Where currents Collide

9 ~ treading water

I went to freshen up, brushing my teeth, still in the same pajamas from last night. I made my way to find John B, but he was nowhere to be found. The HMS Pogue had already left the rundown dock, everyone gone except for me and Jj, still asleep in the house.

I paused for a moment, taking in the sight of him. There he was, completely out, sprawled across the living room couch. I couldn't help but admire him for a second before I continued toward the kitchen. I headed for the fridge, but I guess I was a bit too loud because, just as I opened it, Jj woke up.

At first, I don't notice him waking up, but Jj makes his presence impossible to ignore. He lets out an obnoxiously loud yawn and ruffles his hair, stretching like he's just woken up from a long nap. I glance up, our eyes locking.

"Mornin'," he says in his deep, sleepy voice, his tone barely more than a mumble. I can tell he's still half asleep by how little energy is in his response.

I pulled the milk out of the fridge, ready to make myself a bowl of cereal. I didn't bother with a "Good morning." Instead, I glanced over at Jj and asked, "You want?" I asked, grabbing the cereal and making sure it was in his view.

He shook his head, so I grabbed a small bottle of apple juice and made my way toward the couch where he was still lying. His eyes never left me as I walked, the kind of look that made my stomach flip.

When I sat down beside him, he propped himself up, still watching me with those lazy, half-awake eyes. The way he looked at me—with those soft, pleading eyes—made me feel like I was the one who needed to look away. A small blush crept up my neck as I tried to act casual, but I was pretty sure he could see right through me.

"Do I make you nervous or somethin'," he teased, his voice low and playful.

I hit him playfully on the arm, knowing I'd been caught. "Shut up," I said sarcastically, but my laughter gave me away. Then, with a smirk, I added, "Go brush your teeth."

He got up, throwing me a playful side-eye as he made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. I continued eating my cereal, but my attention couldn't help drifting to the bathroom.

Through the mirror, I could see him brushing his teeth, the shirt he'd thrown on last night nowhere to be seen. His toned torso was on full display, and even though I was a little far away, I couldn't help but admire him. I tried to act casual, but my gaze lingered longer than I'd meant it to.

"Quit starin'," he called out with a teasing grin, clearly catching me in the act.

He finished up in the bathroom and made his way back to the couch, still wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. I tried to look away, but it was hard to ignore the way he moved—like he knew exactly how much it was making me notice.

I swung my legs over his lap as he settled back onto the couch, not really thinking about it. He glanced down at me, a slight smirk tugging at his lips as if he knew exactly what I was doing. His hand was placed on the inside of my thigh, a casual movement that sent a tingle through me. He traced a slow path up and down, his touch warm and deliberate but still restrained, as if testing my reaction.

The air between us felt lighter, even though a faint tension lingered. I refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much his teasing had affected me.

As we sat there, exchanging laughter, chatter, and flirtatious glances, I kept eating my cereal while he casually stole sips of my apple juice. The door suddenly swung open, and everyone walked in. We were so caught up in the moment that we barely noticed, until John B came fully into view. That's when we quickly readjusted ourselves, trying to act casual.

John B gives us a look that clearly shows he's still frustrated, his brows furrowed in that familiar way. It's obvious he's not over what happened, but instead of saying anything, he just brushes it off.

Without acknowledging what he just saw, he shifts the conversation and asks, "So, what's the plan for today?" His tone is a little stiff, like he's trying to move past whatever's bothering him. The tension is thick between us, but he's doing his best to act like everything's fine.

We all decided to head to the in-construction building not too far away to hang out. As we piled into the Twinkie, the door swung open, and there, lying on the floor, was the shirt Rafe had worn last night—the one he'd left in the car when I picked him up.

"Hey, did anyone leave this in here?" Kie asked, holding up the shirt.

My heart dropped, and I stayed silent, hoping no one would make the connection.

"Pass it over, might be mine," Jj said casually, and Sara chimed in, "Oh, that looks like Rafe's shirt."

I froze. My mind went blank, but I tried to act cool, pretending like nothing had happened. Jj caught the shirt, tossing it back and forth, but everyone seemed confused, glancing around, unsure of who it really belonged to.

I quickly made my way inside of the car, doing my best to ignore the growing tension, but I couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was starting to put the pieces together.