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moremaybank · 8 months

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THIS LOVE (IV) — j.m

pairing actor!jj maybank x actress!reader

chapter summary you're set to turn down your management team's proposal, but a familiar face pops up and changes your decision. the plan is set in motion, and jj begins to move into your house. upon his arrival, you two share a moment that quickly turns sour and drives you away from him further.

warnings luke maybank (bleh), a trip and fall, an almost-kiss, language. let me know if i've missed any! [4.5k]

recommended listening daddy issues by the neighbourhood, nights like this by kehlani

this love — the complete playlist ;; the masterlist ;; the tag list

❝ CHAPTER FOUR ❞

Y/N

You press the lock button on your car keys, hearing the doors click. You make your way through the parking lot of Floyd Management. You’re about to tell Josh and Andrea that you’re saying no. You just can’t imagine having to embark on this journey with someone who left you with so much pain that it drowns out all the good times.

Contrary to what everyone may believe, this was not a rash decision. You chewed on it, going back and forth for days about whether or not you should just suck it up and agree to this fake relationship nonsense for the sake of the movie and the opportunities it might bring you. But then you thought about having to spend most of your time by the side of the man who broke your heart, kissing him and acting as if you’re in love with him. Re-connecting with JJ made your wounds feel so fresh again, and jumping on board with this plan would only add salt.

And it’d sting.

You’re halfway to the entrance when you hear the voice of someone you never thought you’d have to deal with ever again.

“Hey, there, sweetheart. You sure have done well for yourself.”

The hairs on the back of your neck rise, and you instantly grow cold. You shut your eyes and take a deep breath, bracing yourself for whatever is about to come.

“What are you doing here, Luke? Shouldn’t you be in prison?”

Luke rounds your body so he can speak to you face to face. He raises a hand to toy with a strand of your hair but you flinch, backing away immediately and keeping your distance. All he does is laugh softly.

“You’ve definitely grown up. Interested in taking the original Maybank for a spin? Promise I’ll make it worth your while.” His voice drops an octave and it makes your skin crawl.

“You’re disgusting. Get out of my way before I call the cops.”

“What are you gonna tell ‘em, darlin’? That I spoke to you?”

You stay silent, knowing that he’s right. He technically hasn’t done anything, and you’d simply look foolish.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m here for you. I have a proposition for you, actually,” he says.

“Oh, yeah?” You ask. “And what’s that?”

“I want you to help me take JJ down.”

You scoff. “I’m not helping you with anything.”

“You will if you don’t want me to release that sex tape of his and put an end to his career.”

You want to be surprised, but you aren’t. Luke Maybank has never been one to change or reflect on the mistakes of his past. He usually chooses the route of making more, and they’re always worse. And your sentiments weren’t just based on hearsay. You watched JJ go through all the misery caused by Luke. Had cleaned up the cuts and iced the bruises. Taken him to the hospital when his injuries were more than you could handle. You’d cook meals for him, bring an extra bag of lunch to school. Let him stay at your house when they’d shut off the power, water, and anything else they could thanks to Luke not paying the bills. He was an awful person, through and through, and though you were more than upset at JJ for how he scorned you, it’d never be enough to work with his father.

“You know, all you ever did was make JJ feel small. You dedicated your life to drugs, alcohol and jail time, and you know what JJ got out of it? A mother who abandoned him thanks to your oh-so charming ways, and a father who did him more harm than good by sticking around. I wouldn’t help you if you were dying on the street,” you spit, shoving past him and trying to enter the building.

“Then you can kiss your little costar goodbye.”

“Are you coked out right now? Or just delusional? I’m not going to let you do this to him. End of discussion,” you respond.

“Well, you’d better hope JJ pays me and those girls that hush money. ‘Cause you know I’ll come to collect.”

JJ hurt you. The damage he’d done to you was once considered irreparable. It’d taken you years to work through that anger and betrayal and you still weren’t even a hundred percent there. But working with Luke? That was simply a line you’d never cross.

