joke at his expense.

Rafe's face twisted in anger. "Hey!" he shouted, the force of his voice making her flinch just a little. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "When you get more than a little cut on your lip and a black eye, you're gonna come running and wish you were nicer to me."

Gabriella's brows furrowed as she scoffed, meeting his gaze without backing down. "Oh baby, only in your dreams would I ever run to you." She spat.

Rafe bent down, his face inches from hers, his breath hot against her skin. "One day, the Pogues will leave you, and you'll have no one to trust but me. I'll be waiting until that day."

Before Gabriella could respond, John B, who had been watching the encounter from a few feet away, pushed Topper away from him. "Why don't you get on your fucking bike, Topper? Rafe?" His voice was low and threatening, a clear warning that he was ready to escalate if they didn't back off.

Topper, sensing the shift in John B's tone, straightened up, a smirk still on his face as he asked, "Or what?"

John B took a step closer, his voice barely above a whisper but full of authority. "Get on the bike."

The two finally relented, climbing onto their motorcycles with a few lingering glares. As they put on their helmets, Gabriella mockingly waved at them, turning her gesture into a middle finger. "See you later, sweetheart," she taunted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

The engines roared to life, and they sped off, leaving Gabriella and John B alone in the quiet aftermath.

Gabriella turned to John B, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and anger. "What the fuck was that about?" she asked, her voice sharp but underpinned with worry.

Gabriella could see the tension in his posture, the way his jaw clenched as he tried to keep his emotions in check. He was angry—maybe not just at the situation, but at her for siding with JJ earlier. Yet, as much as he wanted to hold onto that anger, he couldn't look away from the bruises on her face, the cut on her lip, the forming bruise on her stomach. His protectiveness overpowered everything else.

"What happened?" John B asked, stepping closer, his presence overwhelming her in the most comforting way. He gritted his teeth, trying to contain the rage bubbling beneath the surface.

Gabriella lifted her hand softly, brushing it against his cheek. "It's nothing, don't worry about it," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

John B wasn't convinced. He grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to it as he spoke gently. "Gabriella, tell me what happened."

She climbed into the passenger seat of the Twinkie, her plea almost breaking his heart. "Please, John B, not now. Okay?"

He looked at her for a long moment, struggling between the need to protect her and the need to respect her boundaries. Finally, he nodded, unable to push her any further. The tears in her eyes sparkled under the fading light, and he knew she would tell him when she was ready. He could wait.

"Okay, sunshine," he said softly, the nickname slipping out naturally as if it had always been hers.

Gabriella asked quietly, "Are we going home?"

The word hit him harder than he expected. Home. Their home. Not just a place, but wherever they were together. For John B, home wasn't a house or a specific location—it was her. Being with her.

He started the engine, casting a sideways glance at her. "Not quite. I wanna show you something."

Gabriella smiled, her eyes softening as she wrapped her arms around his, resting her head against his shoulder. "Okay, my love. After all, home is wherever I'm with you."

In that moment, John B knew. He had found his flame, his shooting star—the love of his life. And nothing, not Rafe, not Topper, not the world itself, could take that away from him.

John B turned off the main road and headed down a dirt path that wound through the woods. Gabriella looked up, curious about where he was taking her. "Where are we going?" she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and trust.

"You'll see," John B replied with a soft smile, keeping one hand on the wheel and the other resting on her thigh. The trees closed in around them, their leaves rustling in the breeze, until they finally broke through into a clearing. There, nestled among the trees, was an old abandoned church, its weathered exterior bathed in the soft glow of the fading light.

John B said quietly, his voice filled with pain, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

"It's-" Gabriella got cut off.

"It's not fine, Gabriella. Stop saying that. If something happened to you, I-" John B ran a hand through his hair, gripping the steering wheel tighter than he did before, "I don't know how to live without you now."

Gabriella's heart swelled at John B's words. The way he said it, with such sincerity and warmth, made her feel safe and cherished. Despite the bruises on her face and the emotional weight of the day, she felt a deep sense of peace. His love was like a balm to her wounds, soothing the pain she had endured.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, but this time they weren't from pain or fear—they were from gratitude and love. She squeezed his arm gently, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Don't apologise, Sunshine. Never apologise."

As they drove, Gabriella couldn't help but think about everything they had been through together. The danger, the uncertainty, the constant challenges—it all seemed to fade away when she was with him. John B had this way of making her feel like they could face anything, as long as they were side by side.

She nestled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder, content in the knowledge that no matter what happened next, they had each other. With the world falling away behind them, Gabriella realized something important. It wasn't just about surviving anymore. It was about living, about finding moments of joy and love even in the chaos. And with John B, she knew she could find those moments, no matter what the future held.