Chapter 31

I woke up slowly, sunlight pouring through the curtains in soft gold streaks that landed directly across my face.

For a second, still half asleep, I reached across the bed for JJ.

Nothing but cool sheets.

I frowned faintly, blinking myself awake before grabbing my phone from the nightstand.

One unread text.

“Mom kidnapped me for a mommy-daughter day. 😘

Bags are packed for the airport. Flight’s at 6:30. Love you.”

I checked the time again. Late morning. Plenty of time before the airport.

The smell of coffee drifted faintly upstairs, probably left in the pot for me, and I smiled despite myself before finally dragging myself out of bed.

The hardwood floor was cold under my feet as I stretched, my shoulder protesting slightly from everything that had happened over the past week. The cut along my cheek pulled a little too when I yawned.

By the time I made it downstairs, the house was quiet except for the ticking clock in the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a fresh pot of coffee waiting with a sticky note attached.

“Don’t drink all of it. – Sandy”

I poured myself a cup anyway.

Sandy’s coffee was dangerously good—strong enough to wake the dead, smooth enough to make you forget it was doing it.

I leaned against the counter, sipping quietly as sunlight spilled through the kitchen windows. The whole house felt softer without everyone in it. Peaceful.

Almost unfamiliar.

After a while, I wandered outside, coffee mug still in hand.

The backyard opened up in a wash of heat and light, the pool glimmering under the late morning sun. Somewhere nearby, someone was mowing their lawn. Birds chirped lazily from the trees lining the fence.

I kicked off my shoes near one of the lounge chairs and stretched out across it, tilting my face toward the warmth.

For the first time in days, maybe weeks, there wasn’t anything demanding my attention.

No worrying about whether everyone I loved was making it home alive.

Just sunlight.

I closed my eyes.

The next thing I registered was a pressure on my legs and softness against my lips.

Warm. Lingering.

I hummed quietly against the kiss before even opening my eyes, one hand instinctively sliding to her waist.

JJ smiled against my mouth. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

I cracked an eye open, sunlight blurring around her for a second before everything came into focus. She was sitting across my legs sideways on the lounge chair, hair slightly windswept, sunglasses pushed up on top of her head.

“You’re back,” I murmured, voice rough with sleep.

“Unfortunately,” she teased lightly. “Mom spent three hours comparing throw pillows.”

I laughed quietly, thumb brushing against her hip. “Sounds traumatic.”

“You have no idea.”

She leaned down again, slower this time, kissing me properly while her fingers slid into my hair. Lazy. Unhurried. The kind of kiss that only happened when there was nowhere else to be yet.

I tilted my head into it, still waking up under her touch, warm from the sun and the weight of her stretched across me.

“How long was I out?” I asked once she pulled back slightly.

JJ smiled. “Long enough for me to take at least twelve embarrassing pictures of you.”

I groaned softly. “Delete them.”

“No.”

“Jennifer.”

“Too late. Penelope and Emily already have them.”

I stared at her flatly for a beat before she burst into laughter.

“That’s evil,” I muttered.

“You love me.”

I slid my hands up her thighs slowly, smirking faintly. “Debatable.”

“Liar.”

She kissed me again before I could answer, softer this time, her nose brushing mine as the pool shimmered quietly beside us.

A slow grin pulled at the corner of my mouth as an idea formed.

I shifted slightly, pulling her legs tighter around my waist as I scooted closer to the edge of the lounger.

“Can I at least see the photos?” I asked innocently.

JJ narrowed her eyes immediately, suspicious. “Why do I feel like you’re planning something?”

“Because you know me too well.”

She laughed softly anyway and handed me her phone. I flipped through the pictures—most of them aggressively unflattering.

JJ looked entirely too proud of herself.

“I think you look cute,” she said, smiling.

“Cute?” I repeated flatly.

“Mhm.”

I set the phone casually on the little table beside the chair before looking back up at her, sliding my hands along her waist again.

“You’re lucky I’m fond of you,” I murmured before leaning in, kissing slowly along her neck.

JJ exhaled softly, fingers slipping into my hair again almost immediately.

“Save some of this for when we’re alone,” she whispered, though there wasn’t much conviction behind it.

“Mm,” I hummed against her skin like I was considering it.

I stood carefully, lifting her with me effortlessly. JJ barely reacted, too distracted pulling my face back toward hers so she could kiss me again.

Slow. Warm. Lazy in the afternoon heat.

I smiled against her mouth as I carried us forward step by step.

Closer.

Closer.

Then her brow furrowed slightly as she finally realized.

“Wait—”

Too late.

I dropped us both straight into the pool.

The water crashed around us in a cold explosion, JJ shrieking against my shoulder as we disappeared under the surface.

When we came back up, she shoved wet hair out of her face immediately. “You are the worst!”