You ride the elevator to Josh’s floor, and once you reach it, you make a dash for the waiting area outside of his office. You spot the blonde you’re desperately in pursuit of instantly.

“I need to talk to you,” you blurt rather loudly. You don’t realize how booming your voice actually is until you realize that everyone else in the room is staring you down with confusion and shock written all over their faces.

JJ gets up from his seat and pulls you gently into a secluded area.“You didn’t need to come all the way down here to turn Josh and Andrea’s proposal down. I get that you don’t want to help me. I mean, why would you after what I did?”

“JJ—”

“No, it’s okay. Seriously, I did it to myself, and—”

You can’t wait any longer. “I saw Luke.”

JJ goes quiet immediately upon hearing those words. He’s so in shock that he doesn’t answer you right away.

“Did— Did you know that he was here?” You question, though you know the answer. You doubt he knew, because if he did, he wouldn’t be as quiet as he is at this moment.

He shakes his head slowly, “Nah…Nah, I didn’t.” He visibly chews on his words before hesitantly speaking again. “Did he…hurt you?”

“No, no. I’m fine. Just in shock.”

He nods. “He say what he wanted?”

You moisten your lips, and your eyes abandon his. “He wants me to work with him…help him destroy your career.”

“Right,” he nods, crossing his arms. “Of course he does.”

You watch him pace down the hallway, but not too far, holding his head in his hands.

“Goddamn it!” He bites out. The JJ you used to know would’ve punched through the wall in front of him by now, and you can tell that the current JJ wants to, but he holds himself back. Once he calms himself down a tad, he turns back to you. His steps are large, helping him make his way to you quickly. “Where is he? I’m gonna kill him for going near you, and then I’m gonna kill him again for trying to fuck with my life.”

“JJ, don’t. He’s not worth the energy,” you say, trying to talk him down from the ledge he’s on.

His hands come to rest on your shoulders. “Y/N, he approached you. He could’ve hurt you. And I wasn’t even there to…” he pauses, taking a breath, “to protect you.”

Your eyes dart away from his once again as your body tenses at his touch. He senses your discomfort, and pulls away from you immediately. “Uh,” he clears his throat, “Sorry.”

You shake your head, “No, it’s— it’s fine. You’re shaken up. And understandably so.”

Your eyes cautiously find his again once you find the courage, and you can see that he’s trying not to crumble. You know hearing his name alone is terrorizing, and now that he has to deal with Luke trying to rip away everything he’s ever worked for…your heart hurts.

“I wanna help you.”

JJ’s head instantly shakes, notifying you of his disapproval. “No. I don’t want your pity. I’ll be okay, I’ll figure this shit out. It’s my own fault that I’m in this mess anyway.”

“It’s not pity, JJ. I might not be thrilled to work with you or about what you did, but…I’d never knowingly let Luke hurt you.”

“You…you don’t have to do this.”

“I know I don’t,” you tell him. “I want to. But I need you to understand that this doesn’t make things okay. It’s just about work. Business. It can’t be anything more than that.”

“Well,” he says, proceeding with an immense amount of caution. “Will you at least let me tell you what actually happened that day? It’s tearing me apart, Y/N/N.”

For the first time since you’d seen him again, your heart warms at his use of your childhood nickname. You missed it terribly, and you partially wanted to slap yourself and bring yourself back to reality. You’re scared. He’s starting to make the walls you’ve spent so long putting up crack just by speaking to you and having that ache in those damn blue eyes.

“I’m not…I’m not ready, and I definitely don’t want to rehash everything right before we do this. Let’s just go into this meeting, tell everyone that we’re on board and take things one step at a time.”

“But, Y/N—”

“JJ, please don’t make this any harder for me.”

JJ looks into your eyes, and you hate it, but you both know you’re on the verge of falling apart. “Yeah. All right.”

“You know, if you weren’t paying us to do damage control, JJ, I’d say that you were trying to kill me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Not that I’m his biggest fan, but this isn’t his fault. It’s on Luke. He’s always been selfish like this,” you add, trying to ease the prominent frown lines on Josh’s forehead.

