One Stupid Thing

Not What I Had Planned

I'm just gonna keep my trap shut and let you guys read lol

Enjoy ;)
——

JJ leads me down the block towards the marina. While I trust him 100%, not knowing where he's taking me makes me nervous. My anxiety only spikes when I notice that he is heading towards the water. My heart drops into my stomach and it's as if my legs no longer have the ability to walk.

"Hey. Hey, you okay?" JJ asks me, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

I can feel my heart pounding against my ribcage. "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Oh. Oh, yeah, I'm fine." I shake my head to clear away the doubt. I smile back at him. "All good."

JJ doesn't look convinced. "Okay." He starts to continue forwards but my feet remain planted. "Stella?"

"Right, sorry. Let's go."

He hesitates for a moment, scanning me with obvious concern, but I just flash him a small smile in return.

JJ leads me down the dock and towards the boat that he uses to run charters, The Snapper, that is usually docked at home. He steps onboard first and then holds a hand out to me. I look down at the open water staring back at me from the gap between the boat and the dock.

"Hey, I've got ya." He thrusts his hand towards me once more. I take it firmly and as I step one foot onto the boat, he pulls me towards him. I practically crash into his chest. My face flushes with embarrassment. Why am I being so awkward right now?

"Sorry," I say with a laugh.

Unexpectedly, JJ takes my face in his hands and kisses the awkwardness right out of me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I blink up at him. The kiss totally caught me off guard and has left me dizzy. "Yup. Yeah. Absolutely."

JJ chuckles softly. "You dork. Come on." With a gentle hand on the small of my back, he guides me to the helm.

—

After a few minutes of coasting along, the sun has begun to dip in the sky, casting a golden glow over the island. I cling to JJ as he drives the boat, following the shoreline around to the other side of the island.

"When are you going to tell me where we're going?" I ask him.

"When we get there."

"Okay." I nuzzle into his side and then freeze when I realize what he meant. "Wait. That's not fair!"

JJ laughs softly and wraps an arm around my shoulders. "You've just gotta be patient. We're almost there."

I cross my arms in front of me. JJ subconsciously runs his thumb along my shoulder blade while he drives. I watch his other hand as it effortlessly steers us towards our destination.

A minute or so later JJ announces, "We're here," giving my shoulder a gentle shake. He turns the boat sharply towards the shore and allows it to coast until it hits the sandy floor. He throws an anchor onto the beach to secure it. "Do you know where we are?"

I squint and look out into the distance. I can see lights strung in the trees, but it's blurry. Then it clicks and I let out a gasp.

"Oh, Jay. You didn't."

"Hell yeah I did."

We're at the beach. The one where JJ and I shared our first kiss.

"You want to go check it out?" he asks me. I nod fiercely. "Okay, okay. Come on."