I laughed, treading water easily while she clung to my shoulders. “You should’ve seen that coming.”

“I trusted you!”

“That was your first mistake.”

JJ splashed me hard enough to get water directly in my face before breaking into laughter again, bright and uncontrollable.

And honestly?

Worth it.

I grabbed her wrist before she could splash me again, pulling her back against me as the water settled around us in gentle waves.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she muttered, trying—and failing—to look annoyed.

I smirked. “You were literally kissing me two seconds ago.”

“That was before the attempted murder.”

I laughed quietly, my hands settling at her waist beneath the water. Her legs brushed mine as she floated closer again naturally, the irritation already melting away.

The afternoon sun reflected across the surface of the pool in broken streaks of gold, warming the water around us while droplets rolled down JJ’s cheeks and neck.

She looked softer like this.

Relaxed.

The tension from the past week finally loosened from her shoulders.

I brushed wet hair back from her face gently. “You had fun with your mom?”

JJ nodded, eyes dropping for a second before finding mine again. “Yeah. We needed it.”

“What’d you guys do?”

“Walked around. Shopped. Got coffee.” A small smile tugged at her mouth. “Talked about you, unfortunately.”

I groaned immediately. “That’s never good.”

She laughed softly. “Mom likes you.”

“Your mom also threatened me over coffee filters yesterday.”

“She can multitask.”

I snorted quietly, earning another smile from her.

For a second, we just stayed there drifting lazily in the middle of the pool, close enough that I could feel her breathing against me.

JJ’s fingers traced absent patterns against the back of my neck before she looked at me again, expression quieter this time. “You seem lighter today.”

I hesitated slightly, then shrugged one shoulder. “I think I forgot what normal feels like.”

Her gaze softened immediately at that.

Without saying anything, she leaned forward and pressed another kiss to my lips.

Slow. Intentional.

The kind that said more than talking ever really could.

When she pulled back, her forehead rested against mine for a second.

“Maybe Jamaica will help,” she murmured.

I smiled faintly. “Depends. Am I surviving this whole ‘you topping’ thing tomorrow?”

JJ grinned instantly. “No.”

I laughed under my breath, tightening my arms around her waist as she smiled against my shoulder.

“You know,” I said after a second, “I think this is the first time we’ve ever planned sex.”

JJ immediately burst into laughter, pulling back just enough to look at me properly. “Oh my God, you’re right.”

“Usually one of us just says something stupid and suddenly clothes are gone.”

“You mean usually you say something stupid.”

I placed a hand dramatically against my chest. “That feels targeted.”

“It should… But seriously,” she said, softer now, thumb brushing along the back of my neck, “I think I like this.”

“The planning?”

“The anticipation. Come on,” she murmured softly. “We’re gonna miss our flight if you keep distracting me.”

I smirked faintly. “You started it.”

JJ rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as she pushed lightly against my chest. “Shower. Now.”

By the time we were dressed, the house had shifted into full departure mode.

We packed our things in and out of the bedroom in a quiet rhythm—half organized, half last-minute chaos.

Sandy had already taken over the kitchen.

“You two are leaving in an hour and I’m not sending you to the airport on empty stomachs,” she said, like it was non-negotiable.

A few minutes later, she slid plates onto the counter—her famous chicken caesar wraps wrapped tight in foil, neatly cut.

JJ immediately leaned in. “Mom, these are actually insane.”

“I know,” Sandy said simply, like that explained everything.

I grabbed one, unwrapping it slowly. “I’ll have to be the judge of these so-called famous wraps.”

Sandy shot me a look over her shoulder. “Careful. That’s a dangerous position to take in this house.”

I took a bite, chewing slowly on purpose, letting the silence stretch just a little.

Sandy leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching me like she was waiting for a verdict in court.

JJ tilted her head. “Well?”

I swallowed, nodded once. “Okay… yeah. I hate to say it.”

Sandy raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“These are actually unfairly good.”

Sandy’s mouth twitched like she was trying not to smile too hard. “That’s what I thought.”

JJ bumped her shoulder into mine lightly, still chewing. “You’re officially converted.”

“I’ll admit nothing further,” I said, taking another bite.

Sandy shook her head, already moving to clean up the counter like she couldn’t sit still for too long. “Alright. Go pack the last of your things. You’ve got about forty minutes before I start rushing you.”

JJ groaned softly. “We’re on it, Mom.”

The drive to the airport felt too fast.

Sandy insisted on driving us herself, the trunk packed tighter than it needed to be.

The city blurred past the windows in soft motion, the kind of quiet that only shows up right before you leave somewhere familiar.

At departures, everything sped up.

Sandy helped unload our bags from the trunk.

She stood there for a second longer than usual, arms folded tighter than normal, eyes moving between us like she was trying to memorize details she didn’t want to forget.