Josh nods, “Yeah, I know. But I just don’t know how we go about this now. I mean, if we pay the hush money, there’s still a ninety-nine percent chance that Luke leaks the tape.”

“Then maybe we release it ourselves, like you and Andrea said,” you suggest. “That way, we can control how the public views it, and Luke won’t be able to hang it over our heads anymore. He’ll have nothing.”

“Great,” JJ huffs, running both hands through his hair. “Now everyone’s gonna know I’m an ass.”

“Some of us already know that.” You earn a laugh from Josh, and a small smile from JJ to which you return. The both of you know that you’re half-joking, so nothing is taken too seriously. “For real, though. We explain to the media how Luke orchestrated the whole thing. It’s not the perfect solution, but it’s better than them getting to the public first.”

“All right, well, I have to talk to Andrea and get everything sorted out, but we need to get a head start on moving you two in together. My guess is that you’re going to need a few days to get used to being in each other’s lives again, especially if we want the public to believe that you two are in love. Oh, and we need to get a press conference planned so we can release your porno.”

“Can we not call it a porno?” JJ asks, half-heartedly glaring at him.

“It’s funnier that way.” JJ rolls his eyes, and you can’t help but snort. “Andrea and I will ensure that you know what you’re going to say about it.”

“Nah. I got this. I’ll run it by you guys, but I know what I’m gonna say.”

While they’re speaking about their upcoming plans, your heart is about to burst right out of your chest, and not in a good or exciting way. Pretending to love someone is one thing, but pretending to be in love with someone who you were enamoured with for over a decade after getting your heart stomped on by them…let’s just say it’s a completely different ball game. Yes, you’d convinced yourself that helping JJ was the right thing to do, mostly because you feared what Luke would do to him if you didn’t. But it’s now dawning on you that this is no longer just about filming a movie. Now you two are going to be watched constantly, even more so if everyone believes that you’re in a relationship. And not only that, but the tabloids will be inserting themselves into it constantly, which will more than likely complicate things. That was proven when JJ made his declaration to the world.

JJ notices the worry flash over your face as your mind wanders. “Hey, are you sure we need to move in together, like, right now? Isn’t it a little soon?”

“Well it’s not like we can spring you forth into the public when you can barely hold eye contact for a minute. They’ll never believe that you two are together. So, yeah. I’m sure.”

“So…when will this all be happening?” You ask. You aren’t even sure if they can hear you, because you can’t hear yourself. The only thing your ears are picking up on is a high pitched ring brought on by your nerves.

��As soon as possible. I’m thinking by the end of the week. But it all depends on which one of you is fine with moving the other one in.”

Your eyes widen at the possibility of having to move into JJ’s house. You’re sure he has a nice place. It’s not even about that. The thing is, you’re already forcing yourself to go along with this ploy. And now you’re facing the chance of losing the comfort of your home and happy place?

“We can…we can use mine,” you voice out timidly.

“No, I can’t let you do that. I’m already dragging you into my mess,” JJ argues, albeit lightly. “I won’t put you out like that.”

“Well, I don’t want to be ripped away from my house and everything I know, JJ. This is already a lot.”

He extends his hand out, like he wants to grab yours and hold it in his they way he used to when he was stressed, but it stutters and falls back into his lap. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” you confirm. “Besides, I have a million rooms in there that I never go into anyway. I’m sure you’ll make good use of them.”

He smiles slightly, “You got a game room?”

You know what he’s referring to, and you can’t help but sport your own tiny grin as well. “Of course I do.”

Flashback - Age 15

Y/N

“So, when you get outta here, and you become a superstar and buy an enormous mansion — which better have a bedroom reserved for me, by the way — what kinda rooms are you gonna put in it?”

You snorted a laugh. “What do you mean?”

He sat up from his place on your couch and rotated his body so that his head fell on your lap. He kicked his feet up on the other side, and looked up at you.

