CHAPTER TWENTY.
a line without a hook

LAST NIGHT, SLEEPING beside JJ Maybank felt almost odd to Nova Van Kirk. And it wasn't because she spent the entire night lying incredibly close to him. It wouldn't be the first time she shared a bed with the boy, knowing that their one night stand would have been a first, the familiar memory still burning in the back of her mind. However, Nova couldn't help but dwell on the night before, and the feeling it gave her when she lied in close proximity with the Maybank boy because before last night, the only other time they had shared bed was during a drunken mistake.

But last night was different for many reasons. . .

One, JJ had asked Nova to stay with him which was almost surprising. Yet, Nova couldn't blame JJ for not wanting to be alone considering what happened between him and his dad yesterday. If she was in his position then Nova knew she wouldn't want to be alone either. The girl was just surprised when he asked her to spend the night with him instead of Juno, Kiara or even Pope since they knew him and what he was going through better than her.

Two, despite this not being their first time consumed in a blanket of darkness side by side each other, this time was different, because this was the first time Nova had spent the night with JJ knowing she felt something more for him than being just friends. Last night, when she laid in bed with JJ at her side only reminded Nova of her true feelings for him. She couldn't forget the way her heart began to race when he unknowingly snaked his arm around her waist, making the girl feel safe — more safe than she had ever felt before, or the way she rested her head on his chest, his heartbeat coaxing her to sleep.

For Nova. . . it felt like home.

The next morning, when Nova Van Kirk peeled her eyes open, she was instantly welcomed by the beaming sun that shined brightly on her skin through the glass window placed precisely next to the makeshift bed she had fallen asleep on with JJ Maybank at her side. The sight of the familiar golden rays of sunlight peaking through the curtains cascaded against her porcelain skin, and blinded her bright blue eyes. The beaming light was enough to make Nova lift her hand and shield her gaze from the beaming sun, a tired look washing over her face as she adjusted to the early morning that had been brought upon her.

Nova then rolled over onto her side and stretched out her arm over to the other side of the bed in hopes of spotting the familiar blond lying next to her. But when she felt a chill rise up her spine, Nova was surprised to see the spot next to her on the bed was completely vacant, nothing more than creased sheets in the hollow place where JJ had previously slept the night before.

This caused for Nova to frown, a knot twisting around harshly in the pit of her stomach, the girl believing he had left her and gone off by himself all over again. The thought of JJ being alone somewhere in Outer Banks was enough to cause a sickly sense of dread to pulsate through her veins, her stomach churning over and over again. She knew that the last time JJ went off on his own, he showed up hours later drunk and covered in bruises. Nova hated to imagine what would happen this time if he had left abruptly some time during the night.

Nova quietly sighed to herself, her eyes beginning to adjust to the morning rays of sunlight as she recovered from her tired and groggy state. After she had readjusted to her surroundings, Nova let out a tired yawn and stretched out her arms and legs to unravel the knots tied within her joints, continuing to stare down at the blank space where JJ should've been. It made her feel uneasy.

Where the hell was JJ?

That was the question that continued to ring thought her mind like a broken record, her eyes scanning over the entire room to see if the familiar mop of golden blond hair, chiselled features, and sun kissed skin resembling the famous JJ Maybank would come into view. . . But he didn't — he never did, which made Nova only continue to question his whereabouts, her brows knitting together in pure confusion, a puzzled look glazed over her ocean coloured eyes.

Nova then swallowed the thick lump forming in the back of her throat, tearing her prying eyes away from the empty space beside her, before she climbed out of bed and walked through the chateau, heading towards the front door. Nova lifted her arm and raked her hand through her long blonde hair in the process, another yawn ripping through the air, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep for a little longer.

Unfortunately, Nova Van Kirk wasn't able to afford that luxury as of now.

When Nova reached the screen door, she's quick to look outside and scan her eyes over the outside of the chateau with a wondrous look swirling in her bright eyes. She could see Juno, Kiara and Pope working on the winch they planned to use to dig up the gold. Kiara was sitting in the bucket whilst Juno and Pope analysed the contraption carefully, the pair making sure it worked. It was another reminder that Nova and her friends would secure four hundred million in gold by tonight.

