Mary Routledge | Outer Banks

Shit show

It was now the next day. JJ still hadn't said anything, unlike John B and the others who had texted saying they were already on their way. Kie and I were worried sick, but we were trying our best to hide it from each other. It was stupid, yes, but we wanted to be strong for the other. I knew that as soon as I started freaking out, Kie would freak out too, and if she started freaking out, I would freak out soon after. It was a weird position we were in. The town council thing about the zoning of the house was tonight, so I just hoped they'd all get here in time.

As Kie was around the tomatoes and the peppers, I was about to start decorating some boards when I saw JJ arrive on The Snapper. He started walking towards us, and I sprinted to meet him. Before any of us could say anything, I engulfed him in a tight hug.

"Where the fuck have you been?! Did you find your dad? Are you okay?!" I asked as I pulled away from him, so I was able to see his face.

"It's a long story." He sighed. "Where are the others?"

He was weird. Something had happened.

"Uh, Kie is back at the garden to check on the vegetables, and the others are almost here, why?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"No reason." He shrugged before hugging me again. "I just wanted to be with you alone for a little bit."

"J..." I said, pulling away again. "What the hell happened?"

"Doesn't matter, it's just my dad." He sighed as he rested his forehead on mine.

"Did you find him? What did he do this time?" I asked, running my hands through his hair so I could calm him down.

"Yup. He's been holding up at Barracuda Mike's, I guess." He said, somewhat sadly.

"Is he gonna come back here?" I asked him.

"No, no. Didn't say anything about that." He said, reluctant to tell me the rest.

"Baby..." I said, cupping his face so he looked up at me. "You know you can tell me what's going on, right?"

JJ looked at me, contemplating what to do next.

"He told..." He started, barely meeting my eyes. "He told me he wasn't my real dad."

"A-Are you serious?!" I asked, wide eyed at the new information.

Surely it could not be true... could it?

"You remember the letter?" He asked me, and I nodded. "Well, I went to talk to Luke and he said that Wes Genrette... is my grandfather." I widened my eyes even more at the realization. "Which makes Groff..."

"Your real dad." I finished for him.

"Yeah." He nodded.

We stayed in silence for a few seconds.

"You think he's telling the truth?" I asked softly.

"I don't know..." He sighed. "It doesn't make any sense." He paused. "A-And then he says, like, Larissa- You remember that painting? The one- Larissa Genrette? Where she drowned with her baby?"

"Yes, yes, I remember." I nodded quickly.

"He said that baby actually didn't die, and that was me... that I'm that baby." He explained.

I couldn't help but feel a knot on my brain with this whole thing. After everything that Luke did to JJ, all the pain he caused him, and now finding out that he might not be his real dad... truly a fucked up situation.

"Or maybe my dad fucking lied to me, tried to use me for a quick buck; 'cause after all, that's all he's done his entire life. That's all he's doing." JJ let out frustrated.