“Like, if I got my own mansion, the first thing I’d put in there is a game room. I’m talkin’ a pool table, a dart board, some arcade-style games like Pac-Man. A PlayStation. I dunno, the possibilities are endless. Oh! And I’d have a chess board for sure.”

You gave him a look, trying not to laugh. “You don’t know how to play chess, J.”

“Hell nah, I don’t know how to play chess. It’ll make me look smart though.”

You hummed in agreement, letting your fingers run through his hair. You watched his eyes close as he relaxed into your touch. He let out an obnoxious moan when you started to scratch at his scalp lightly, and you smacked his chest with your other hand.

“Weirdo,” you mutter.

JJ simply laughs, before grabbing the same hand you’d whacked him with, holding it in his own. “Have you thought about it yet?”

“Thought about what?”

“What kind of rooms you’re gonna put in your house, dummy.”

You think for a moment. Different ideas float around, but then you land on one that you know you’ll make happen for sure. “Probably an entertainment room. Kinda like yours, but it’ll definitely have a big ass screen and comfy reclining seats like at the movies so I can feel like I’m in a theatre while crying my eyes out over my one millionth rewatch of One Tree Hill. It’ll have a mock concession stand, and a popcorn maker. And a Slurpee machine for good measure.”

“Nice! I’m totally stealing that idea, just, without the whole crying over One Tree Hill part. ‘M not gonna waste my screen on that snooze-fest.”

“Oh, please. You were practically sobbing when Haley left Nathan to go on tour with Chris,” you mock.

His eyes shoot open and his teasing smirk drops. “I thought we agreed that we’d never speak of that. I was high.”

“High on Naley, that is.”

“Whatever.”

End of Flashback

“Then it’s settled,” Josh speaks, cutting you out of your daydream. “JJ, provided that Andrea and Y/N’s team are on-board, you’ll move into her house by Friday.”

Damn. Shit just got real.

It’s Friday, and JJ is now on his way over to your house in a U-Haul truck. He taps along to the rhythm of what he’s listening to on the radio, some Dua Lipa song that he’s certain is in the Barbie movie (and everyone should refrain from asking him how he knows that). The tapping is more mindless as he tries to settle the anxiety he has over this move. He knows that you’re already stretching yourself thin by agreeing to help him. But offering to let him move in to your house? Between this and his past mistakes, the guilt is starting to boil over.

Once he makes it to your gate, he hesitates for a moment before pressing the buzzer.

“Who is it?” Your voice questions through the speaker.

“It’s J— ” he stammers, before correcting himself. “JJ.”

So much for playing it cool. He couldn’t even say his name to you anymore.

“Oh, uh, hold on a sec. I’ll let you in. Just pull into the driveway, my security guy will come and help you.”

“Cool.”

JJ hears a chime, and instantly, the gates begin to open. He drives through them, slowly pressing on the gas as he takes in the front view of your home. It’s fancy, but modest. A testament to you and your personality.

Then, a tall man with a rather large build emerges from your front door and signals JJ to pull up to him.

“You JJ?” He asks.

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m Y/N’s security guard, Dave,” the man speaks, introducing himself. He’s handsome — not that JJ noticed — and definitely more on the quiet side. “Throw the truck in park. I’ll get it unloaded it for you.”

JJ shakes his head. “Nah, man. At least let me give you a hand.”

“It’s all right. It’s easier this way. Go on inside, I’m sure Y/N will give you the grand tour.”

JJ gives Dave a nod, and approaches your doorway. This is it, he thinks. He enters your home, stepping into the foyer and taking a look around from where he’s standing. His eyes immediately land on two grand staircases parallel to each other, with a luxurious chandelier hanging right in the middle of them. It isn’t on, but thanks to the sunshine bleeding through the ceiling-high windows, it sparkles and casts a magical glow into your home. There was art hanging on the walls, sculptures on the front tables, and flowers that add a pop of colour into the monochromatic room.

