——

Emelina stepped foot into her home, already kicking her shoes off as JJ stumbled in and did the same thing. He still seemed upset about what Plumb said to him, so she chose to take his mind off of things for a while. He just doesn't know it yet.

She asked him if he wanted to talk about his dad. He said no. She left it at that.

When she closed the front door, she turned around to see her petite maid walking into the foyer. Emelina smiled brightly, "Marilyn! This is JJ... the one I told you about."

JJ widened his eyes and stuck out his hand for her to shake. "Pleasure to meet you." he greeted, smiling with his protruding dimples.

Marilyn smiled sweetly, keeping quiet since she had a job to do. Emelina tucked a piece of her hair behind her ears before speaking, "Are you finished for the day?"

"No, Miss Emelina," she replied, raising the dust sweeper in her right hand.

Emelina shrugged, digging her hand in her purse to fetch out two one hundred dollar bills from her wallet before handing them to her maid. "Go treat yourself."

"But, Miss Eme—"

"I'll take care of it. My mother won't know a thing. I promise." she assured, opening the door and taking the dust sweeper from her hand. Truth is, she wanted the house to herself, and having her maid roam around the walls was not ideal at the moment.

The maid had no choice to obliged, and when Emelina closed the door, JJ was looking at her with confused eyes. "What was that?"

"What was what?" she asked innocently, hanging her purse on one of the hooks before grabbing his hand to lead him up the staircase.

"Do you always kick your maid out after giving them money...?" he asked suspiciously, letting her guide him through the hallway to her bedroom.

Questions. She always hears them when they're unwanted. Her mind was still clouded from the events of today that she had not registered that her previous actions were out of character.

She pushed him into her room and onto the edge of her bed. He was looking at her as if he was still waiting on an answer, but she wasn't thinking about it.

The sunglasses and headphones that were once in his hands, were now resting on her nightstand. Emelina walked back over to him, a small smile on her lips as she leaned down so close to his face that they were inches apart.

She brought him to her room. She brought him to her bed. JJ was well aware of what her intentions were, but he was not going to participate in her game just yet. "I'm waiting," he said.

He was leaning on the mattress with his two hands out behind him, so when she climbed on his lap to straddle him, she was disappointed that his hands remained still and her hips were painfully bare.

Emelina closed the gap between their lips, her fingers lingering on his jaw whereas the other hand was taking his hat off and tossing it across the bed. He kissed back until he pulled away with hooded eyes and a grin.

Answers. That was what he wanted, but she wasn't in the mood to talk. She forced one of his hands to the back of her dress. "You made me wear this and now you're gonna take it off of me."

His facial expression remained the same, minus his eyes that were growing dark, and he tsked his tongue. "Not until you answer me."

Emelina wondered if he actually wanted to know or if he just enjoyed teasing her.

She sighed. "When my mom found out about my break up with Topper, she said the worst things she has ever said to me," she explained, taking a second before continuing, "but now she is left with guilt. And her guilt gifts me wads of cash as her apology. So, why not give it to Marylin?"

"Shit. Seriously?" he asked in full surprise. Probably not the type of answer he was expecting. She noticed how his eyes softened, but she chose to ignore it. For now.

Emelina only nodded, "Yeah. It doesn't matter, though. Kie usually tells me why charities to send it to. I don't want her excuse of an apology. Does that answer your question?"

"I guess it does," he said, his eyes landing on her shoulder where he let the strap of her dress fall to her arms. His pace was excruciatingly slow and it was starting to test her patience.

Her hands now rested at the hem of his white shirt, more than ready to take it off of him when the time was right. But time was taking forever.

JJ flattened his lips and squinted his eyes as he released his touch from her skin. She sighed out in frustration. "We're on the clock, Em." he reminded her.

"We have a few hours to kill before we can convince your cousin, JJ." Her voice came out sharp but she didn't care and he only seemed more amused, which ticked her off to an extent.

"Do we?"

She stared at him.

A deep chuckle came from this throat. "Tell me what you want."

"I don't like repeating myself," she answered. He only smirked and leaned back on his hands again, "Then I can't help you."

Fine. "Then I'll help myself." Emelina got off of his lap and stepped back onto the floor and slowly brought her hand behind her back to the zipper. All while keeping her eyes locked with his.

Something changed in him because within a few seconds, his hands were replacing hers and the dress was discarded to the floor. She smiled, "That wasn't so hard."

