Alone Together • JJ Maybank

Twenty Seven.

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The mood in John B's van was still tense as he drove us to the hawk's nest to meet with Sarah. The radio hummed quietly in the background as we all sat silently. I could tell Kiara was still pissed off as I attempted to get her attention when I climbed in the back with her, but she just shrugged her shoulders and turned to look out of the window.

Pope was avoiding looking at either Kie or me, probably not wanting either of us to start the bickering off again. I had caught John B's stare in the mirror, but he quickly looked away, clearly still reeling from me not fully supporting his current plan. But what confused me the most was how JJ seemed to be avoiding my gaze too.

I let out a heavy sigh as I heard a small rumble of thunder in the distance and John B appeared to be slowing down the van. Putting the van in park, he shut off the engine and jumped out as Pope pulled open the side door.

"Hit it, boys! We're going. Recon mission." JJ exclaimed enthusiastically as he began to climb forward towards Pope and the open door, but John B stepped in to block the way, leaning through to look at us all.

"Yo, uh. So I think I'm gonna do this one by myself." Kiara and I caught each other's gaze as John B spoke, with Kie rolling her eyes and leaning back defeated.

"Course you are." I mumbled under my breath.

"Really?" JJ asked at the same time.

"What?" John B shot a glare in his direction. "I just don't want to spook Sarah with the whole peanut gallery.

"I just don't understand why we're involving her at all." Kiara raised her voice.

Pulling the flower clips out from my hair, I groaned quietly to myself. "Here we go again."

"Kie, we're not involving her, okay?" I glanced up a little as I placed the clips in my clutch bag, feeling a little guilty at how John B was desperately trying to defuse the situation, so it didn't end in an argument again. "It's just like a business meeting." I heard JJ and Pope chuckling at something beside me but didn't have the energy to look.

"Once we get what we need, we cut her loose, all right? We need the map." John B looked from Kiara to me for the first time since stopping the van. I shrugged, forcing a small smile to my lips as if to apologize for not being fully on board, even though I felt nothing but worry at the whole situation with involving her.

"Promise me nothing's happening between you two." Kiara pulled his attention away from me as she calmly asked the question.

"Nothing is happening, Kie."

"I'm being serious." Her voice was stern. "This isn't about you, and this isn't about us. This is about her." I caught Pope's eye as he awkwardly looked away from the pair, matching my discomfort at the situation. "Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys."

I studied John B's face as he paused at Kiara's words, feeling as if someone was watching me doing just the same, but unable to pull my stare away until he responded. "I promise." I accidentally let out a chuckle, knowing instantly that he was lying.

"That was really believable."

"A hundred percent believable." JJ and Pope echoed my thoughts as John B glared at us. I mouthed a sorry in his direction before he looked away again.

"Anyways, um. I'm gonna take care of business." Pope and JJ carried on their playful torment of John B, making the situation worse for Kiara who looked like she had given up caring at this point.

I instinctively reached forward to grip John B's wrist. "Just, be careful, all right?" He kept my stare for a moment longer, before nodding and muttering a quick yeah as he began to climb out of the van. I know he thought I meant about the meeting right now, but I meant a whole lot more than that, knowing that there was definitely more going on between him and Sarah.