Thalassophile // JJ Maybank

Chapter 52

I climb out of the police car with the help of Shoupe. He escorts me behind the other Pogues but then begins to lead me away. I had been put into a separate car back at the dock.

"Wait! Wait! Where are we going?" I dig my heels in the ground, stopping myself as he continues to push me a little. "No, no, no. Hold on!"

"Come on, Franklin." Shoupe mumbles to me.

"JJ! JJ!" I call after the blond. He looks over at me, eyes widening.

"Hey! Where are you taking her! Don't touch her! Franklin!" JJ pushes against another officer but he stops him, knocking an elbow into the Pogue's stomach.

"Don't you touch him! Don't touch him you son of a bitch!" I yell.

Shoupe's arms wrap around my waist, lifting me off the ground. I try to fight against him but in the end he was stronger than me. He pushes me down onto a chair.

"For fucks sake, Franklin. Sit!" Shoupe yells.

"You don't know what you're doing." I tell him. "Rafe Cameron killed Peterkin and you know that! Shoupe, please! You know it's true!"

"Stop talking!"

"Oh, come on! You're really falling for what Ward Cameron has to say? He's a psycho, he's a manipulator! You can't believe him."

"Please just relax!" Shoupe yells again.

"Why am I separated from them?" I ask, my voice finally dropping.

"I'm calling your stepmom."

"Why?"

"I need her to talk to people here. Please just cooperate with me."

"I wanna see my friends."

"You'll see them later." Shoupe turns around to walk out of the tent. "Watch her." He tells another cop.

The other cop was a tall black man. He looked at me with sad eyes, almost as if he knew what I was going through.

I sit in silence, staring at each blade of grass below me. I watch them blow in the wind as the breeze goes through. I pull my jacket tighter around my shoulders.

Shoupe comes back around twenty minutes later. A distraught look pulled his brows together.

"What happened?" I ask quietly.

"We lost the boat." He says quietly.

"No.." Tears began to well up in my eyes. "Where are they?"

"We don't know."

"Shoupe, just shoot straight please. Are they dead?"

"It's highly probable."

I bring my hand up to my eyes as more treats spill over, a soft sob escapes my lips. "Oh, god."

"I'm sorry."

"Get out." I demand.

"Franklin..."

"Get out! You did this to them! You sick bastard!" Shoupe's eyes widen by my out burst as he leaves the tent.

"I'm sorry for your loss." The other cop speaks up.

"Why did you do this to them?" I cry.

"I'm just doing my job, Franklin."

"You're friends with my dad, aren't you?" I ask. He seemed very familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Yes."

"I wanna see my friends." I tell the man.

"Come on, honey." The man reaches out his hand. I take it gratefully, allowing him to lead me into the tent with the Pogues."

I push open one of the flaps, revealing Pope and Kie hugging as she sobs into his shoulder. JJ lunges at Shoupe, swinging at him. I step inside.

"JJ!" I call catching his attention. He lets go of Shoupe, a look of sadness crosses his face when he connects eyes with me. He walks over to me. I could see tears welling up in his eyes. I rush forward, wrapping my arms around him. He buries his face in my neck, wrapping his arms around my waist. I could feel warm tears fall onto my shoulder as he cries against me.

"Oh, J." I run my hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry." My own tears had begun to fall, cascading over my cheek bones.

"He's gone." JJ cries.

"I'm so sorry baby, I'm so so sorry." I grasp at him tighter. In that moment I wished I could take every ounce of his pain. I had grown a strong attachment to JJ. He meant so much to me. It was hard seeing him so broken again.

"They can't find him. They don't know if he's dead." JJ sobs. I hold back my own sob, trying to stay strong for him. Tears burned in my eyes before they fell.

JJ pulls away a moment, looking at my face. He wipes the tears on my cheekbones with the pad of his thumb. He rests his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. His hands come up to cup my cheeks as mine drop to his waist.

JJ presses a soft kiss to my lips before wrapping his arms back around me. I rest my head on his chest, letting more tears fall.

"I'm so sorry, Franklin." JJ whispers.

I pick my head up when I hear more people coming into the tent. I see Pope and Kiara's parents step inside, enveloping their children in tight hugs.

A couple seconds later I see my dad and Roni come in. Roni pulls JJ into a hug. My dad rushes over to me, wrapping me in his strong arms. That's when I break. I sob against his chest, gripping at his t-shirt.

"I'm sorry!" I sob. "I'm sorry I was so reckless. I didn't mean to scare you. I don't blame you for trying to protect me." I choke out.

"Hey, no, Franklin. It's okay." My dad reassures, rubbing my back. "People make mistakes, alright?" I nod. My dad opens up his other arm for Roni and JJ to join. I grip onto JJ as my parents envelope us.