TROUBLE | JJ Maybank

030. I Won't Let You Go.

THE SUNLIGHT POURED THROUGH the blinds, stirring Amelia from a restless sleep. She sighed,  reluctantly swinging her legs on the edge of her bed. Standing in front of her mirror, she slipped into a sleeveless, crisp white crop top, leaving one button undone at the top, and paired it with patterned black-and-white shorts that hugged her waist.

Turning to her closet, she grabbed her duffel bag, tossing a few essentials into it—things she might need, though the idea of leaving made her stomach churn. She didn't know her father's plan but could feel it—something dark was brewing. Finally, she reached for her phone; the screen lit up with JJ's name. Several missed calls and a flood of unread texts stared back at her.

JJ (message) "Mils, everything good?"

JJ (message): "Mils, you're freaking me out"

JJ (message): "Did John B show up? Did something happen?"

JJ (message): "Amelia, answer me"

Her chest tightened as she scrolled through JJ's missed calls, the unread messages forming a timeline of his growing concern. Her finger lingered above the call button, eyes locked on JJ's name as doubt crept into her thoughts. Her finger hovered, a breath away from making the call when the unmistakable echo of footsteps rang down the hall until the door creaked open.

"Ready, sweetie?" Rose's voice slid into the moment, smooth yet tinged with an undercurrent of something Amelia couldn't place.

Amelia quickly locked her phone, her heart racing. "Uh, yeah. Just a sec," she replied, smiling as she slipped the phone into her bag. Her mind was still spinning with thoughts of JJ.

THE CAR HUMMED steadily down the road, the sound of the engine filling the silence between them. Amelia stared out the window, her fingers mindlessly tapping against her leg, wondering if she should've called JJ.

Sarah sat beside her father, looking out the window. Amelia noticed her sister's reflection in the glass; she seemed withdrawn and distant.

A small gasp escaped Sarah's lips as they drove past the old church. "Dad, I don't understand why we need to go to the Bahamas," she said, staring out the window. "I think I—I really need to talk to John B." She glanced toward the front of the car, her gaze lingering on Ward when she mentioned his name.

"Yeah, I need to talk to JJ," Amelia said quietly, her voice sharper than intended as her eyes lingered on her father. Her stomach churning with unease.

"No, sweetheart," Ward responded softly, "I told you, he's not himself right now, all right? This isn't forever—this is just until they can find him and get him the help he needs. Trust me, all right?" He paused for a moment, then added, his tone softer but firm, "And honey, I told you, we don't know what he's told JJ. Like I said, this isn't forever."

Amelia swallowed, the weight of his words pressing heavily on her chest, forcing her into silence.

THE CAR ROLLED to a stop, Amelia's gaze scanning her surroundings. Amelia's eyes narrowed, her heart pounding as she observed the men loading crates onto the plane.

"Sarah," Amelia whispered, leaning slightly forward, her voice low enough so Ward wouldn't hear. "Do you see those crates?"

Sarah followed her sister's line of sight "Yeah, what's going on?"

"I don't know.." Amelia muttered.

Amelia sat for a moment, her mind racing. Suddenly, she opened the car door and stepped out, Sarah following behind her.

POGUES POV

The Pogues stood behind a metal fence, John B held a pair of binoculars to his eyes, scanning the area. The binoculars slipped from his eyes as John B spotted Sarah.