They were going to be filthy rich in only a few hours.

All of a sudden, Nova was shocked when she spotted none other than JJ Maybank sitting out on the hot tub he had recently purchased, his feet dipped in the water whilst he watched Juno, Kiara and Pope do all the dirty work. Typical JJ, Nova thought to herself, the sight of the familiar boy being enough to make Nova's heart race once again, a grin breaking out across her pink lips.

God, she hated that JJ of all people made her feel like this.

Nova's smile remained plastered across her face whilst she pulled the door open and left the chateau, the girl being instantly welcomed by the sunlit yard in front of her, her skin soaking up every ounce of heat beaming down on her as a shaky, yet, relieved breath escaped past her lips. It was a short-lived moment of peace and clarity that Nova never really had the chance to relish in — something she wished she had more of since the summer began.

But since the day she found that letter from Riley, peace and clarity was nonexistent and completely out of the question.

Nevertheless, Nova snapped herself out of her train of thought, sighing to herself, before she walked out across the front porch and down the creaky wooden steps, a natural spring in her step as she hopped down the last step and onto the dry grass, the tips of the grass tickling her bare ankles. However, it was a nice feeling. The kind of feeling that made a soft and quiet giggle escape past her lips.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us." Pope mused, a smile forming across his lips from the sight of the girl. The sound of his familiar voice caused for Nova to glance over at the boy, noticing the teasing look glazed over his dark eyes. "Did sleeping beauty enjoy her rest?"

Nova simply rolled her eyes in response to Pope's remark and folded her arms over her chest in the process, her lips parting to speak. "I did, actually. Thanks for asking, Pope." She answered in a playful tone, earning a chuckle from her friends in response.

"Good. Maybe you'll have enough energy to help us test this thing out." Kiara piped up, a smile of her own forming across her perfectly plumped lips, staring down at Nova from the tall tree she was currently hanging from, the girl seated in the bucket attached to the tree as a counterweight.

Nova lifted her gaze to glance at the contraption Pope had created to help lift the gold out of the well underneath The Crain house, nodding her head hesitantly. As much as Nova wanted to help, she could just tell some of this may be a little too unsafe, and from what she could see, Juno, Pope and Kiara had the entire situation under control. So she thought it was best to leave it to them, her grin beginning to widen. "How about I just leave it to the brains of the group?" She suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ha, ha, ha..." Juno paused, a smile remaining plastered across her face. "Very funny."

However, Kiara's smile quickly faded from her lips when the bucket tipped sideways slightly after Pope tried to adjust the winch, the girl almost falling out in the process. This caused for Kiara to jolt upwards to try and balance her own weight, before she narrowed her eyes into a sharp glare as she stared down at Pope. "Pope, I swear to God, if you drop me—"

"I'm not going to drop you, Kie." Pope interjected, trying his best to reassure the girl.

Nova frowned. "I don't know...that thing looks very unsafe to me."

Kiara's eyes widen slightly, before she shoots Pope another look. "Pope, if you drop me, I'll kill you." She threatened in a jokingly manner, earning a fit of laughter from both Nova, Juno and Pope in response.

Nova continued to laugh as she turned her head to the side to see JJ watching them from afar, a small smile of his own ghosting across his lips as his eyes focused primarily on Nova. But the second he noticed the girl staring back, JJ was quick to tear his gaze away from her, before he tilted his head down to look into the hot tub, causing for a confused look to wash over Nova's face as she continued to stare back at JJ from where she stood.

So whilst Juno, Kiara and Pope continued to bicker back and forth, Nova began to make her way over to JJ, before she leaned against the hot tub, a smile forming across her lips once again. "Hey." Nova spoke up, causing for JJ to lift his gaze, locking eyes with the girl for a moment whilst she nodded her head towards the empty spot next to him. "Can I join you?" She asked.

JJ nodded his head in response, his smile becoming more evident. "Sure." JJ answered.

Nova then climbed into the hot tub and perched on the edge of the tub next to JJ, dipping her feet into the warmish water as silence enveloped the pair, nothing else being heard other than the distant voices belonging to Juno, Kiara and Pope. It was awkward. There was no denying that, especially since there so many unanswered questions and unresolved confusion lingering between Nova and JJ in this very moment.

