𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 / 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 ✓

vii. i just want to be loved

sloane's eyes opened to see the blonde waiting over her. her lungs burned as she started cough, water spilling out the sides of her mouth. as she finished coughing jj pulled her into him, sobbing over her.

"oh my god. tha-thank god your okay. i-i thought i-i was losing you and i don't know what i-i would've done." he voiced between sobs.

"shhh, it's okay. i'm okay. i'm okay." she said hoarsely grabbing his face still in shock over what happened.

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jj drove home not letting go of her, the last time he let her go she almost drowned and he couldn't lose anyone else it would kill him.

as they pulled into her driveway jj got out first and shuffled to the passenger side and grabbed sloane whose body ached from being thrown around in the water.

he carried her inside setting her down on the bed. it had become cold inside of the house and she was shaking. jj noticed quickly and took off his sweatshirt pulling it over sloanes head wrapping his arms around her in the process.

they needed to talk but she was scared out of her mind and he didn't want to think about anything other than her.

jj checked the clock reading 2:14 in the morning as he pushed away the distraction turning his attention back to her.

"thanks for saving me j." she whispered into his neck where her face laid.

"anytime." he said placing a kiss on her head.

"hey! i'm still mad at you." she said smacking him in the chest.

"aw damn it. i thought me saving your life would cover that." he said looking softly at her.

she looked him in the eyes for the first time since he had saved her. his face was swollen and bruised, his lip was busted, and their was a handprint around his neck that was slowly starting to bruise.

"who the fuck touched you?" she yelled pulling herself away from.

jj had forgotten entirely about what had happened before he went to surf.

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he went home, not to the chateau but to his dad. he hadn't been home in weeks but all the sudden he felt the urge to be there.

luke had already tried to kill jj when he found out that he'd taken 'the phantom' and jj ran from his dad all the way to the police where they restrained luke and jj was free.

that day he went to the chateau and hadn't been home since.

when he got home he walked inside his father sat drunk on the couch completely knocked out and jj thanked god for that. he grabbed some more clothes, his surfboard, and a few things he couldn't live without.

but as he was leaving he hit his surfboard on the wall, stirring his father. at this point jj wouldn't try and fight back. luke threw more punches at jj than he ever did and held him up against the wall choking him with one hand. luke became tired quickly giving jj the opportunity to run and that's what he did.

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"my dad." he whispered softly a tear running down his face.

"j." she whispered bringing herself back to him. she grabbed his face lightly as he pulled away from her. "baby." she said watching his brokenness spill out.

"you know my whole life all i've wanted was to be loved. my mom left leaving me with my fucked up dad. didn't even care enough to say goodbye. and when my dad started to beat me when i was 6 i thought it was normal." his eyes filling with tears. "i thought every kids parents were like that so when i was in 3rd grade and met john b and he noticed all my scars i quickly told him that they were from my dad, thinking that he would show me his bruises or something. he told me that it was wrong and that is was abuse. how was i supposed to know? it was all i had ever known." she squeezed his hand as he started to cry. "why couldn't he just love me?" he asked sobs aching out of him.

"he does. he does love you baby. he just doesn't know how to convey it. i'm so sorry." sloane whispered into his ear as she held him against her.

"an-and when john b went missing the only person who loved me was gone. he was the only person who showed me he cared." he cried harder and louder.

"shh shhh baby. i know it hurts."

"and then kie and pope they were the only things i had left but i let them go. every time i looked at them everytime, sloane i saw him. john b and sarah were in their eyes."

"shhhhh. it's okay." sloane tried to calm him down.

"and then you come here and i finally feel like i'm home. you. you make me feel at home. and all the sudden i felt that love again. love i hadn't felt in 3 months." he looked her in the eyes and felt the love rush to his heart again. "you made me feel like i was breathing again. and then i hurt you and left you. the only person who let me feel love i let go."

"jj maybank. i am still here. i am not leaving you." sloane whispered to him grabbing his face.

she pulled his face into hers and kissed him softly knowing that's what he needed.