His Choice - Rafe Cameron

15. Babysitting

I slowly close the door behind me, being extra cautious to avoid it squeaking because I expect JJ to be asleep. I am proved wrong when he walks out of his room with his hands placed on his hips. 

"Where is it?"

I am holding the journal behind my back and I feel slightly guilty for what I am doing. JJ is the most important person to me and I trust him with my life. But I still feel bad for breaking Rafe's trust, even if he broke mine. Rafe believes that it's just me, him and the journal. 

I hold out the journal and JJ smiles and pumps his fist in the air. "Fuck yeah, you got it." He reaches for the journal and looks at me with shock when I don't let go of it. 

"You can't tell the others." I say to him.

JJ's hand drops from the journal as his eyebrows furrow together. "What do you mean? They need to know, Scarlett. We need them to find this cure." I open my mouth to speak, but it's as though JJ can read my mind. "This is because of him, isn't it?" JJ slaps his thigh before turning around and walking around the room with his hands behind his head. "Oh my god, I can't believe this."

"He won't give me anymore information if he finds out that I brought you in on this."

"Who cares, all we need is that."

"How do you know?" 

JJ points to the journal that I am hugging against my chest. "There probably is more, but right now we have this and that is good enough. You don't need to hang around him anymore. We can go on our own from here."

I don't agree with him. 

"I'm pretty tired so I'm going to go to bed."

JJ stops me in my tracks and holds his hand out to me while eyeing the journal. "I'm not tired so give it to me and I'll give it a read." 

With the black leather book still being held tightly against my chest, I stare down at JJ's hand. Why do I feel like him and I are on opposite sides? This shouldn't even be something that I give a second thought. I should hand JJ the book and trust him completely. Though I stupidly feel guilty for betraying Rafe. 

"You won't know the riddles."

JJ tilts his head to the side, as if looking at me from this new angle will help him see inside my soul. "Scarlett, why are you being so weird? What did he say to you? Did he threaten you? He better not have laid a hand-"

"Oh my god JJ, why do you always suspect that he has hurt me?"

JJ is clearly frustrated with me and he opens his mouth to say something, but he stops himself. He looks down at the ground and shakes his head while letting out a deep sigh. "You know what, fine. You do what you want." He grabs his keys and walks towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" I call after him.

"To clear my head."

He lets go of the door and the nightly sea breeze closes the door itself. I stand in the kitchen and wait to hear the sound of his bike starting. Instead of the engine, I hear the sound of the door swinging back open. JJ walks back inside and pulls me into a hug. 

"Grandma always told us to never go to bed angry or leave on bad terms." He says into my shoulder. "I love you Scarlett."

I wrap my arms around him, with the journal still in my left hand. "I love you too. And J, I want you to read this journal but can you please keep it from the others for now? Just give me a couple of days. Please."

JJ lets go of me and stares down at the journal while thinking deeply to himself. "I can't lie to them." Are his last words before he leaves the house for real this time.