RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

THIRTY FOUR

PLANS

"It'll be cool right?" Sarah questioned turning to John B. "I'm gonna leave." She had had enough of this shit.

"Sarah don't." John B pleaded. He didn't want her to go, he wanted the Pogues to figure it all out while Sarah was here.

"I'm gonna let y'all chat." Sarah said walking away. "Let me know."

"What the fuck JB?" River snapped on she had left. "What is wrong with you?" She felt so mad at him. Kie was his best friend and how he was sleeping with her enemy.

"What is wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" John B snapped back. River looked at him in shock.

"What's that suppose to mean?" She questioned angrily. River crossed her arms and stood up.

"Why do you have such an issue with Sarah, what the fuck has she ever done to you?" John B said also standing up, making River roll her eyes.

River scoffed at the boy before saying, "I'm just fucking loyal." She paused. "You're gonna have to pick. Kie or Sarah. And it sure as hell best be Kie."

River walked into the house without another word, leaving the boys completely and utterly stunned. "I'd just like to say, you handled that beautifully." JJ said standing up and clapping his hands together. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go and check on my girl." JJ said pointing into the house.

River smashed her fist into the wall. She felt so mad. Like everything that was bottled up inside of her was finally coming out. "Hey baby girl." JJ wrapped his arms around her and restrained her so that she couldn't do any more damage to herself. "Just breathe." He whispered, gently rocking her side to side. He used to calm her panic attacks by holding her in his arms and swaying.

"He's going to have to fucking choose. Kie hates Sarah. And Kie's our family. He's going to have to choose Kie." River said relaxing into his arms. "He's going to have to choose our family."

"He'll choose Kie, don't worry." JJ said reassuringly. He pulled her into the bathroom and started running the water. "Sit down." He said, River nodded and sat on the edge of the bath.

JJ wet a random wash cloth with cold water and knelt down in front of the blonde. He began to clean the blood from her now split knuckles. "You shouldn't hurt yourself baby." He whispered. He hated that she did this, it was very rare but it happened whenever things got too much for her.

"I'm so fucking fed up." River sighed angrily. "Between everything with my mom, Rafe, Sarah and Kie. I just- feel like-" River tried her hardest to explain but nothing was working. "I just wanna get out of outer banks." She put it bluntly.

"Okay." JJ nodded. "We'll get the gold, we'll get our share and me and you we'll leave. We'll go somewhere far away and start fresh. I promise." JJ said once he finished cleaning her knuckles. He placed a light kiss over them, making her wince slightly. "Sorry." He chuckles.

"That's what I want J. To leave, just me and you." River confessed. "We just get on the next ferry and see where it takes us. And we'll go from there."

JJ couldn't help but crack a smile. "I'll make it happen." JJ said and he really meant it.

~

"What did she say?" John B said throwing a packet of chips at Pope. Pope had just been down to see Kie, who he had found crying on the dock. He tried his hardest to comfort her.

"That you're an idiot." Pope said as he caught the packet.

"I agree." River mumbled. She was sat on the side, plaiting JJ's hair. He was stood in front of her and his hands rested on her thighs, tapping a random tune.

"It's a no-brainer. You're picking Kie." JJ said reaching forward for a beer, making River let go of his hair. She pouted slightly, but smile once he handed her a beer.

"Look, I can't make a decision." John B shrugged. River wrapped her arms around JJ's torso and rested her head on his back.

"So what? We're just dead in the water because you're pussy-whipped?" JJ questioned. "We can't do this without Kie and you know it." He pointed at John B.

"And I can't do it without Sarah." John B shrugged. River let out a quiet groan. "Okay, they both have to be in on it."

"Well, good luck with that." Pope shrugged and walked towards the fridge.

"You know what? I know this was my fault, alright? But it's our problem. I've got a plan. And you three shitheads are gonna help me out." John B announced.

He went on about how he was going to lock them both on the boat and make the sort out the differences. River disagreed. One of the girls would be dead by sun set.

"Nope. I'm not doing it." River shook her head as John B suggested that she goes on the boat with them, that she's the one to convince they to forgive and forget their past drama. "I'd rather die than be trapped on a boat with those two squabbling all night." She refused to do it.

"Please R.C. Look I'm sorry for being a di-"

"Sorry John B, but I promise I'd go and see my grandpa today." River shook her head. JJ span around and faced her with a smile. He just wrapped his arms around he pulled her closer to him.

River furrowed her brows at the sudden action. She smiled and wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"What are we gonna do then?" John B questioned.

River just shrugged in response, but she wasn't that focused on what he said next. All she was focused on was JJ's arms wrapped around her and the way his fingers traced random patterns on her skin,

SHE FELT COMPLETELY AT PEACE.