It took JJ a little while to calm down and come to his senses. He just couldn't get over how reckless Brie was all the time and couldn't help but feeling like he had to protect her from getting hurt.
"You still mad at me?" Brie pouted, leaning her head on his shoulder and batting her eyelashes at him.
"You just-" he huffed, "You don't understand. I don't understand, alright? I just didn't like the thought of you getting hurt again."
"I'm sorry, I get that," she said, sitting up to look at his face properly, "But you need to get that I'm capable of taking care of myself. You don't have to worry about me."
JJ nodded and thought about what she said. He knew that she was right; he was overreacting. But he didn't see any way that he would ever stop worrying about her.
"I'm just worried that you'll expect me to be the one to save your ass," he grinned, elbowing her gently.
"You? Save me?" She laughed, "I think it's more likely to be the other way around, don't you?"
"Well, you're winning on the 'almost getting yourself killed' chart, so no I don't think it would be the other way around," he teased.
Brie had left the burn uncovered as she sat in her bikini, letting it dry out in the sun. She had assured him that it barely hurt anymore, but he couldn't help but wince whenever he saw it. He had also picked up on every time she flinched whenever she moved too fast, but he wouldn't tell her that.
"I'm alive, aren't I?" Brie remarked with a sarcastic eye roll, "I'm yet to see you escape death."
"You can't use nearly dying as a brag," JJ scoffed.
"Actually, I can," Brie corrected, giving him a satisfied grin, "And I will."
"Oh my god," John B muttered from where he was stood at the helm. "Check this place out."
JJ looked up to see the motel coming into view, practically rotting and falling to pieces. There were only a few cars parked outside, which were all crap and rusted. JJ figured that they probably belonged to the staff, because the place seemed run down and mostly deserted. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, already imagining the state of the rooms.
"Jheez," Kiara muttered, "Motel or meth lab?"
"Fingers crossed it's a meth lab," JJ said. Everyone turned to glare at him, making him raise his hands up in defence. "Well then we can sell it, right?"
Brie rolled her eyes and looked back to the motel as they came closer to the bank. The place looked even worse up close. JJ could already count two broken windows and at least a dozen tiles strewn on the grass that had fallen from the roof.
"Who's coming in?" Brie asked.
John B opened his mouth to speak but Brie cut him off.
"Oh, and before you try to tell me that I'm not coming in," she narrowed her eyes at him, "I am coming in. You're not gonna stop me."
John B closed his mouth and nodded, knowing that it would be pointless trying to argue with someone as stubborn and aggressive as Brie. JJ liked that about her. She didn't take shit from anyone. She did what she wanted to no matter what. She was a free spirit.
"Well I'm definitely coming," JJ said, "I want to see what a dude with a Grady White is staying here for."
Definitely not because Brie was going in...
"Okay," John B said, "I'll go in with Brie and JJ. Kiara and Pope, you'll stay on the Pogue and be lookout. Sound good?"
"Yep," Kiara hummed, sitting back down, "I'm more than happy to not go incriminating myself."
YOU ARE READING
{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }
RomanceJJ never thought he could find himself feeling this way about someone; that was until new girl, Brie, moved to the Outer Banks. She was flirty, and witty, and a challenging match for JJ, which made him fall for her even harder. Soon, Brie was living...