Sunshine in the Rain

18. Tub

We drive to The Wreck and sit at a table.

"Do you think JJ will be okay?" Kie asks.

"It's JJ. I think he'll be fine." Pope says.

I'm sitting at a different table, looking out the window. "You think I love you?" Keeps replaying in my head. Why did I ever think that he loved me? I'm so stupid. This is why I don't trust anyone besides my friends. But what was I trusting JJ with? My virginity? Cause he already took that. No one knows though.

"Helloooooo earth to Ash." JB says, waving his hand in front of me.

I snap back to reality. "What?" I ask.

"You good?" He asks. "You were crying when you came back from talking to JJ."

"I'm fine." I say.

"Can you tell me what happened?" JB asks.

"You'll get mad at your best friend if I tell you. I'm not letting that happen." I say.

"I know JJ has a bad temper at times so I won't be mad. I promise." JB says.

"He said to me, 'What Ash?! What?! Do you want me to stop doing what I want because you think that I love you?! Because you're wrong.'" I say.

JB hugs me. "What did you say back?"

"Well JJ, I'm so sorry that I fucking love you." I say. A tear falls down my face. JB hugs me.

"He just has a bad temper." JB says. "And I know for a fact that he loves you."

"Really?" I ask.

"Ash, he's liked you ever since he met you." JB says.

I smile a little. Then JB leaves to go hang out with Sarah and I stick with Kie and Pope. Apparently JB has to go on a fishing trip with Ward tomorrow morning so we have to wait to get the gold. Later, Kie, Pope, and I go back to my house and then a bunch of lights turn on and JJ is in a hot tub surrounded by lights.

"What did you do JJ?" Pope asks.

"I got a jet going straight in my butt right now." JJ says. "Y'all should get in immediately, you hear me?" JJ is drunk. He pours himself some more champagne. "Salud!" He says.

"How much did this cost?" Pope asks.

"Uhhh... Well with the generator, the petrol, and oh hey, express delivery... pretty much all of it yeah." JJ says.

"All of it?" Pope asks. I just stand there in shock. Why would JJ do this?

"Yeah, all of it." JJ says.

"You spent all the money in one day?" Pope asks.

"Yeah it burned a hole right through my pocket." JJ says. He laughs a little. "But I mean like, come on guys, like look at this!" JJ says. "Finest in jet-based massage therapy. That's what they told me."

"Kie what?" JJ asks. He looks at me. "Seriously? What's wrong? Can't a man have a little luxury in life?" JJ takes his sunglasses off. "Come on, all this scrimpin' and scrapin'... I mean like, guys, you only live once right?" He asks. "Enough of this emotional shit. Get in the Cat's Ass. Come on."

"The what?" I ask.

"In the Cat's Ass. That's what I named her." JJ says. "Oh hey yo, I almost forgot." JJ turns on a disco ball. "Yeah that's right I know. Disco mode. That right baby." JJ says.

"Are you kidding me?!" Pope asks. "You could've paid for restitution!" He says.

"Or literally given it to any charity!" Kiara says.

"Or you could've helped us buy supplies." Pope says.

"Ok well you know what? I didn't do that!!" JJ says. He stands up and reveals terrible bruises. No doubt they're from his father.

I stand there in shock. I feel so bad for JJ. What he's going through.

"I got a hot tub! For my friends. You know what screw that. Screw friends. I got a hot tub for my family." JJ says.

I run into the hot tub and hug JJ. He starts crying into my shoulder. I hold him like he's held me multiple times before. He holds onto me and starts sobbing.

"I just couldn't do it." JJ says. "I can't take him anymore!" He says. "I was gonna kill him."

I hug him tighter. "Shhhhh. You're okay JJ." I say. Then Kie joins in the hug and Pope joins in.

"I just wanna do the right thing, you know?" JJ asks.

"I know." I say. "I know."

Later, Kie and Pope go home but JJ and I go inside my house and get dried off. I change into a large t-shirt and some shorts. I walk into the main room and see JJ laying on the couch, crying.

I walk over and sit next to JJ and hug him. He cries into my shoulder.

"I've got you J. You're okay. I'm here." I say. I rub his bare back and then he stops crying.

"I-I'm sorry Ash." JJ says.

"What are you sorry for?" I ask. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"For saying that I didn't love you." JJ says. "Because Ash, I love you." JJ looks and me and I smile. A tear drops down my face and I hug him.

"I love you too." I say. "But JJ, you're drunk. You don't mean it." I say. We both cuddle and both fall asleep on the couch. He's drunk as fuck. He's not gonna remember what he said.