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CHAPTER FIFTY SIX Always ‿︵‿︵‿︵
(PRESENT)
Seeing John B step onto the Phantom made her throat tighten.
"Hey, hey," John B spoke up. He paused and looked back at his best friends. "I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing"
"Hey, John B, yo. We were bound to turn off a cliff at some point, right?" JJ said, making them snuffle a few laughs. He wrapped his arm around his girlfriend. Avery copied his actions, snaking her other arm around Kiara, bring her in close. The four stood together with teary eyes. "At least we did it together, though. Pogue style"
"Pogue style" John B whispered, bittersweetly smiling at them.
"Get out of here. Please" Kiara told him, worried that the police will arrive in time to catch him.
"Now. See you in two months down in Mexico" Pope said, reminding him that this wasn't a goodbye.
"Wait a sec," He paused again, his eyes getting glossier. "Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?"
"Don't forget. Cross the boarder at Brownsville, okay?" JJ reminded him again.
"Love you, Johnny" Avery told him with a trembling lip. She remained tucked under JJ's arm until they helped to push the boat away from land.
Avery couldn't bear watching the boat move further out of sight. They had no idea what was to come now, if their plan will work. If they will see John B again. She was the first one to walk off the dock, hanging her head low as tears threatened to slip. JJ followed her, she could hear his footsteps approaching behind her. She haltered and waited for him to catch up, and when he did, he wordlessly brought her into an embrace.
"Its okay, Flower, we did it" He mumbled into her hair, his own eyes were getting glossy.
After a moment, Avery took a deep breathe and stepped out from the hug. She looked up at her boyfriend, offering him a small, shaky smile. He reciprocated and leaned in, placing a sweet kiss on her lips. They pulled apart and Avery glanced over, noticing Pope and Kiara sharing a kiss. She nudged JJ and gestured over to the two, making him notice them too. They didn't have time to question, or tease them, as sirens began to ring through the air.
"We gotta go right now. Come on" JJ told them. The four hardly got an attempt to run.
The cars rolled in before they could escape. Avery immediately put her hands up in surrender, standing behind JJ. The deputy wasn't happy to find that they were too late, that John B had got away before they caught him. He demanded to speak to the kids, only to shout at them. Avery flinched as he got close in her face, throwing insults at her and her friends, failing to crack them. Neither of them gave him the answers he wanted.
As the sunset, the storm rolling in and over the town. The clouds darkened and rain had been falling for a while now. The teenagers sat in a tent, listening to the chaotic chatter happening around them. The search was still happening, John B was now out in the storm. There was a little chance that he would survive sailing in a storm like this. It was almost like a suicide mission. Avery knew what John B was like, he wouldn't give in easily. He always picked to do things the hard way, every time.
The new sheriff and officers stepped into the tent and under the cover from the rain. The four stood up and approached them, praying that they were going to give them good news. Avery's heart was pounding, she could hear her pulse in her ears. The look on the officers faces were enough to answer the question before it was asked.
"Did you find him?" Pope frowned, staring at the sheriff, anticipating his response.
"No" He shortly responded.
"So, they got away?" Kiara had a little hope left.
Sheriff avoided their gazes, "we, uh- we lost them. I'm sorry"
"Lost them?" Pope almost snapped. "What do you mean you lost them? like they're gone? What are you talking about?"
"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope" He said, referring to the worse.
"So, they're dead?" Kiara frowned, teary eyed.
"We don't know" He honestly replied.
"You drove them straight through the storm, man! Are you kidding me? Come here! I'm gonna kill you!" JJ lashed out. Avery tried to interfere, begging him to stop with tears falling down her face. She was pushed around, JJ was blinded by emotions to consider her in that moment.
"He didn't kill no one, and you know it!" Pope gritted his teeth, inching closer to the man.
"We're still looking for him, alright?" The Sheriff remained calm and professional, making it easier for them to hate him.
With tears falling down her face, she twirled around. Her breathing was uneven and her chest was heavy. She rubbed her eyes and when she opened them again, she saw her dad. Noah removed his hood, water drops sprinkled over his brow. He haltered in his tracks at the sight of his daughter. Noah slowly opened his arms, making Avery let out a sob as she bolted towards him. She wrapped around his body so tightly, burying her face into his chest.
One of her dad's arms removed itself from around her and it wasn't long until another body crashed into hers. JJ's head rested on top of hers, placing multiple small kisses in her hair. The gesture made her cry a little more. Their best friend was gone, they had lost him. After a long moment, the hug split. Noah stepped back and placed a hand on JJ's face and the other on the back of his daughters head.
"Its going to be okay" He whispered, glancing between them both.
Noah allowed the two to have a moment together, knowing if anything, they would help heal each other more than anyone else could. Avery looked up at JJ, who refused to look back at her, he was bound to start crying again if he did. So many thoughts were spinning around in his head, so many emotions flowing through him. Yet, there was something that was clearer than anything.
"I love you, Avery," JJ blurted out quietly. His eyes were darting around, avoiding her gaze. He sniffled and finally looked back at her. "I always have, and always will. Even if that terrifies me. I have never had someone that cared about me. Saw me to be someone worthy. You know I say that I have nothing to lose, well I never meant that. I have so much to lose. And god, I never want to lose you, not again. I love you, so much"
For the first time that night, the tears in her eyes weren't out of sadness, instead this time, they were happy tears. She smiled widely, chuckling, "I love you, JJ. So much. Always have"
