Torn ~ JJ Maybank

Chapter 22

"Morning." a voice awoke me from my deep sleep as I felt my foot begin to be tickled. 

I groaned and pulled my foot away from the cause of its torture, pulling the duvet further over my head to conceal myself from the impending sunlight shining into my room. 

"No, no, no, come on Molly do not put the covers back over yourself." I heard the male voice speak again, but his voice was slightly muffled due to the duvet separating me and the stranger in my room. 

Before I could protest any further, the duvet was lifted off of me and thrown onto the floor, causing me to abruptly sit up and my eyes to shoot open, only to be met by the smirk of my cousin. 

"What the heck dude? I could've been naked." I protest, but John B only rolls his eyes before sitting on the end of my bed. 

"Come on Molly, time to get up. We have a busy day today, things to do, gold to find, if you get me." John B spoke before throwing me an over exaggerated wink, causing me to roll my eyes and cross my arms at the boy. 

"John B." I reluctantly spoke, pity laced within my voice, causing John B to shake his head as if warning me not to talk about it, "No come on John B, we have to talk about it."

"What's there to talk about?" he nonchalantly shrugs. 

"You. How are you handling all of this?" I say, leaning over to place my hand on top of his own, offering him my support.

"Listen Molly, I don't know what happened to him you know, or why he took everything we had and risked it for this stupid boat, but this is all I have left of him. This is all me and you have left of him." John B spoke with passion.

"John B." I warned, shaking my head.

"No it's true Molly. This is the closest I've been to him since he went missing. And if this was that important to him, then we owe it to him to finish what he started." John B finished as he looked into my eyes as if pouring all of his emotion into this stare. I could see the hurt, the pain, the confusion concealed behind his eyes and my heart felt it too. John B and I never got answers about Uncle John, and he was right - this was the closest we had ever been to finding out the truth. "Come on Molly, we owe it to him." John B squeezed onto my hand, causing me to sigh.

"You're right." I smiled at my cousin, squeezing his hand back, "We do owe this to him."

A smile erupted onto John B's face before he pulled me in for an embrace. John B and I held onto each other so tightly - we were the only family either of us had, and that was so important for us right now. 

"I love you Mols." I heard John B whisper into our hug.

"I love you too, John B." I whispered back, before John B pulled back from our hug and gave me one last smile as he squeezed onto my shoulder.

"Now get ready, mission starts today." he pointed at me as he got up from the edge of my bed and headed towards my door.

"Yes sir." I nodded at my cousin, a smile across my face. John B saluted at me, causing us both to laugh before he left my room and closed the door behind me.

Mission starts today. 

*****

"Here I am." I announced my arrival as I walked down the dock, heading to the HMS Pogue. John B and JJ looked up from where they were sat on the boat, and both smiled as they saw me heading down.

"Morning princess." JJ called out, as he stood up from his seat and pulled his sunglasses down his nose slightly so I could see his eyes above them and he shot me a wink. I simply tilted my head and smiled in return, before my eyes took in the boy before me. JJ was wearing his signature grey shorts but he had no shirt on. My eyes roamed over his muscular frame, the sunlight bouncing off his defined chest, with his abs highlighted by the light. The muscles in his shoulders and arms were apparent, causing me to internally groan at how hot he looked, and how difficult it would be for me to try and resist staring at him at ever given opportunity. His signature necklace was hanging around his neck, making him look even hotter if that was possible, and his blonde hair was messily, but perfectly, laid across his head.