Obx 4

Chapter 7

Kiara's pov

Kiara's POV

I woke up on the couch, the stiffness in my back reminding me why. JJ had slept in our bed, and honestly, I couldn't bring myself to lie next to him after everything that happened. I was still mad, and I knew the other Pogues were too. The weight of the previous night lingered in the air like a storm that hadn't yet passed.

Rubbing my eyes, I got up and wandered into the kitchen, only to find JJ already there. He glanced at me with those familiar ocean-blue eyes, but instead of the usual mischief, there was something else—regret, maybe? The silence between us was thick, and I hated it, so I decided to break it.

"Are you okay?" I asked, still caring despite everything. I couldn't help it; I loved him, even when I was furious.

"I'm good. I think I found a way to win back the money we lost," he announced, his voice hopeful.

I raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?" I asked, trying not to sound too skeptical.

JJ's eyes lit up for the first time in what felt like forever. "First, I'm going to work double shifts, and then, remember the Blackbeard treasure? I'm going to go after it. And I was hoping maybe we could all look for it together, you know? Pogue style."

I couldn't help but smile a little at that. Treasure hunts were our thing, but... "I mean, I think it's a good idea, but JJ, we all agreed we've been through so much already. Don't you think chasing after more treasure is just going to bring more problems?"

He sighed, running a hand through his messy blond hair. "Yeah, maybe. I don't want to drag anyone into something they don't want to do. I'll talk to them when they wake up. I'll see what I can do."

I nodded, unsure what else to say. Part of me wanted to jump back into the adventure—there was something about treasure hunting that made us all feel alive—but another part of me wanted peace. We'd been through so much already.

I took out my phone, hoping for a distraction, and scrolled through my texts. A message from my mom popped up, and I hesitated before opening it.

Mom:
Hi baby, we miss you! Would you like to come here for dinner? You can bring JJ. We want to get to know him better.

I frowned. They already knew JJ. Why would they want to know him better?

Me:
But you already know JJ. Why would you want to know him better?

Her reply came quickly.

Mom:
We want to know him as your boyfriend... please?

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. My parents wanting to "get to know" JJ sounded like trouble. We were already on shaky ground after they sent me to that boarding school. I wasn't sure if I was ready for a family dinner, not today, at least.

Me:
Well, today isn't the greatest day for that, but we'll see. Thanks for the invite.

Mom:
You're welcome, sweetheart. I love you so much ❤️❤️

I stared at her last text. I knew she loved me, but after everything—after them shipping me away like I was a problem to be fixed—I couldn't bring myself to say it back. Things hadn't felt the same since boarding school. It wasn't something I could easily forget or forgive.

JJ's pov

After a while, everyone woke up, and we gathered in the living room. The tension from the day before still hung in the air. I glanced at Kiara, and she gave me a small smile—one that told me to go ahead. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of what I was about to say.