But something JJ can’t ignore is the smell wafting in from your kitchen. The unforgettable fragrance of your signature cinnamon rolls fill his nostrils and instantly take him back to much simpler times. He can practically see you now, with your hair clipped back and your World’s Best Baker apron secured behind your neck and your back. You undoubtedly have flour on your face, and your tongue poking out as you concentrate.

You’d always been so domestic, a feeling that JJ longed to be around when he was younger. It’s nice to re-experience it now, even in his older age. Especially in his older age. He’s been coming home to an empty and quiet house for years now, and he hates it. It’s hard not to let the loneliness get to him.

As if you’re reading his thoughts, you yourself come through the entrance, just like he envisioned. Hair pulled back from your face, your same old apron attached to you (though it had worn a bit over the years), and a swipe of flour on your cheek. When you come directly in front of him, JJ’s tempted to reach out and wipe your cheek for you. Every time he did so when you were younger, the action never failed to pull a shy smile and heated cheeks from you. But now, he fears that you’ll back away and avoid him like the plague if he acts on his internal desires. So he doesn’t.

“Hey, have you been waiting here for long?”

“Nah. Not at all,” JJ assures you. He motions to your cheek, “You got a ‘lil something there.”

He watches you retrieve your phone from your back pocket and swipe to open your camera. Your mesmerizing eyes widen, threatening to pop out of your head as you scramble to scrub the powdery ingredient off of your face.

“Right,” you clear your throat, putting your phone back into your pocket. “So, uh, why don’t I give you a tour. Show you where you’ll be staying?”

“Sure,” JJ agrees.

“Okay, well, follow me.”

You turn around and begin to walk through the foyer. JJ, slightly distracted (okay, more than slightly) by your figure, stalls for a moment before his brain reminds him that he’s supposed to be trailing you. He takes large strides, catching up to you and praying that you didn’t notice. The two of you make your way around the main level, visiting the kitchen, dining room, living area. You show him the backyard, your pool complete with a swim-up bar and a hot tub. He notices that you have a few surfboards lined up against the wall of the change room and he smiles, happy memories of the two of you cruising the waves together back home flooding his mind. And last but not least, you made it to the room he’d been waiting for. Your rec room.

It’s just as you described when you thought it out all those years ago. A huge screen for movies and TV. Rows of theatre-like reclining chairs. A snack bar with a Slurpee Machine.

Next, you two focus on the gaming section. A colourful glow casts over the room thanks to the arcade machines, and it evokes a sense of nostalgia for JJ. His eyes light up as they trail over Pacman, Street Fighter 2, Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedge Hog, and Mario Kart. But the twinkle in his eyes lights up further when he sees Dance Dance Revolution in the far corner.

“Hey, remember how we used to dominate at DDR back home? We massacred John B and Pope every time.”

You nod, the recollection of those times pulling at your heart strings. Still, you’re afraid of thinking too deeply on them. “Yeah, well, that was a long time ago. And they aren’t here, so, I doubt it’d be as fun without them.”

JJ gives you an earnest look. “I get it, things are different now. But we live together now, Y/N. I want us to be able to get along. I don’t want us to feel like we have to avoid each other all the time, and I’m also not planning on spending the next couple months arguing with you every day. Maybe…maybe we could have fun. Make this whole arrangement bearable.”

“JJ, it’s not that simple,” you say.

He leans in, his voice soft. “I know it won’t magically fix everything, but we can try, right? For both of us?”

You gaze into his eyes, seeing a glimmer of sincerity. Sighing, you reluctantly give in. “Fine, but don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

He smiles triumphantly. “Wouldn’t dream of it, princess.”

The two of you step onto the dance pad, and JJ chooses a song. Slide by Calvin Harris pulsates through the room. Your movements synchronize as you dance, and soon, laughter is spilling out of your mouths and mixing in with the song. JJ can’t help but look at you for a moment, all smiley and happy in his company for the first time in weeks. It’s nice to see you letting loose around him, finally. Unfortunately, things quickly go south when his foot falters, and he stumbles, pulling you down with him. You crash onto the floor in a tangle of limbs, and JJ lands on top of you.

