Audacious//JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

Chapter 100

{I hope it's a Girl}

As the sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting its first light on what remained of the Chateau, we all sat in stunned silence. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and charred wood. The flames had finally died down, but the damage was done. All that was left was a pile of smouldering debris, blackened beams, and ash. Everything we'd known, everything we had built together—it was all gone.

We huddled together, still outside, covered in ash and dirt from our narrow escape. Our clothes were filthy, our faces were streaked with soot and exhaustion. No one said a word for what felt like hours, just watching the last remnants of the place burn itself out.

Pope broke the silence first, his voice rough. "Could've been a faulty wire." He didn't sound convinced, though. None of us were. "The place was old. All wood," Cleo muttered, shaking her head. "One spark, and poof."

I sat there, my arms wrapped tightly around my knees, unable to stop the tears from falling. My home—our home—was gone. All the memories, the years spent in that house, all of it had been reduced to ash. I tried to stay strong, but the weight of it all was too much. I couldn't hold it in any longer, and I just cried. JJ, sitting beside me, didn't say anything for a while. He kept his hand on my back, rubbing slow circles as I buried my face in my hands.

John B sat on the other side of me, silent, staring at the debris like he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. His jaw was tight, eyes glazed with the same grief we all felt.

After what felt like an eternity, JJ broke the silence, looking over at John B and me. "Verdict's in, bro," he said, his voice flat and sarcastic. "Whoever's up there does not like you." He glanced at the smouldering wreckage, shaking his head.

I glared at him, tears still streaming down my face. "Shut up, JJ," I spat, my voice hoarse. Now wasn't the time for jokes, not about this.

JJ shrugged his attempt to lighten the mood falling flat. "Just saying..." I let out a rough cough, the smoke still irritating my throat. We were all covered in ash, our clothes streaked with it, our hair a mess from the chaos of the night. No one had slept, and exhaustion was pulling at us. But there was no time to think about rest—not when we had nothing left, nowhere to go.

After hugging John B and Sarah, JJ and I started making our way toward the shop. The air was thick with tension, but JJ, as always, tried to keep things light, his hand firmly in mine as we walked.

"I always wanted to go to South America," JJ mumbled, glancing over at me. "Great surf, cheap weed."

I let out a small sigh, giving him a sideways look. "Is that really all you're thinking about right now?"

He chuckled, nudging me gently with his shoulder. "Nah, but if we're heading into the unknown, I might as well look at the bright side, right?"

We walked the rest of the way in silence, the sound of our footsteps on the sandy road filling the space between us. When we reached the shop, JJ scanned the area to make sure no one was watching. It was late enough that the place was mostly deserted.

"We gotta be quick," he whispered, motioning for me to follow him inside. "Just grab what you need—food, water, whatever keeps you and the baby fed for a while."

I nodded, my heart racing as we slipped into the small, dimly lit store. It wasn't the first time JJ had pulled something like this, and it wouldn't be the last. But things felt different now—more urgent, more dangerous. With everything we'd lost, the stakes had never been higher.

JJ darted to the back of the shop, grabbing water bottles and stuffing them into his bag. I grabbed some canned food, crackers, and anything that looked like it would last us for a bit. I kept one hand on my belly, feeling the occasional gentle kick from the baby, reminding me of how important it was to keep going, to stay strong.