Alone Together • JJ Maybank

Twenty Nine.

⚓⚓⚓

Letting out the heavy sigh that I had been holding in the whole ride here, I walked ahead of JJ and John B, pushing open the door to the Wreck. John B had filled us in on the drive here about how Ward Cameron had offered to be his legal guardian to keep the CPS off of his back, after apparently feeling guilty about firing him after learning how he had protected Sarah from a drunk and angry Topper.

I wanted to argue back and explain how it was a terrible idea. How Ward couldn't be trusted, but I couldn't explain why, so I bit my tongue for now and I was sure both boys could sense my now bad mood. Pope and Kiara's heads looked in our direction as the bell rung out above the open door. Smiles grew on their faces at the sight of John B out of the hospital, but when Kiara's gaze landed on my somber expression, her smile faded and her brows furrowed.

I walked in her direction, giving her a quick hug to say hello when she whispered under her breath. "What's wrong?"

I rolled my eyes as I stepped away. "You're about to find out." I whispered in reply as John B began to explain to her and Pope what he had just told JJ and I. Hearing him explain his new living situation again made me even more agitated. I tried to hide it by pouring myself a glass of water, but seeing Kiara's negative reaction mirroring mine, I couldn't ignore the feeling.

"I'm sorry, you're staying where?" Kiara's negativity was clear in her words.

"Tannyhill." John B said casually, like it was no big deal. I shrugged my shoulders when Kiara looked at me again.

"So you're living with Sarah Cameron."

"Don't bother trying, Kie. He clearly isn't going to listen to our concern." I groaned.

"Okay, look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right?" I glanced further down the counter to where John B was leaning. The mention of Ward sent a shiver down my spine. "And its way better than foster care, which, by the way is where I was about to go if Ward didn't..." He carried on as he pushed himself off of the counter, walking past me without a look, clearly annoyed at my negative reaction too.

I turned in my spot, following his movement with my head as I leant back on the counter when Pope cut him off. "Hey, so do you have a membership to the clubs now?"

"I don't know, Pope." John B sighed as he sat down at the table he and JJ were sat at.

"What about those golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?" JJ teased. Normally the boys teasing each other would make me laugh, but none of them knew the severity of the situation and just how dangerous Ward could be. I was certain he wasn't doing this to be nice.

"Does it come with a sweater-vest, or do you have to go buy one of those on your own?"

I downed the rest of my water before slamming the glass down on the counter, a little heavier than I intended to. I felt everyone's eyes on me as I sighed, but refused to look at them as I dragged myself off to the restroom, wanting to escape the conversation. I heard Kiara carry on as I walked away. "Look, you promised. You said you weren't with her."

Splashing my face with cold water, I gripped the edges of the sink as I stared at myself in the mirror. I should have known that the small happy moment with JJ this morning wouldn't last long, and the fact that it was Ward Cameron ruining it made me despise him even more.

I tried to push down my bad mood as I prepared to go back out and join the others, knowing that there was nothing I could do right now, and not wanting to cause a scene in front of them. As I pushed open the restroom door, I saw the four of them walking towards the exit of the restaurant.