𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐔𝐏! [𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊]

twenty-seven

LIGHTS UP
twenty-seven | ❝You deserve to do things for yourself.❞

GUILT HAS always had a funny way of approaching Wes. Although, maybe it's the way he deals with feeling guilt itself that's disastrous.

The way he lets it eat at him, consuming him little by little, all because he feels that he deserves it. Because he does.

Yesterday the call that JJ answered had been about Mr. Heyward. The man had been attacked outside his shop.

They all bolted over, and after concluding that the same man from the Limbrey house had been the one to attack his father, Pope explained everything to Mr. Heyward.

About Limbrey, about the letter, about the key and how he found it in his great-grandmother's old house- he also voiced his immense confusion regarding the entire thing, which they all share with him.

Mr. Heyward discouraged him from giving in and turning over the key, though, pushing him instead to look more into it. He directed him to go speak to his great-grandmother herself, to see if she could give them some answers.

So that's exactly what they did this morning. They dropped Pope off at the nursing home before driving off to wait for him close by.

That's when JJ asked Wes when they'd be going home. That's when the first icy twinge of guilt had spiked through his chest today.

Last night Wes had been able to convince JJ to stay at the chateau again by arguing that they'd have to meet their friends there in the morning anyway, and it'd be easier if they just slept there so they didn't have to wake up earlier than needed.

The mention of extra sleep and not having to wake up earlier is what made JJ cave, but Wes had still been able to catch the look of disillusionment in his eyes.

When the boy had asked about going home earlier today, Wes could only dismissively shrug, heart pounding accusingly in his chest as he looked away.

"Not tonight."

He knows JJ wanted to protest, could see the way the boy was already opening his mouth to speak- but The Twinkie came to a stop and Wes wasted no time in following Kiara and Sarah out, slamming the door closed behind him.

Now he feels guilty and angry at himself, trailing behind the girls as they all stroll down the sidewalk, staring sullenly at his shoes.

It's all Shannon's fault. Everything would be astronomically easier if she hadn't just shown up and dropped the bomb that is her presence—