Gold Digger// JJ Maybank- OBX

three

*TW for this chapter- slight blood and abuse* (Scene marked with stars, if you wish to skip)

SCARLETT AROSE very early the next morning. She let out a yawn as she rolled over in the bed she was sharing with JJ. He spent so much time over at John B's house- otherwise known as the Château- that he'd gained his own room. It wasn't an odd occurrence for the two to share the room when the Pogues slept over at the Château, so the others just put it down to the weird friendship the two had always had and didn't suspect anything was happening between them. She gently moved his arm off of her and sat up.

JJ let out a groan as he woke up, keeping his eyes closed. "What time is it?" He asked, pulling the pillow over his head.

"Early." Scarlett answered. "I'm gonna go watch the sunrise. You can go back to sleep if you want." She patted his arm and stood up.

"What was your talk with Kie about last night?" JJ asked, peering at her over the top of the pillow.

"She sussed us out. So, I came clean with the truth."

"And here I thought I would be the one to spill our little secret." He grinned.

"I thought so too." Scarlett laughed quietly. She slipped on her flipflops and headed towards the door. "She won't tell the others though. It's Kie, we can trust her." She blew a kiss in JJ's direction before stepping out of the room. She closed the door behind her and tiptoed through the living room, passing Kiara asleep on the couch, and out onto the porch. "Mornin'." She greeted to Pope, who was barely awake.

"Morning." He greeted, rolling over on the sofa and falling back to sleep.

"So much for a conversation." Scarlett muttered, hopping down the steps and walking through the grass to the hammock. She climbed into it, lying down and peacefully watching the sunrise. Scarlett wasn't usually an early riser, but she enjoyed being awake to watch the occasional sunrise. It reminded her of the times when her mom was around and on the mornings when she had to leave for a short while on a trip. They always used to watch them together, sometimes with Maisie snuggling up next to them on the porch. Those were some of the moments that she missed the most. She reached a hand up and wiped away a tear that fallen at the memory.

"You thinking about Charlotte?" John B asked, joining her in the hammock.

"I just, I really miss her JB." She sighed.

John B patted her leg in a comforting manner. "I know you do. I miss her too. She was like a mom to me. She actually stuck around after we turned three, unlike my mom."

Scarlett laughed lightly. "I have to say, I wish I had had your dad as one of my parents. He was so much better than my father ever has been."

"He still..." John B trailed off, gesturing with his hands. "You know-"

Scarlett nodded, understanding what he was getting at. "It's getting harder to cover up the bruises from Maisie. I just- I don't want her to see how bad he can really get. You know?" John B nodded and she continued rambling. "He yells at her, and that's how it started. Before he started getting physical, he would just yell and scream and throw stuff, but never at me. And he's doing that to her." She took a deep breath, pushing back the tears. "I'm terrified he's gonna start hitting her."

John B shuffled and moved up to Scarlett's end of the hammock. He pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her as she cried into his shoulder. "If you want, we can move Maisie into my house for a while. Just until things with your dad calm down." He paused, beginning to gently stroke her hair. "Or we can ask Kiara if her parents could look after her for a bit. We'll sort something out. I promise, Lottie. Everything's gonna be okay."