Always.

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John B found the pogues again. His face expressionless. He felt numb.

"John B!" Kie exclaimed, the rest of the pogues turned to notice him,

"who's blood is this?" Kie asked him, looking at his clothes and hands.

"This yours?" JJ asked "where's Riley?" He asked looking behind John B, waiting for the girl to show up with a sarcastic smile on her face.

"John B?" JJ asked again, grabbing the boy, "where's Riley?"
The rest of the pogues waited for his answer.

"Gone" was all John B managed to get out before breaking down.

"Gone? John B what do you mean gone?" JJ could feel himself begin to panic.

"There- there was nothing I could do. I went to stop her but it was too late. She- she took the bullet, for the sheriff, she- she's dead" he finally let out breaking down. The rest of the pogues just stared at him in disbelief. Non of them moved, or said anything. They just stared.

"John B-" kie started, tears beginning to form in her eyes "please- please tell me this is some- some twisted joke?" She asked the boy desperately.

"Does it look like he's joking kie?" Pope snapped as he began sobbing, he grabbed a baseball bat and began hitting shit randomly.

JJ sank to the floor, still letting John Bs words soak in. Dead. She was dead. "Where- where's the body?" JJ asked, still no tears leaving his eyes.

"The- the ambulance took it, I think, I don't know I-" John B began

"What the fuck do you mean you don't know John B? WHY DIDNT YOU PROTECT HER?" He shouted now letting tears fall from his eyes.

"I tried JJ, she- she said she loves you, and she loves you guys too and- and there was something else- why can't I remember?" John B sobbed, as the rest of pogues sat down with him and began to mourn, but JJ stormed off.

He wasn't sure where he was going, he just knew he couldn't be there. Riley was dead. The love of his life, his best friend, his reason to live.

gone. She was gone. He found his way back at John Bs, and headed to the spare room. He walked in and saw everything as she had left it. Her clothes scattered on the bed, a half finished beer on the side, a picture of the pogues taped to the mirror. How was Riley dead?

He sat down slowly on the bed, tears still falling from his eyes, and pulled out his phone, he started scrolling through photos, in each photo she looked beautiful, her eyes glimmering and her smile as mischievous as ever. JJ smiled slightly at the photos, but let more tears fall from his eyes, as he went on his recent voicemails and played the last one Riley had left him.

"Hey asshole, me and kie are at the wreck, when you're done getting high, come join us, I miss you! See you soon dickhead, love you!"

JJ could almost here her smiling and laughing through the phone. He rewound the last section of the voicemail and listened to it over and over again, "I love you too" he whispered and began sobbing, clutching his phone to his chest in desperation.

* * *

5 years later ...

"Hey babe, do you know where I put my phone?" JJ shouted upstairs to Lydia, his fiancé that he met a few summers ago, whilst she and her family were visiting the outerbanks.

"You left it in the car!" Lydia shouted down to him.

JJ left the house and climbed into the car in search for his phone. He heard a buzzing that stopped after a couple of minutes and then finally located his phone under the seat. He clicked on the missed call and the voicemail left by John B.

"Hey JJ! Me and Sarah haven't had everyone over in a while since we had lilly, so we thought tonight was the perfect chance. Dinner at ours, kie and pope already said they'd Be there, let us know!" John Bs voice said through the phone.

JJ clicked off the voicemail, and scrolled through to text John B back, when he saw a voicemail he'd forgotten about.
He clicked on Riley's name and listened to her beautiful voice play through the phone.
"Hey asshole, me and kie are at the wreck, when you're done getting high, come join us, I miss you! See you soon dickhead, love you!"

JJ Felt tears prick in his eyes. 5 years today. How had he forgotten? He rewound the voicemail and played the last part again.

"I miss you! See you soon dickhead" Riley's sweet and youthful voice said through the phone.

"I love you too" he whispered, wiping his eyes.

He quickly slid off the voice message and text John B,
"I'll see you later x"

After that he slid off John Bs name and clicked on Riley's contact in his phone. He scrolled through their old text messages.

4 years ago,
'I miss you'

3 years ago,
'I miss you Riley'

2 years ago,
'Please come back Riley I need you and I miss you'

1 year ago,
"I miss you and I still love you Riley. I always will.

JJ scrolled further back and looked at some of their old conversations, smiling at her sarcastic words, and he even found himself laughing out loud at some of the things she said. He finally began to type.

"Hi Riley. It's been 5 years. I'm engaged now. We're trying for a kid. I know it's crazy, me with a kid, but I want this, and I love Lydia, I do. But I miss you everyday, and when I find myself not thinking about you, I remember again and I feel guilty for not thinking about you. I wish you were still here. I miss you and I love you always x"

He sent the text then went back inside the house.

* * *

2 years later...

"So when can we see her?" John Bs excited voice said down the phone.

"When she's home from hospital maybe?" JJ laughed "tell pope and kie to come too" JJ told John B "I want everyone to meet mini JJ"

"Please tell me you haven't called her JJ" John B said down the phone in a pleading voice.

"Of course I haven't what on earth do you think of me" JJ laughed "she's- we named her Riley" JJ said but it was silent on the other end of the phone.

"You still there John B?" JJ asked. He heard a little sob on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah sorry just- wow- yeah- wow. That's- wow" John B said

"And I can only hope she will be as kind and beautiful as our Riley was" JJ said to John B. John B smiled and nodded, even though he knew JJ couldn't see "I'm sure she will be" he managed to get out.

JJ went into the waiting room of the hospital and got his phone out again, and listened to Riley's voicemail. 7 years since he'd seen her. And now his Riley was here, and it was finally time to let go.

He entered their chat, and began typing,

"Hey Riley. It's been 7 years, my daughter was born today we named her after you. We could have had kids by now, you and me, and a house, a car, 3 dogs just like we said, but I guess that just wasn't meant to be. I miss you, but I think it's time for me to let go now, and start my new family. I still love, and I always will, but- but I have to let go x"

He pressed send then removed the number from his contacts. He let out a sigh and wiped the tear that was rolling down his cheek, then stood up and entered the hospital room again. He picked up Riley from the cot she was lying in, and looked at his wife sleeping in the bed, and kissed her gently on her head, then proceeded to kiss Riley on hers.

"I'm going to love you so so much little Riley. We're gonna go on so many adventures you and me. But I'm gonna keep you safe, okay? Nothing bad is ever going to happen to you. I won't make that mistake again. You'll always be safe little Riley. Always"

My Girl - JJ Maybank x female OC Where stories live. Discover now