CASTAWAY ⚓ R.C, J.M

SIX

It was as if Harley had attracted all of the sun's rays and magnetised them to glow around her. This morning she couldn't stop smiling when a certain blonde had stayed by her side. Her beautiful smile remained as she slipped out of her car and waved at Billie, who was bent over tinkering with an engine.

Her closing door echoed another. She swivelled on the spot to join her gaze to JJ who already had eyes on her over the hood of her car. She folded her arms on the warm metal roof and rested her chin on top.

"You didn't have to drive with me to work."

Unbeknownst to Harley, her eyes dazzled JJ. Smooth, golden honey pooling in her irises adding another layer of sweetness to Harley Rain Routledge.

"You were pretty anxious about that guy yesterday."

Instinctively, Harley's eyes roamed their surroundings. All the usual cars were parked out front, Billie's silver convertible, and some cars belonging to clients. The birds still harmonised a morning song, so nobody wandered the aisles of the shop yet.

The warmth of Harley's blood beneath her skin felt itchy, but she refused to let the anxiety win. Instead she settled her big grin to an amused half smile. "Aw. So, you were thinking of my feelings."

"Something like that." JJ played it off with an easy shrug.

Harley hummed seeing through his cheeky arrogance. He had been thinking of her and that left her elated. "Thank you for thinking of me or something like that."

"Your welcome. It's not like I think about you any other time."

"I bet you do." Harley egged him on.

"You might be right but I can neither confirm nor deny. In fact all I can do is deny. Deny, deny, deny."

"Charming," Harley said leaning up from the car. She pushed against her car with the heel of her hands to teeter on the heels of her dusty, white converses.

"Yeah, I have been likened to Prince Charming in the past."

Harley scoffed and pulled herself back in. She hopped up slightly to knock the front of JJ's cap over his eyes. She laughed as he eyed her over her car. He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and nodded taking in her actions. He began to round the car, but that didn't stop Harley.

"Who ever told you that must be blind, JJ. It's okay though, I'm here to be honest with you." Harley turned to her right to face JJ.  "You're the furthest from Prince charming."

"Yet you still have a soft spot for me."

"That I can confirm. Confirm. Confirm. Confirm."

JJ fake gagged. "That made me cringe. Nerd." He playfully pushed her face away as they both laughed.

"Rude."

"Yeah. Yeah. Now, let's get serious."

Harley put on her best serious face sobering up. She folded her arms to refrain from reaching for JJ and getting distracted.

"I was thinking we tell John B and the others about this mystery, kidnapper guy when you get back from your shift."

Oh, so JJ actually meant they were going to get serious.

"John B, will be back from returning the diving gear and Kie and Pope are supposed to be coming over in the afternoon."

It made sense, but Harley felt herself wanting to stall. She didn't feel like now was the right time to dump all of this on John B. Then there was Pope, any more stress and anxiety and he might burst his network of veins. He had an interview not too far in the future and Harley really wanted him to do well with nothing clouding his mind. He had spoken about it so much, she felt like if he got the scholarship than she would have to. Stress free, happy Pope was the best thing.