JJ pushed her back onto the bed, mumbling in her mouth to shut up while he kissed her. Her fingers tugged on his blonde hair as his were squeezing her bare hips.

His shirt eventually joined her dress on the floor. He kept kissing her and giving her what she wanted for the next few hours.

§

The light from her lamp flickered on and Emelina winced, opening her eyes slightly to see Kiara and Pope hovering over her with concerned eyes. "Uh, hi?"

"What are you guys doing here?" Emelina asked, turning her head to find the other side of the bed empty. She frowned. JJ was nowhere to be found.

"I tried calling you, like, a billion times," Kiara told her with crossed arms. "I gave my phone to Sarah, remember?" she reminded her, sitting up on her bed, making sure her sheets covered her body.

When the two realized she had no clothes underneath, Pope immediately covered his eyes with his hands and began stumbling out of her bedroom. "Oh, shit. I'm out."

"Where is JJ?" Kiara asked, rolling her eyes at the sight. Emelina shrugged and her eyes scanned around until she found a small note on her nightstand. She read it. "He's going through with the plan. Without me."

Her lips turned flat, trying not to let the bubbling anger arise. He better has an explanation as to why he left without her.

Kiara groaned and went over to her closet to toss an outfit for her as well as undergarments from her dresser. "This is what y'all's plan was? Sex before saving John B?"

"No!" Emelina gasped and grimaced before turning her body around to slip on the new clothes. When she finished, she slipped out of bed while rubbing her tired eyes. "How did you guys know I was home?"

"I didn't. I had to call your maid. She said you probably wouldn't want to be disturbed. I wish she explained further."

Emelina let out a small giggle before grabbing a brush to fix her damp hair. It was still wet from her shower with JJ. She just never bothered to put clothes on for her, what was supposed to be a short one, nap.

"I don't like this conversation," Emelina admitted after a moment of silence. "It's whatever... but, um..." Kiara went quiet as if her mind was deciphering a way to speak.

"What?"

"I got booted." Kiara said suddenly, "My mom refused to pay for a lawyer for John B. She got so mad at me that she kicked me out and I was wondering... if I could crash here for a few days until I figure this shit out."

Emelina pulled her in for a hug, muttering a bunch of apologies in her ear before drawing back. "Of course, Kie. You can stay here for as long as you want."

"Thanks, E."

Kiara followed her out of her bedroom where they met Pope in the hallway. He let out a small sigh of relief, "Did Kiara tell you what I found?"

"No?"

Pope pulled out a key with a red ribbon tried to the end. Only one key registered in her mind, "Is that the—?"

"The key to exonerating John B? Yes! I asked my dad about it and he said his grandmother had something like it. I went to her place and... uh, it came out of the ceiling. I was right in the room."

"Oh, my God!" Emelina smiled, taking the key from his offering hand to examine. This works out so much better than JJ's attempt to give John B appendicitis. She inspected the piece of metal more, finding writing engraved on it. "Wait, what does that say?"

"Path to the time behinds in the island room," Kiara replied, walking down the staircase to the foyer with the two following behind. "Pope's genius brain fluffed a pillow and shined a light to figure it out... we're not sure what the island room is, though."

"But, I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with Denmark Tanny and an angel. 'Cause I remember Limbrey saying something about an angel and how the key led to the cross." Pope added on.

Emelina widened her eyes at all of the new information. "Holy, shit. What do we do now?"

"What the hell is JJ doing at 4th and Seneca?" Kiara asked, looking up from her phone. "He said it's an SOS?"

She had no time to explain to them their plan as they dashed out of her house and into Kiara's car to rescue JJ from his predicament.

Kiara's car came to a halt in front of an ambulance truck and multiple police cars behind blaring their sirens. Emelina fell forward at the sudden stop, the tires screeching in the process. "Sorry!"

Emelina caught a glimpse of JJ rushing out from the side door of the truck and a sigh of relief escaped from her. She also wondered what the hell he did to attract this many police officers.

Kiara rolled down her window to throw out false apologies. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! It was an accident!"

"She just got her license!" Pope said to the cursing man behind the wheel of the ambulance truck. Once JJ was out of sight, Kiara was driving away from where he ran off to.

JJ was still sprinting by the time Kiara caught him on an empty road. Emelina opened the backseat door for him to jump in, and he did. His breathing was altered and he leaned back in the seat with his eyes closed to regain his breath.

