Chasing Sunshine | JJ Maybank

38 // The Runway

After tip-toeing past Kiara and Pope, who were still asleep together on the pull-out couch, I swiped the keys to the HMS Pogue from the end table while JJ gathered some blankets and a couple apples for breakfast. Together, we crept as quickly as we dared to the little vessel bobbing calmly from its tether to the wooden post of the dock. After the last time JJ entrusted me to drive a boat, he refused to give up the wheel in the interest of self preservation so I gave verbal direction to the particular place I had in mind.

It was here that we found ourselves anchored and floating on the Pogue in the middle of the marsh, at a spot my father had once showed me as one of the best views in the OBX. It was bittersweet coming back here, given everything unsavory that had happened between then and now, but I couldn't deny the timeless beauty the location sported.

"See, isn't this worth getting up early for?" I asked, dangling my feet off the bow and just barely letting my toes dip into the murky water below. The sun was still just a pale yellow half-circle rising above the horizon line, painting large brushstrokes of pinks and oranges through the blue canvas of sky. JJ was leaning back on both hands next to me and he made a big show of yawning extra loud just for my benefit.

"So worth it," he replied with a healthly dose of sarcasm. I rolled my eyes before closing them and letting my head fall backwards with a sigh; the persistent breeze coming off the water was a welcome one, as even this early in the morning, I could start to feel my skin become uncomfortably sticky. "However, I much prefer this view right here."

I cracked one eye to see him looking me up and down with a hungry stare, before closing it and smiling, pretending to be unaffected by his shameless flirtations. "Cheesy line but I'll allow it."

He snorted, my indifference clearly not convincing him, but he said nothing and let the sounds of the marsh envelope us again. After a minute, I opened my eyes again, rewarded with the sight of him stretched out on his back, arms crossed behind his head and appearing to be dozing under the sunshine. What else was I supposed to do but let my eyes wander over the defined muscles of his arms, sun-kissed and tanned, then to the shark tooth necklace that I was happy to see was once again laid against his chest.

"Can I help you?" he asked playfully, rudely interrupting my daydreaming. It was like he could feel my eyes on him and the way his blue eyes sparkled knowingly made me think he could read my thoughts too. Thoughts he didn't need to know I was thinking.

"Just admiring the view," I retorted, re-quoting him from earlier. He chuckled, bringing himself back into a sitting position and then standing up with a stretch. "Sick of me already?"I asked when he walked back to the helm, bringing his backpack up to rummage through it.

"No, but keep being a smartass and we'll see how it goes," he quipped with a wink, finally finding whatever it was he was looking for and coming back to sit down across from me. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly before looking questioningly at the small package held between his hands. He caught the glance and held it out to me, the inside of his lower lip pulled between his teeth nervously. "For you."

"For me?" I asked surprised, taking it hesitantly from him. It was just wrapped up in plain brown packing paper, like it had come straight from the counter it was purchased at and into my hands.

"Yeah uh, happy birthday," he replied with a trademark smirk and I laughed while picking at the edges of the wrapping absentmindedly.

"I hate to burst your bubble but in case you forgot, my birthday's in March. Like four months ago."

"Well, you were half a country away then. What was I supposed to do?" he explained, then added a little quieter, "I also just figured out what to get you yesterday."