The Ocean Remembers | JJ Maybank

C H A P T E R 9

(tw: explicit language, abuse)

RESCUED

𝐈 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 all over my sweaty skin. Groans were escaping my mouth, tired of fighting for so long against a man I didn't want. I couldn't let him have me, he didn't deserve my body.

My vision was blurry, my head heavy, and his lips touching my neck, sometimes my shoulders, were burning my skin.

I could hear voices calling me, maybe the drugs he had given me were giving me hallucinations, but I felt like they'd never reach me. They were too far away.

I woke up in a scare jump, looking all around me. I could tell it wasn't just a nightmare because I was indeed in a boy's room, but before I even moved, the door opened and my heartbeat stopped. I sat up and watched the boy entering the room, except it wasn't the one I was expecting.

JJ walked in, closing the door behind him, holding a glass of water in his hand. "Oh, you're awake," he breathed.

"JJ? what's going on?" I marked a pause and looked all around. "Why am I in your bed? and wearing your clothes?"

"You don't remember?" he asked as he placed the glass of water on the nightstand and sat on the bed, next to me. "I carried you here"

"JJ I'm being serious," I softly said.

"You don't remember?" he asked me.

"No," I tried so hard to remember but nothing came back. "or only the part where Rafe drugged me and I fainted in his arms"

JJ chuckled softly and shook his head, even though I had no idea what was so funny. "You missed a lot"

"Like what?" I queried.

"He tried to take you upstairs, to do whatever he had in mind, but, hey, I didn't let him," JJ reassured.

I frowned and took my face in my hands, feeling awful. Not only for what could've happened if JJ didn't intertwine, but for needing him. I wasn't fragile, weak or vulnerable, in any way.

"Then I didn't know what to do with you, the Pogues were so drunk they didn't even realise what was going on, and I figured your Kook mother wouldn't like to have you home drugged, so I took you here," he kept going.

"Because you like watching girls sleep," I quipped and he smiled.

"What else would I have done this for? To save you?" he shook his head, laughing, "no, I'm not a hero"

I nodded and drank some water, so my throat and mouth'd be less dry. "Well, thanks JJ"

"Your clothes are on my desk," he showed them to me, scratching the back of his neck. "I thought it wouldn't be very comfortable sleeping in this tight yellow dress ma'am"

I laughed softly and nodded. It was a bit embarrassing picturing JJ undressing me but he had seen me in a swimsuit before. "I'm so sorry you had to intertwine, I should've just avoided him," I apologised.

"Nah, it's okay darling," JJ retorted.

"Darling?" I laughed and he grabbed my wrists, pushing me to lay flat on the bed.

"I get to call you whatever I want after saving your ass," he stated, running his hand through his blonde hair.

"I knew it!" I sat back up on the bed and took his hands off me laughing. "I knew you were doing all this just for my ass!"

He rolled eyes and played with his golden rings, laughing. After a few seconds, his laugh subsided and he used a more solemn tone, locking his eyes into mine. "Hey Sam what's going on between you two?" he inquired.

"Rafe and I? nothing," I lied.

"I heard him talking to you, don't lie to me," he spoke and my eyes went wide. Because Rafe words came back to me.

"What was he saying, then?"

"While you were unconscious in his arms he was telling you how he loved you, how you were precious and shit," he mocked.

"What?" I laughed because Rafe was so hopeless, "It's impossible I don't even-"

Suddenly we both heard a loud noise, like a door opening and slamming. "JJ? Get your ass here!" a man's voice yelled.

JJ jumped on me and covered my mouth with his left hand as I frowned and he closed his eyes. "Shit, he wasn't supposed to be home so soon," he whispered.

I stayed quiet, I didn't have much choice, since he was covering my mouth. His body on mine was kind of heavy, but I was too busy wondering what was going on to realise it.

"Sam I'm sorry but you need to leave"

He got off me and as he was about to get up, the man banged on the door. "JJ! I said come here! Where are my beers?" he yelled.

"JJ who is this?" I whispered grabbing his wrist.

"My father," the boy replied.

His father hit against the door again, I jumped in fear and he pulled me to the window, so we'd both be far from the door. "It's okay Sam he's just-"

"You little piece of shit open the door!" his father shouted hitting both of his fists against the door and JJ pressed my body against his.

"JJ what the fuck? this man needs to chill," I spoke, half-whispering, stunned I was hearing a father talking like this to his son.

"Hey it's okay he's just drunk but you need to leave now or else he'll see you," he instructed.

"Oh and he'd do what? he'd hit me?" I laughed ironically but JJ didn't.

He opened the window for me, as silently as possible, as his father kept yelling at him how worthless he was. I stepped out and before I was completely out of his house he touched my hand to stop me.

"Sam, I'm sorry you witnessed all this drunk parent bullshit," JJ apologised.

"It's okay, I got the same at home," I smiled softly and ran away as fast as I could, making sure his father wouldn't see me.

I ran faster than I thought I could, not paying attention to how tired my legs felt after running for so long. I couldn't complain when I knew the blonde boy was going through much worse in the moment. I arrived home a few minutes later, but all I could think was what JJ was probably going through at the moment. I had no idea if Luke was physically abusive, as much as he was verbally, but I hoped he wasn't.

"Mom! I'm home!" I yelled.

"Come here! I'm in the bedroom," she told me.

I walked over to her and stepped inside her room, discovering her still laying flat on her bed, wearing her pyjamas. "Hi baby, come give your mom a hug," she asked so I sat on the edge of her bed and gave her a warm hug.

She stank, alcohol mixed with sweat, and I could see on her face she had gotten drunk all night long. A few empty beer cans were on the nightstand next to her and it drove me insane.

"Look, I know I promised I'd stop drinking when we get here, but you can't blame me," she immediately explained as my eyes laid back on her.

"Who should I blame then?" I asked ironically.

"My boss," she spoke "he fired me."