Your faces are mere inches apart, your breaths mingling. For a fleeting moment, time stands still, and it feels like before. It’s like he’s been transported back to your adolescent years, still best friends and teetering back and forth on the line between best friends and something more. And just when he inches closer, debating on closing the gap between you, you scramble to get up, gently rolling him off of you and making a beeline for the door.

“Y/N, wait!” He calls after you. He practically has to chase you down the hallway. He reaches out, fingers gently circling your wrist and stopping you from getting any further. “I…I thought we were having fun?”

“Fun?” You ask, your tone seeped with indignation. “JJ, you tried to kiss me! I should’ve known this was all some ploy of yours to get into my pants again. God, I should’ve known better.”

“Wait, what? Y/N, that’s not what this was,” JJ defends. “That whole game thing…I was trying to reconnect with you. I never meant to bring up the past for you and hurt you again.”

Your eyes avoid his, and he knows you’re too scared to look into them. He’d reach out and hold your head in his hands the way he used to, gently force your gaze onto him so you can see his vulnerability, but this isn’t the past. You don’t trust him the way you did before. Hell, you don’t trust him at all. So his hands remain at his sides.

“I’m willing to try. I’m willing to earn back your trust, to show you that I’ve changed. But you gotta give me a chance. Please, Y/N, just give me a chance.”

You ignore his declaration, and his plea. “I’ll have Dave show you to your room. The bed’s all made up, so you shouldn’t have to do much.”

JJ watches you walk down the hallway. “Where are you going?”

“Out. I have to get out of here.”

JJ wipes a hand over his face, letting out a sigh of frustration. He was finally getting somewhere with you. Things were looking up. But in a flash, they all went downhill, and now, he’s slowly losing faith.

Good thing that isn’t going to stop him from fighting.

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mcubx · 1 year

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gold (j. maybank)

“gold on your fingertips. fingertips against my cheek”

paring: jj maybank x fem!reader

summary: you’re a kook, he’s a pouge. the honeymoon phase of your relationship is over and you realize you’re not as perfect for each other as you thought. one thing leads to another and you’re both left wondering: is your love for each other strong enough?

warnings: none really. maybe a few curse words. physical fighting. mentions of blood.

jj never had access to the “finer things in life” growing up. when he was a kid there wasn’t much he could do about it. but now he’s older. and finding this gold is the most important thing to him. it’s the essence of his being.

except, the gold isn’t the most important thing. or it shouldn’t be at least. the most important thing to him is you, the love of his life.

jj had never believed he deserved anything good in life, so when he got you it seemed like some kind of sick joke the universe was playing on him. he was dating the most beautiful, kindest girl he’d ever met. and she was a kook. he couldn’t believe how happy he was. but as time went by, and he found himself falling helplessly for you, he realized it wasn’t a joke. you were his, and you weren’t going anywhere.

until now.

“jj i don’t know how many times we’ve had this conversation!” you were pacing around on the beach. you and jj had slipped away from the crowds of people at the party on the beach. it was huge- pouges, kooks, and tourists all mingling among one another. it was the first party since the pouges had been rescued from the island.

since your boyfriend, jj, had been brought back to you.

“you don’t understand baby, i can’t stop. not when it’s right there at my fingertips!” he said, running his hands through his hair.

“this stupid search for gold is killing you jj! you’re gone all hours of the day and can you even count how many times you’ve had a gun pointed at you? you just got back from being stranded on an island for gods sake!” you begged him to see your side.

“i know, i just-.”

“god! could you just please listen to me!”

“i am listening!” he put his hands on your face. his fingertips brushed against your cheek bone. “ i am listening.” he spoke quieter, lips just inches away. when he ran his fingers across your bottom lip, all you could feel was him reaching for the gold.

all you could think of was him leaving you again to go get into god knows what kind of trouble with the pouges.