Truth is, Nova had no clue what to say to JJ. She didn't know if she should bring up her newfound feelings for him and the moment they kissed, that day still lingering deep in her mind. A part of Nova knew she had to know the truth in hopes of getting some clarity from the situation, and maybe JJ felt the same about her two. Well, he did kiss her after all. . . So, he must feel something towards her that's more than just friendly.

But then there was another part of Nova that believed this wasn't the right time to bring up how she felt towards him. The girl knew he had endured raging hell after the altercation with his father yesterday, and if last night proved anything, it was that Nova would have the worst timing in history, knowing she needed to let JJ heal from yesterday's treacherous events before she decided to say anything.

So, the girl stuffed her feeling deep within herself and turned her head to glance at the blond with a concerned look. "Are you okay? You know, after everything that happened yesterday?" Nova questioned, finally breaking the silence between the two.

JJ stared down into the water for a moment, watching as he gently swirled some ripples using his leg, before he lifted his gaze to stare back at Nova and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm okay, I guess." He told her truthfully.

Oh, only if JJ was as good of an actor than the kleptomaniac that he is.

Nova couldn't help but shoot JJ a sympathetic look, a dull ache erupting in her chest as her eyes flickered down to his abdomen. His white tank top was able to cover the bruises and make them almost invisible to the naked eye. But Nova knew the purple and blue marks were still painted across his skin. Even if she couldn't see them, she knew they were still there, and it pained her knowing his own father — the man who was meant to love JJ unconditionally — was the person who caused the bruises in the first place.

The girl then cleared her throat, giving JJ a gentle nudge. "Hey, you know, it's okay to not be okay?" She reminded him.

JJ's smile became more visible as he stared back at the girl, nodding his head in response. "I know...but I'm fine, Nova." He reassured her.

That was when Nova decided to drop the subject, pursing her lips into a thin line, before a thought quickly crossed her mind, the girl deciding now was the best time to bring it up. "Okay, I just have to ask because if I don't ask then I'm going to keep overthinking it and then I'll be distracted and we don't want that since we're going to be getting four hundred mil later, so—"

     "Nova, what is it?" JJ laughed, the girl's senseless rambling bringing a smile to his face.

     Nova inhaled sharply and frowned at the blond haired boy, a nervous feeling erupting in the pit of her stomach. "Was there any reason why you kissed me yesterday?" She asked him, hoping to get the answers she needed to give her the clarity she wanted. "Because it was just super confusing and I don't know what it means, so..." She added, staring back at JJ to see his smile fade away from his lips.

     "I was, uh, I was drunk, Nova. People do and say stupid shit when they've been drinking." JJ answered, shrugging his shoulders whilst he laughed. His words definitely put a damper on Nova's mood, already taking a wild guess of where this conversation was heading, and she didn't like it — she didn't like it at all. JJ then shook his head, regret pulsating through his veins. "Actually, no. I just lied. I didn't kiss you because I was drunk, Nova. I kissed you because..."

     This was the moment Nova had been hoping for. One that she had been waiting for for a long time. Nova felt her heart hammer hard against her chest, butterflies flutter in the pit of her stomach whilst her eyes locked with JJ's, his eyes speaking a thousand words all at once. She could see he had something to get off his chest, and there she sat, waiting in burning anticipation for those three words to leave the boy's lips — those same three words that would change their relationship forever. Nova was already sure of her feelings. She just needed to hear JJ admit his own.

     A ghost of a smile formed across Nova's lips. "Say it." She whispered over to him.

     JJ couldn't resist the urge to smile back at the girl, his lips parting to speak once again. "Nova, I—"

"Hey, are you two going to get off your asses and help us?" Kiara called over to them in a loud voice, a teasing smile tugging at her plumped lips as her eyes flickered between the pair sitting together in the far distance.

Both Nova and JJ laughed in response to Kiara's loud statement. JJ turned around to face Kiara with amusement twinkling in his gaze. "Nah." He called back to her, before another thought crossed his mind. "John B pulling a Houdini." He announced to the rest of them.

