Outer Banks (JJ Maybank x Reader) Book 4

The Enduro

John B glances back and forth between the lady in the doorway and me. "Mom?" He asks suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at me. "You look exactly the same," The woman, my mom, says to me. I open my mouth to speak and close it again. The same? If I'm right she hasn't seen me in over 16 years. "y/n and John B," She mutters, looking at both of us again. "No," John B shakes his head. "Who are you?" He asks.

"I'm your mother," She smiles. "y/n?" JJ asks. "What are you doing here?" I ask hesitantly. "I-I don't know," She stammers. "Wait, wait, y/n, you don't actually believe her, right?" John B asks, looking quickly between me and our mom. I open my mouth to speak again. Instead, I grab John B's arm. "Come here," I whisper, pulling him into the next room. "One second," I nod at the lady before shutting the door.

"What are you doing? You don't honestly think-," John B starts to stammer. "Shh, shh," I hush him, grabbing his face. "Look," I whisper, moving over to the nightstand on the side of my bed. I pick up the picture, showing it to him. "It's her," I say. "It's mom," I tell him. He stares at the photo. Both of our parents stand on the deck of chateau, smiling happily. John B and I stand just in front of them, neither of us looking at the camera. We're just barely 3. 

"Mom, as in...," John B starts. "Rachel Lynn Routledge, yes," I tell him. John B swallows, running his hands through his hair and staring at the ceiling. "W-what is she doing here?" He asks, palms spread in front of him. "I don't know, but we can't leave them all waiting out there," I whisper shout. "Okay, okay," He says as he paces. Finally he pauses, reaching for the door and pulling it open.  "Mom?" He asks as she stands in front of him. "Yes," She nods. 

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"Ok, so this woman, she's really your mom?" JJ asks as he frantically paces the shop. "Yes," I groan, hopping up to join Kie on top of the ice cooler. John B glances through the window, where we can all see her sitting on the porch with a cup of water, where we left her. "This is insane," Pope shakes his head. "And where did she come from, exactly?" Sarah asks, her arms crossed. "She left John B and I and our dad when we were 3. She wanted a better life, hated it in the cut and she was sick of dad's treasure hunting bullshit, as she called it," I say. 

"She's never contacted John B or I in my life. All I know about her is from my dad. The last I heard she was in Colorado with a new husband," I explain for the third time. "So what does she want?" Kie asks, leaning forward to get a better look at her. "I can tell ya what she wants," Cleo sighs. John B nods. "It has to be money or something, I'm sure her husband left her and she had no where else to run," He tells us. 

"You don't know that, she could be a good person, maybe she just wants to know us again," I murmur. Everyone turns to stare at me. "y/n, she hasn't talked to you since you were three," JJ says. "Well, whatever it is, we need to figure it out," Sarah says. "Okay, John B and I will go talk to her," I say calmly, glancing at John B. 

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We push the porch door open and Rachel looks up at us, waiting. John B and I sit across from her, both of us silent at first. "How are y-," I start. "What do you want?" John B interrupts. She sighs, unable to look either of us in the eye. "Look, I know it's been a while, and-," She begins. "16 years," John B cuts her off. She nods. "I'm sorry, okay?" She pleads, finally looking up to meet my eyes. "I never wanted to leave either of you, I just- didn't want to be stuck here," She sighs. 

Neither of us speak. She sighs. "Peter and I are over, I-," She starts. "Peter?" I ask. "Your step-father," She says. John B laughs. "You had no where else to go?" I guess, not taking my eyes off of her. "I came here to find your dad, but then when they told me he had died a year ago, I asked about you guys, and they told me I could find you here," She says. "That's it, you don't have a place here," John B snaps, pointing towards the door. "You can leave and take whatever husband you have now with you," He says.