“i’m okay. i’m fine.” jj tried to calm your worries.

“but i’m not!” you removed yourself from his arms. “i’m not okay, jj. i cant be. not when you’re out killing yourself and i don’t hear from you for days on end. i.. i can’t do this anymore. you’re choosing the gold over our relationship.”

“no y/n please! listen i’m sorry okay! i’ll stop. i won’t worry about the gold anymore okay? i won’t choose it ever again. please just don’t go anywhere. i need you.” he pleaded with you, grabbing your arm.

“jj..” you spoke softly. he looked at you, determined to not let you go anywhere. “jj i love you.”

“i love you too.”

“but..” you started, thinking how to say your next words. “this gold is important to you. and i’m not taking that away. you deserve to get what you want. but so do i.”

“what i want is you. i want you y/n.” jj looked at you.

“and i want you. but we need different things.”

“so what are you saying?” he asked.

you took a deep breath.

“i’m saying… our relationship just ended.”

his entire face dropped and his grip on your arm tightened.

“i’m so sorry y/n. i should’ve been better. i can be better.” he said, moving his hands from your arm to your waist. he pulled you in and you just wanted to kiss him. kiss him and tell him everything would be okay and you could work through it.

but you were just so tired of giving that you were beginning to feel empty.

“i love you jj. which is why i need to let you go. i won’t make you change into someone you don’t want to be. we just don’t work anymore.”

you could feel the familiar sting of tears in your eyes. you could see jj’s filling with tears too. he dropped his head into the crook of your neck.

he placed a soft kiss to your collarbone before looking up. he leaned in, placing the softest, most affectionate kiss on your lips.

“even though we’re over now, i love you. i will always love you.”

you looked at him for awhile. for awhile you both stood there, staring at one another. you finally pushed yourself out of his arms.

you started walking back into the party, praying he wasn’t right behind you.

it’s been over two weeks since you ended things with jj. every girl on the island had taken this as their chance to get with him, but to no avail.

jj had locked himself away. nobody was able to convince himself to come out. not even the pouges. he’d missed party after party.

you weren’t much better. you had barely left the house. you’d spent one day out on the beach by yourself, but left when rafe and topper arrived, disrupting your peace.

you weren’t given much of a choice about midsummers.

“if i have to suffer through it, so do you.” kiara had said while you, her, and sarah were dress shopping. you didn’t want to go. it was stupid and jj wasn’t going to be your date. he was going to serve with pope.

you sat on the edge of your bed, staring at your midsummers dress. it was gorgeous, and you felt 15 different kinds of beautiful in it. but you couldn’t put it on. you couldn’t go to midsummers.

you loved jj, more than anything, but you knew you were holding him back by wanting him to change.

the pouges and their adventures were his life. and you couldn’t change that. you didn’t want to change that. you loved him exactly as he was.

but, as much as it pained you to think about, he wasn’t practical. he wasn’t the right kind of guy for you. your lives were too different.

he craved adventure. he stayed out late, drank often, and had nobody to answer to. his life was on the cut with the pouges.

and you loved that about him.

but your life was here, on figure eight. fancy outfits, lunch with your parents at the country club, and a strict curfew. it wasn’t exactly your favorite way of living but it was you knew you needed. you had plans.

you were gonna get off the island and go to school. you were gonna be a doctor or a lawyer or something important. those plans just didn’t align with jj’s. and that’s why things had to end. you ended things with him to create the life you wanted.

but you were never gonna be anything if you didn’t get out of bed and quit crying all the time.

so you got up, you put on your midsummers dress, you did your makeup and hair, and you were determined to have a good time tonight.

what you hadn’t planned on was seeing jj in his serving outfit and feeling your heart drop to the pit of your stomach.

he was moving around gracefully, well, as graceful as he could, with a tray of champagne. he made his way towards you and offered the drinks to your parents. when they turned their heads you took a glass from jj’s tray.

“but you don’t ever drink.” he said, placing his free hand on your forearm. it stung. it stung to know that this small gesture, which used to be second nature in your relationship, was now awkward. he retracted his hand.