Nova continued to smile when she heard those words leave JJ's lips, nodding her head in agreement. They were all at the chateau preparing the equipment to snatch the gold from underneath The Crain house. But they were all accounted for apart from John B and Sarah who should have been here a while ago now, making Nova wonder what they could possibly be doing that required being fashionably late.

Pope sighed in response. "I got my scholarship interview tomorrow. We gotta get this done."

Nova rolled her eyes, before she jumped down from where she was sitting and approached Pope with a picture perfect smile plastered across her lips. "Stop panicking, Pope. We'll get this done before your interview tomorrow." She reassured him.

Right on cue, Nova quickly spotted John B rushing past the hot tub from the corner of her eye, causing for the girl to turn around and face her friend, whilst JJ began to speak, "Speak of the devil. Hey, dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything." JJ informed him with excitement laced in his voice.

Pope frowned, his eyes flickering between JJ and John B. "No, he did not. I did that." He retorted, causing for Nova to release a quiet giggle past her lips.

However, shortly after his arrival, Nova took notice in the mix of distraught plastered across John B's face, his features occasionally contorting to blazing anger. It was the kind of expression that looked deadly to the naked eye, chills running up and down Nova's spine as John B walked up the steps to the front porch and entered the chateau, the door slamming shut behind him. It made Nova come to the quick conclusion that there was something seriously wrong.

Nova furrowed her brows together in pure confusion, concern washing over her face as she looked around at her friends. "Guys, do you think there's something wrong?" She asked.

"I was gonna ask you the same question." JJ stated whilst he hopped off the hot tub and joined Nova, Juno, Kiara and Pope.

It didn't take long for the rest of them to rush up the steps and follow John B into the chateau, and when they entered the familiar home, Nova was surprised when she found John B rummaging carelessly through every cupboard and drawer that he could find, pulling out various items and discarding them onto the ground, the objects and sheets of paper rolling across the floorboards in the process. Nova couldn't help but feel an awful sense of dread rise in her chest, prickling as her skin like thorns.

When John B opened up another set of cupboard doors and rummaged through it, Pope decided to approach him. "You alright, man? What's up?" Pope questioned, a puzzled look burning in his dark eyes.

"What's wrong, John B?" Juno piped up, staring at her friend with a worried look evident in her eyes. "Because you're kinda freaking us out."

Kiara folded her arms over her chest, knitting her brows together. "What are you looking for?"

John B ignored them and continued to search the entire room in silence, heavy and ragged breaths escaping past his lips and ripping through the air. This only seemed to worry Nova a little more, her hands becoming clammy with sweat as a shaky breath slipped past her lips, her eyes never leaving her friend as he continued to search the room. Nova wished he would just tell them what's wrong, knowing there was something off since John B wasn't his average self.

Nova then watched as John B approached the makeshift bed in the room, digging his hand underneath the mattress and pulling out the last thing she ever thought she would see in John B's hands. This caused for Nova's blood to run cold, her bones turning into ice as her eyes widened in completely shock and horror, her full attention entirely focused on the object clasped tightly in John B's hand — The gun.

The sight of the deadly weapon was enough to make Nova approach John B with a worried look glazed over her eyes, her trembling lips parting to speak. "John B, what the hell is going on?" She asked him in a demanding voice, fear pulsating through her veins.

However, John B ignored the girl's desperate voice and brushed past her, causing for JJ to quickly join Nova as he stared back at his friend with a mix of confusion and concern burning in his blue iris'. "John B, what do you need the gun for? Talk to us!" JJ pleaded with him. But John B simply responded by grabbing JJ and shoving him onto the makeshift bed.

Juno watched the scene unfold in front of her with horror in her eyes, disbelief washing over her features. "John B, calm down!" She exclaimed.

"John B, chill!" Kiara demanded, pausing for a swift moment as she approached the boy. "What are you doing?" She interrogated.

John B then made an attempt to leave the room, but Pope was quick to block his path, opening out his arms to try and prevent the boy from leaving with a serious look plastered across his face and panic in his eyes. A scoff then left the boy's lips. "What, are you JJ now?"

