Sunshine in the Rain

85. In Sickness and In Health

I feel a cold, wet towel on my head and I feel wind coming in my direction.

I slowly open my eyes and I immediately get a huge headache. I groan in pain. Then I start having a coughing fit.

"Hey, Hey." JJ says, in a calm, gentle voice. "Ash, can you hear me, princess?" He asks. "You okay?" He asks. I slowly nod and look over at him.

"J-JB." I mutter. "Is he okay?" I ask.

"John B will be fine." JJ says. "How are you feeling?" He asks.

"Hot." I say. "And sick." I say.

"Well no duh, you're always hot, baby." JJ says. I smile a little. Then I notice that I'm in shorts and one of JJ's cut off sleeve shirts. "Here, drink some water." JJ says. He hands me a bottle of water. I start chugging it. "Hey, slow down." JJ says. Then I finish the bottle and I give it to JJ.

"I'm tired." I say. JJ smiles down at me and chuckles.

"Then go to sleep." JJ says. "I'm right here." He says.

I slowly drift off to sleep with JJ right next to me.

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"D-dad?" I ask. I'm standing in the kitchen and I see someone ringing the bell outside.

"Bring it on home, John B!!!" He yells.

"Dad? Where have you been?" I ask, walking outside. He turns around and he has cracked glasses and a bloody face.

"Oh my god." Big John says. "Y-you're the murderer!! You murdered those innocent people!!" He yells. "Help!!" He yells.

"W-what? Dad, I'm your daughter." I say.

"I don't have a daughter. Only a son. His is name is John B." Big John says.

Then JJ runs over. "Big John! You okay?" He asks.

"JJ! It's the murderer!" Big John says. "Grab her!" He yells.

JJ looks scared of me. "Th-the murderer?" He asks. I turn around to face him. "B-but I loved her." JJ says.

"Well you shouldn't." Big John says. "She's a worthless piece of shit and you know it."

JJ grabs onto my shoulders and holds onto me. "JJ! Let me go! Please! I didn't kill anyone!" I say.

"Why did you ever think that I loved you? I thought you were a sweet beautiful girl but you're actually a murderer and a whore." JJ says.

Tears start falling down my face. "But JJ, I-I love you." I say.

Shoupe pulls up and shoves me into the car. "Death sentence. I already know it." Shoupe says.

I bang on the window and scream. "Please!!!! Let me out!!!! I'm innocent!!!!"

Then I wake up.

"Ashlyn!!" JJ yells. Shaking me by my shoulders to wake me up. I shoot up and I'm hyperventilating. It was all a dream. I start crying into JJ's shoulder and he hugs me and rocks us back and forth. After a while, I calm down.

"D-do you think that I'm a murder? Or a whore? Or a worthless piece of shit?" I ask.

JJ looks confused. "What? Of course not, princess." JJ says. He hugs me. I break down in his arms once again. "I love you so much." He says.

"I love you too, J." I say. JJ puts his hands on each side of my face and looks at me. He wipes my tears.

"You're a hot mess, princess." JJ says.

"I just want one night of at least 7 hours of sleep. No nightmares." I say.

"Well baby, you just got 3 hours." JJ says. "I say that it's an improvement." He says. He smiles at me.

"Yeah. I guess it is." I say. Then my stomach growls.

"Come on, I found a freaking 20 dollar bill under the couch cushion at my house while you were sleeping. Let's go get some food." JJ says.

"Sounds like a good idea." I say.

"Baby, I was born with good ideas." JJ says. I laugh a little and then we get up and we start walking to a gas station.

I start coughing while we walk. "I feel sick." I say.

"Well, you did just pass out in the middle of a dirt road in the scorching heat." JJ says.

"Yeah." I say. "I guess you're right."

We get to the gas station and JJ and I go in and grab some snacks. I buy four hot dogs so then JJ can eat 3 and I can eat one. He needs it more than I do.

Then we both get up to the counter and we put our stuff on the counter. The cashier lady scans the stuff.

"Okay, that'll be 35.96." The lady says.

"Fuck." I say. JJ and I look at each other.

"Let's take away a few bags of chips." I say. JJ nods and I take some large bags of chips off.

"Okay, that'll be 20.19." The lady says.

"Seriously?" I ask. "We only have a 20." I say.

"Ooh!" JJ says. He bends down and puts a quarter on the counter with the 20 bucks. "Keep the change." He says. Then we bag our stuff up and walk out.

"So, I got 4 hot dogs." I say. "3 for you and 1 for me."

"No no no." JJ says. "I don't need 3. You need 3." JJ says.

"What? Why? You need them more than I do." I say.

"Baby, please, you need them more." JJ says. "You're sick."

"No I don't, J." I say. "I'm fine."

"Ashlyn, in sickness and in health." JJ says. "How about you get 2 and I get 2?" He asks. "I know you are really stubborn so I'll make it even between us." JJ says. "Deal?" He asks.

"Deal." I say. "In sickness and in health." I say. We smile at each other and kiss. Then we eat our food on the curb. We share a few bags of chips and some sodas.