𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

XI. You Always Leave.

      

      THE GROUP of six now arrive home, the van coming to a stop as JJ opens the van door, letting Kie get out first as she is still talking about it, "just everytime, like, every single time we see them, something goes wrong." She says as she turns to Jake and JJ who got out together, nodding and listening along. "Like, we can't do anything without them getting triggered." She says, now carefully adjusting the sleeping toddler in her arms.

"Kie, Kie, they're Kooks, okay?" JJ began as they walk alongside her, Jake holding a hand to Kie's back now. "Hey." Kie greets Pope who walks down the steps of the house, walking over to them. "Yo." JJ calls out. "Hi." Sarah says. "How'd it go?" Jake asked next, but the boy is quiet, blankly staring at the ground. "Pope." JJ said. "What is that? Is that blood?" Kie now walked forward, a hand gently holding Evie's head, worried the girl will wake up and look up to see the bloodied hands.

"Pope, whose blood is that?" Jake asked worriedly as JJ rushes over. "Pope." He grabs both of the boy's hands. "Pope, what happened?" JJ asked him. "Pope, what happened?" He shook his shoulders. "Where's Cleo?" Sarah asks next, looking worried. "She's... inside." Pope finally spoke.

"Cleo!"

"Take Evie upstairs," Jake tells Kie, not wanting to risk the girl accidentally waking up and seeing whatever it is they were gonna walk in on. "Yeah, yeah," Kie says quietly, heading towards the staircase with the girl as he walks behind JJ and Sarah, where they find Terrance, laying on the floor with a pool of blood.

Kie returns, shocked at the sight of Terrance's dead body and going to Jake's side instantly and the boy pulls her in closer, arm around her waist. They all stand together in silence, unsure of what to do as Pope and John B spoke together on the back patio. "Evie okay?" Jake asks her quietly and Kie nods, "she's sleeping peacefully on her own bed now."

The four stood there together, in silence now as Cleo was just standing there, staring at literally nothing. Jake kept glancing at her, wondering what was going through her mind, considering the fact that Terrance was like a father figure to the girl. She had said so many times, that the man basically raised her.

When Shoupe's cop car pulls up, JJ is the first one to notice, looking out the front door and the others, Jake, Kie and Sarah also look out the front window, curiously. And as JJ ran off to go tell Pope and John B, a loud cry comes from upstairs, "dada!" It's Evie, so Jake quickly looks at Kie to her side. "Go, go to her, we'll take care of everything." She quickly says and he nods, rushing over to the stairs.

He wasted no time, rushing over to Evie's bedroom where the girl was sitting up in bed, tears running down her face as she cried, the blanket was on the floor too. He doesn't pay no mind to it, rushing over and kneeling down next to the little bed. "Hey, hey, I'm right here, honey, I'm right here, what's wrong?" He asked her worriedly as she stopped, or tried to, sobs still coming from her while her hands wipe away at her face. "Take your time, baby." He says, wiping away her tears with her.

Once the tears were gone, she took a while, taking deep breaths and sniffling as she rubs her eyes. "I fell asleep on Mama Kie, I was with you and Uncle Jay, then I woke up, and I was all alone." She hiccups as she speaks and Jake sighs. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry." He reached over, softly caressing her head as he spoke. The thought of the dead body downstairs crossed his mind momentarily and he just pulled her close, into his arms. She hugs back instantly, her tiny arms going around his neck.

"I want Mama Kie," she says, her hands playing with some of his messy curls and he chuckles, softly rubbing her back before taking out his phone from his pocket. He sends a quick text to Kiara who didn't take long after receiving it and coming upstairs, walking into the room. "Is... the issue fixed?" He asks her quietly as she sat down onto Evie's bed now.