But from what Nova could tell. . . It was that the Routledge boy was like a ghost, a hollow shell of the kind boy he used to be, and somehow, within the space of twenty-four hours, he had turned into nothing more than a vessel plagued by demons and endless torment. It almost seemed like it didn't matter that he was carrying a gun, prepared to do god-knows what with it. And that scared Nova and the others most of all.

That's all she could think about as she watched John B grab Pope and shove him harshly into the wooden table behind him, a wince leaving Pope's lips in the process. The sudden and violent actions made Nova curse to herself, muttering profanities under her breath as she watched the boy leave them behind after the hurt he had caused in just a matter of seconds.

So without hesitation, Nova and the others rush outside where their friend had gone only to find the Routledge boy getting on JJ's bike, the roaring engine ripping harshly through the humidity as the rest of them rush ahead to try and stop John B from leaving. He couldn't just leave, at least, not until they had a reasonable explanation to why he was taking off into the unknown with a gun.

"John B, what the hell?"

"Ward knows about the gold!" John B yelled over the roaring of the engine, his words being enough to make Nova stop in her tracks, her mouth popping open in shock. John B then looked over his shoulder, tears forming in the far corners of his eyes. "He killed my dad."

Ward. Ward freaking Cameron killed John Routledge. The man Nova had known her entire life was a vicious murderer, responsible for the pain and suffering of a young teenage boy. It was hard to believe that someone you've known your entire life could turn out to be a killer. That was why Nova marched her way over towards the Routledge boy, the girl stopping beside the boy as he tried to start up the engine of JJ's bike, her frantic eyes staring back into his with desperation flooding her gaze.

"What do you mean Ward Cameron killed your dad?" She asked him, needing to know the full story. Nova had known the man her entire life. She didn't want to believe he was a stone cold killer after all the good he's done. "He wouldn't do that."

"He did, Nova. He told me himself." John B informed her, pausing for a brief moment, before he parted his lips to speak again. "There's something else you should know — something that you deserve to hear..." The boy then trailed off, his words catching her full attention in a matter of seconds.

Nova frowned in response to his words. "What is it, John B?" She interrogated further.

"Ward and my dad weren't the only people on the boat that day." John B informed the girl, causing for Nova to swallow thickly in the process. "Riley...he was there too, and he didn't do a single thing to help."

And with that. . . John B fled the scene and abandoned his friends, the roaring of an engine being the only sound Nova seemed to hear, leaving the girl in a mix of shock and disbelief whilst the girl dwelled on the sudden news. She then felt her entire body tense, tremors pulsating through her nerves and making her hands shake, sucking in a sharp and harrowing breath as the Routledge boy disappeared behind the trees and drove straight into the unknown.

It was in that very moment when Nova's mind flashed back to John Routledge, the girl remembering the man she had seen on many occasions throughout her lifetime. She didn't know him, but from what she heard from others, she knew he was a good man with a kind heart. Despite the cards he was dealt with, the man being given a harsh life caked in turmoil instead of the easier lifestyle of a Kook, John Routledge was a good man with a good soul, and no one could steal that from him.

That was until someone did.

The mystery of Big John's disappearance was finally answered. Ward Cameron was the twisted culprit responsible for taking a good man away from his son, stealing the life from his eyes and discarding him like it meant nothing — like he meant nothing. The thought was enough to make knots twist in Nova's stomach, a thick lump forming in the back of her throat and suffocating her, crushing her windpipe in the process.

Then Nova thought about her brother and how he was there on the boat with Ward Cameron when the man brutally murdered John Routledge. He was a witness to the horrors and didn't do a single thing to help. He didn't even report the crime. He just sat back and watched as his own friend suffered with the loss of his father without saying a single word. It made Nova feel sick to her stomach knowing her brother had some sort of involvement in the murder of a good man, her stomach twisting into knots at the very thought.

The Van Kirk and Cameron family names were written in blood — John Routledge's blood.

It made Nova wonder if she ever truly knew her brother. Truth is, maybe she didn't know Riley Van Kirk at all.

━━━━━━━━

authors note.
Everything is going downhill for Nova and the gang now. And the secret is out that Riley was on the boat with Ward Cameron and John Routledge, but I think you guys guessed that earlier so it's not really a surprise alskskskdk

Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon!!