“i am tonight.” you said, taking a sip. you moved away from him and tried to shake the cold feeling on your arm were jj’s warmth had been just moments ago. you sat down somewhere, staring into the glass.

jj was right, you rarely drank. but tonight, if you were going enjoy midsummers and push yourself out of your comfort zone, you needed a little extra help.

“y/n y/l/n, what do we have here?” a familiar voice breathed down your neck. you got chill bumps and straightened your posture.

“what do you want rafe?” you rolled your eyes, refusing to turn and look at him. apparently he took your standoffish attitude as an invitation to get closer. he planted himself next to you and placed a heavy arm around your shoulders.

“i hear you’re a free woman now.” he smirked, taking a sip from his glass. you scoffed and rolled your eyes. he didn’t take very kindly to that action.

“what’s with the attitude doll? c’mon i know you gotta feel so much better now that that pouge isn’t weighing you down.” rafe scooted closer.

“don’t talk about him like that.” you stated, taking another sip of your champagne.

“who? maybank? please i’ll talk about him however i want. what’s that pouge gonna go about it.”

you simply got up and turned to walk away, but rafe followed.

“i’m sorry princess, i didn’t mean to hurt your feeling.” he placed a finger under your chin. “how about you and i head out of here early. we can hang at my place before the parents get home.”

“bite me rafe.” you slapped his hand away.

“hey!” he raised his voice at you and grabbed your wrist.

“ow! rafe let me-.” but you couldn’t even finish your sentence because he was on the ground under a furious jj.

“don’t you ever touch her again you hear?” he was holding rafe down by his shoulders.

“listen here you little pouge.” rafe said, flipping jj onto his back and laying his fist into his jaw.

“rafe!” you yelled, immediately moving to pull him away from jj. he pushed you away with a good amount of force that had you tripping over your dress. it wasn’t a big deal, you weren’t hurt, you really just tripped, but this lit a fire in jj. if he was holding back before, he wasn’t at all anymore.

he immediately laid his fist into rafe’s jaw. they were rolling and punching each other in the jaw. the music stopped and the rest of the party gained attention.

topper came to pull rafe off jj. rafe fell backwards into the arms of his little posse. jj stood up and had no one in his corner. kiara, john b, sarah, and pope were no where to be found.

without a second glance at rafe or the rest of the kooks, you hurried to jj, taking his face in your hands. you led him away from the crowds and into the nearest indoor bathroom.

he leaned against the sink as you used what you could find on hand to stop the bleeding in his face. he had a cut on his right cheekbone and a busted lip.

“you don’t have to do this.” he sighed, crossing his arms.

“you didn’t have to tackle rafe, but here we are.”

“i tackled him because he was hurting you.” jj looked away.

“i don’t need you to protect me.” you said.

“yeah i know. you made that perfectly clear by breaking up with me.”

your movements against his wounds stalled. the anxiety you had been feeling in your chest quickly materialized as tears in your eyes.

you loved jj. so much. and it killed you to end things with him.

“oh y/n, i- im sorry. i didn’t mean-.”

“no no you’re right. i did breakup with you. but i regret it. so much. i don’t know how to live without you.” your quiet tears turned to not so quiet sobs. jj pulled you against his chest. you took comfort in his familiar warmth.

“you don’t have to. you don’t have to.” he said, rubbing your back.

jj’s words resonated for a moment. you really didn’t have to live without him. you could be with him.

“i don’t want to.” you looked up at him, mascara streaming down your face.

“i miss you y/n. i’m sorry i hurt you. i just want to be with you. please.” jj wiped away the tears on your face.

“i’m sorry i asked you to change jj, i love uou just the way you are.” you pressed your lips to his in a passionate kiss. you tasted the salt from your tears and blood from your busted lip. as he kissed you, all the worries about your future melted away.

the future would come eventually. you are in the right now. and right now you knew jj maybank was all you needed.

and you were all he wanted.

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