"You left without me," Emelina said first, her eyes glaring at him. He swallowed thickly, "Em, I tried waking you up. You wouldn't budge. I think I wore you out."

She opened her mouth slightly in surprise. "JJ! There are ears!" she whispered and he shrugged, still trying to control his respiration.

"I'm seriously not even gonna ask," Kiara said, her eyes set out to the road as Pope nodded in agreement.

JJ waved one hand around. "Look, I busted the wrong guy out of jail. Sue me."

"What?!" Kiara turned her head around for a split second, a bewildered look on her face. JJ retorted back. "At least I was trying."

"Why are you always doing such stupid shit?"

"Well, I'm gonna end up in jail anyway, so... so why does it matter?" JJ replied to Kiara, keeping his head down as he stared at the floor.

Emelina felt her heart drop. That sentence kept running through her mind the entire ride back to the Chateau that she hadn't said a word to him. Not a single word to comfort him or anything. Nothing.

When they reached the house, Emelina was the first to exit, and instead of going inside, she walked all the way to the dock where she sat at the edge and looked at the stars in the dark sky.

She was alone for a good few minutes, which was more than enough time to recollect her thoughts because she knew JJ would eventually come out to get her. And he did.

She heard his footsteps come trudging behind her. "What's wrong? Are you mad I did it without you? The plan was shit anyway."

"Why do you think so low of yourself?"

"What?" he asked and stopped in his tracks. Emelina turned around and through her fresh tears clouding her vision, she saw that he was wearing a new set of clothes to prepare for bed.

Emelina sniffled as she spoke. "You think you'll end up in jail?"

"You heard what Plumb said."

"It doesn't mean it has to be true."

JJ scoffed and he ran his fingers through his hair before pointing one of his hands toward her. "That's easy for you to say. I mean, c'mon, look at your house... your car... everything. We come from two different worlds. My destiny has been set out for me. It's always been that way."

She had no response as her watery eyes stayed glued to his feet, almost left speechless. She swore they were over their different upbringings, but according to him, it never left. Her eyes then locked with his. "What are you talking about? Your destiny isn't in some jail cell, JJ."

"Look at that bracelet I gave you." He pointed to the material wrapped around her wrist. She looked. It matched the same one on his wrist. "I didn't buy it. I stole it."

"So?" Her voice cracked.

"So? I just stole Ricky's ambulance truck. It's only a matter of time before I go off and join my dad," he replied while shrugging as if he already came to terms with his fate.

Emelina hated her next words, but she had to say them. "What about us? Do you not see a future with me? What happened to us surfing and traveling south?"

JJ shook his head. "Can't you see?" He had his own tears threatening to spill. "I'm ruining you. I knew it then, but I was so selfish because I wanted you. I wanted you and now I'm tearing you apart."

"You're not ruining me. Why would you say that?" Emelina asked, her voice hiccuping from her silent cries.

He took a moment before answering. "Plumb said you'll end up just like me if you stay by my side. And you know what? I know that's a fact because you would've stolen my cousin's truck with me if I asked, wouldn't you?"

Emelina brought her hand under her eyes to wipe away the tears that seemed to never stop. "Okay. Maybe I would've, but does that really matter?"

"Yes! Yes, it does. Would you have done it before you met me?"

She said nothing and the silence only further proved his point.

"And your mom can't even look at you because of me. You told me she started treating you right again when you got back with Topper. Don't you think you're better off with him than me?"

Emelina's body felt like it was shaking like it was about to crumble any minute. "You don't mean that..." Her voice was small, her mind trying to figure out his meaning. She was not going to let him push her away.

She walked closer to him, bringing her hands to his face and wiped away his fallen tears. "You think I'm better off unhappy? JJ, I want you and only you. And you're right, we come from two different worlds. But mine wouldn't be the same without you in it."

JJ wrapped his arms around her in a hug, squeezing her tight as if she would drift away, and shoved his face in the nook of her neck. Tears streamed down from his eyes, touching her skin. "I just want the best for you." he sobbed.

"I know. I know." Emelina cried, leaning her head on his chest. "But I'm at my best with you, okay?"

He nodded, his cries echoing in the night. She pulled his head back in order to steal a kiss, where their tears mixed together in their mouths.

"I'm sorry," he whispered when their kiss ended and his forehead rested on hers. "It's okay," she whispered back and pulled him into another embrace.