JJ stepped into her first.

The hug lasted longer than normal.

“I’m proud of you,” Sandy said quietly, one hand smoothing over JJ’s hair. “Have fun. Don’t overthink everything.”

JJ nodded into her shoulder. “I won’t.”

Sandy pulled back just enough to look at her. “Good.”

Then her gaze shifted to me.

“Take care of each other,” she said finally.

I nodded once. “Always.”

Sandy studied me for another second, then stepped in and hugged me too—firm, brief, but real.

“Don’t get her into trouble,” she muttered near my ear.

I let out a quiet laugh. “No promises.”

That earned me a small shove as she stepped back.

JJ reached for my hand immediately after, fingers threading through mine like instinct.

We didn’t look back again.

Sandy stayed by the curb as we walked inside, already turning toward her car, waiting until we disappeared through the doors before she left.

By the time we reached the gate, the noise of everything else had softened.
Boarding passed in a blur.

First class was quiet when we finally settled in, the kind of quiet that feels suspended above the rest of the world.

Except this wasn’t really “seats.”

It was a suite.

JJ stepped in first and immediately kicked off her shoes like she already owned the space, walking a slow circle as she took it in. Sliding door. Soft lighting. Wide seat that unfolded into something closer to a bed than anything meant for flying.

“Okay,” she said.

I dropped my bag beside mine. “That’s your only review?”

She glanced over her shoulder. “It’s ridiculous.”

“You say that like it’s a complaint.”

“I’m not complaining.”

That pause between us lingered just a second longer than it needed to.

She turned back toward the controls, fingers brushing lightly over the buttons, testing the sliding door until it hummed shut halfway, then opened again.

“Very private,” she said casually.

“Mm,” I agreed, watching her instead of the seat. “That’s kind of the point.”

We settled in as the cabin shifted into motion.

Lights dimmed into that soft golden glow. Bags stowed. Everything slowing into that suspended feeling right before takeoff.

JJ immediately kicked her feet up, curling into the seat beside me like it was instinct.

I handed her one headphone without a word.

On the screen: Love Island, already rolling.

She glanced at it. “Let me guess.”

“New season just dropped.”

JJ groaned. “Of course it did.”

“Don’t pretend you’re not going to get invested.”

“I hate that you’re right,” she muttered—but she was already smiling as the plane began to roll down the runway.

Outside, the lights blurred into streaks.

The engine pitch rose.

We lifted.

The city dropped away beneath us.

JJ leaned further into my shoulder as I wrapped an arm around her, the show continuing quietly in the background—dramatic voices, arguments, someone already crying over something that didn’t matter.

She watched for a few seconds in silence.

Then she shifted slightly.

Not away.

Closer.

She paused the episode.

She let her fingers rest lightly on my wrist again, absent but deliberate, like she was thinking through something without saying it outright.

“This is a really long flight,” she said, tone casual.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “You’re about to get very emotionally invested in people’s bad decisions.”

JJ finally looked at me instead of the screen.

“I mean,” she said softly, “we could do other things besides watching people ruin their relationships on Love Island the whole time.”

I looked at her confused and clicked play on the show.

The episode kept playing, but JJ clearly wasn’t watching it anymore.

Her eyes drifted between the screen and me like she was trying to decide if she was going to bother pretending for much longer.

Finally, she reached over and paused it again. She got close and whispered in my ear, “I want you to fuck me.”

I laughed, “Well why didn’t you just say that. I thought you just didn’t want to watch the show with me.”

She leaned in for a rushed kiss, slipping her tongue into my mouth.

I broke it off a second later, glancing toward the suite door instinctively, lowering my voice. “Hey—someone could walk by.”

I set my laptop on the side table, angling the screen down toward us so the show could keep playing in the background.

I lay down on my side, and JJ followed, spooning against me. I pulled the blanket over us; from the outside, it would look like we were sleeping.

We were both watching the show before I snaked my hand underneath her sweatpants. She let out a quiet moan as I found her clit.

“You have to be really quiet for me, baby.”

She nodded. I found my rhythm, her hips subtly rocking with the movement of my fingers. I slid my free arm under her neck, massaging her breast slowly.

Her warm pussy kept getting wetter and wetter with each circle. She pushed her ass into me, and assuming she wanted me to go faster, I quickened my pace and held her closer.

As the motion continued, her hand quickly flew to my arm, holding on tight. Her whole body tensed up, and she buried her face into the pillow to quiet her moans.

I kissed her neck before bringing my fingers up to clean them off.

Minutes passed like that—warmth, stillness, the plane moving through nothing but sky.

Her breathing evened out completely after a while.

I felt it before I saw it—the way she drifted off, fully relaxed against me, like she had no intention of going anywhere.

I stayed awake just long enough to make sure she was settled.

Then I let my own eyes close too.