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CHAPTER THIRTY: ROAD TRIP
Emma sat with JJ, their legs dangling off of the dock above the water. She hummed a low song, staring up at the sky that was full of stars. It was a full moon and she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel at peace right now.
Here she was, sitting next to her best friend, both quiet and watching the water in comfortable silence. She wouldn't have it any other way, even in the circumstances they were in.
Emma's always been a lover of the water—of the ocean. It reminded her of her childhood, with her father and her brother who she missed so dearly. There were so many things she wanted to say to John B and she couldn't wait to see him. She hated how dumb and naive she was. She promised herself, never again. Never again would she trust someone blindly. Not Rafe. Not again.
JJ looked over at her, taking a sip out of a can of beer that'd been in his hand, and he wondered what she was thinking. He also wondered something else. "Hey, Em," he broke the silence, his voice calm and soothing. "Where were you when Kie was getting the gun?"
Emma glanced at him, then back at the ocean. Oh, nothing, just breaking up with my boyfriend, why? She could've said that, but she didn't. "Um..." She thought for a moment, letting out a breath. "I had to deal with something on my way."
"Yeah, what's that?" He asked curiously, tilting his head.
Of course JJ was curious. When was he ever just going to get a simple answer and accept it? Probably never. "Listen, J," she decided to spill the truth. There wasn't much to hide, was there? It was a good thing. "I ran into Rafe on my way, okay? And then... we talked and," she swallowed. "We broke things off. It's over."
JJ could've laughed. He didn't expect that at all. It hadn't even crossed his mind. But instead of laughing, he was shocked and puzzled than anything. "Just like that?" He asked, a half-smile forming on his face. It was more of a confused smile if anything. "No threatening to end your life or nothing? That psycho couldn't have possibly ended things calmly."
Emma frowned slightly. "Well, he did. Shocking, right?"
"Yeah," JJ hummed, staring at the water again with a small grin. "Shocking."
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Emma was back at work, standing behind the counter as she twirled a pen around her finger. She was so exhausted, even though she'd barely been doing anything lately. But at least she wasn't rotting in bed anymore. At least she was getting out of the house, showing up for work, and trying to free her brother.
