ONLY ANGEL | JJ MAYBANK

CHAPTER THIRTY

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The end of summer had finally dawned on them, and Collins mourns it's anticipated passing with each fleeting day that goes by until it's bittersweet conclusion.

She knows she's going to miss the mornings where all it took was the sunlight spilling through her window to warm her up and tan her skin. There's no other season than the summer months when everyone is happy because business is finally booming again, and nothing uplifts her mood like the feeling of pure joy filling the air all around her. Carefree afternoons spent swinging on a hammock with a book for pleasure surpass any other activity in terms of relaxation. It's things like that which Collins knows only happens in the summer time, and so she dreads the day when it all comes to its end.

But there's still at least one good thing about it. With every end, a new beginning follows, and a new beginning is exactly what Collins needed.

It was also practically inevitable given all of the changes in her life that had happened. She'd gone from friendless and invisible, to friend and not-as invisible? There was a sort of enthralling sentiment at the thought of having a fresh start. The whole summer had been ridden with memories of John B and Sarah. Sometimes when she thought about how they'd lost them, she'd feel all her work towards healing that wound get ripped open again. Even the times they weren't apart of, all Collins could think of was how a good moment could've been better if they were there to be experience it with them.

A new school year could be exactly what she needed. Collins could then busy herself with textbook readings and essay writing and fill her mind with knowledge instead of grief.

She'd taken her ACT and SAT a couple of weeks ago to ensure that college was even still a potential option for her. And much to her relief, Collins had scored above what was ordinarily considered the average acceptance score for the Duke admissions committee. She and Charlie had screamed and jumped up and down the house together until the walls shook and the dishes rattled for a good hot minute once she had shared the news with him. Not to mention that scholarship Mr. Wilks had passed onto her had gone through, and so Collins was starting a school year with a schedule filled with college credits, college applications to start filling out, and even more scholarships to apply for.

But it was exactly what she needed to take her mind off of everything else.

Collins still had yet to tell everyone else about her scores and all that she had planned for herself since they'd all been more focused on savoring the last few moments they had of summer break. It also felt a bit awkward for her to bring it up when academics and scholarships had become a pretty touchy subject for Pope. The last time she'd tried suggesting that he apply for the same scholarship that she was, he'd just brushed it off and said he was probably too late, and maybe next year. After that, it just felt like whenever she brought it up to him, she was just dampening his mood and so she eventually stopped. Telling him about her scholarship and all that she was benefiting from it just felt like a lousy thing to do.

She planned on telling them soon, but school wasn't exactly Kie or JJ's forte, so it definitely wasn't a place that they were looking forward to coming back to. Collins didn't want to bore them with all that stuff by bringing it up like it was something they'd really care about anyway.

But JJ- the best part of her morning and her favorite person to wake up to each day— it was hard keeping such big news from him when he had become the one whom she shared everything with. She'd put it off for so long, Collins had just decided that the next chance she got she would tell him.

They were at the beach enjoying the last few moments they could get when they could actually go out in the water without freezing to death. Well, JJ was the one who was going out into the water, surfing on his board while Collins watched safely from the sand. Pope had work for his dad to finish up before he could come out and join them and Kie was helping her parents at the restaurant, but she was going to come by as soon as the lunch rush passed. They never wanted to miss out on a wave.

Collins was laid out on a towel, the top half of her body propped up by her elbows as she watched JJ take on a huge swell. She should've told him on their way there but it just seemed like such a weird moment to bring something like that up. Time was running out. Kie and Pope were eventually going to get there and Collins really wanted to tell JJ when it was just the two of them so to not rub it on Pope's face. She was going to have no choice but to push the news back further if she didn't just come out with it the next time JJ came back from the water.

Her thoughts seemed to have worked some kind of magic that made them become a reality, because JJ was suddenly retreating from the water with his board tucked under his arm. For a moment, Collins had lost any and all ability to think as she admired JJ Maybank. He was dripping wet, but the water made his skin sparkle in the sunlight, drawing her attention to all of the outlines of some well-formed, tightly toned abs. He shook his hair to keep the saltwater out of his eyes, leaving his blond hair in a charmingly messy state that Collins secretly loved to death and just wanted to run her fingers through. God, she was obsessed. She thought she had it bad watching him maneuver his board on the water, but it was really when he was coming out of it that had her head spinning.

"Did you see me?" He asked her, dropping his board once he was only a few feet away, before coming over to her with a rush of excitement. Collins felt droplets hit her skin as he fell next to her, out of breath. "I hit that swell so hard. For a second there, I thought it was going to knock me out but I stayed on my feet."

Looking at him with a smile on her face, Collins nodded. "How could I miss it?"

JJ took a couple of seconds to catch his breath, facing the water again and basking in the beauty of the earth around him. For a moment, when all he can see is sand and water and the big spread of the sky in front of him, he forgets that he's in the OBX. He imagines that he's somewhere else instead, somewhere further south of the equator, or in a place where he's overlooking the Pacific and not the Atlantic. It's a nice thought that he has, dreaming up all of the possible places that he could be looking at the ocean from. And what makes it even better, is the fact that in most instances when he finds himself doing that, Collins is almost always sitting beside him.

That's when he realizes that it's not the earth that's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, it's the girl he has spent the whole summer infatuated with.

As he turns over to look at her, Collins briefly shifts her gaze down between them, completely unaware of the fact that he was so under her spell. "JJ, I have to tell you something."

Those words put together are enough to make anyone lose their head. A million thoughts start racing through JJ's mind at a mile a minute. The smile slowly starts to fade from his lips and concern replaces it while he begins to fear the worst. He runs through all of the possible events prior to that moment that could've been reason for why Collins would want to end things with him that could explain where such a decision could've come from. Perhaps he'd been too much for her lately. All of the days and nights spent together, she was probably sick of him. Or maybe they hadn't spent enough time doing the things that she liked to do. He'd been out on the water practically every day that week while she sat at the shore and watched him. He hoped she didn't think he was neglecting her.

"There's something that I should've told you a lot sooner," Collins began, hoping he would be more happy than upset that she had kept the news from him for so long. Meanwhile, JJ went so still, practically filled with fear as he waited for Collins to say whatever it was that she needed to say. "I got my test scores back."

JJ almost wanted to sigh in relief, the breath that he'd been holding in his chest just begging to burst out of him, but he managed to let it escape in a more subtle manner. They weren't quite in the clear just yet. The way Collins was going about this whole thing, JJ considered the possibility that she was about to break some bad news to him. Maybe she didn't get the scores she wanted. "So what did you get?"

Biting her lip anxiously, Collins finally said, "I did great, JJ. I think it could be good enough to get me into Duke. For sure community college or even UNC. I don't know if—"

Collins's sentence was cut short as JJ tackled her with a big bear hug, pulling her body into his and squeezing her so tightly all of the air was pushed out of her lungs. It was a good thing she was wearing her bathing suit because he was still wet from coming out of the water, but even if she hadn't been, she wouldn't have cared because it made her happy that JJ was happy. It was a huge relief to see him respond this way. She didn't know what made her doubt him or what made her think that he wouldn't have really cared at all, because JJ had proven to her that he was nothing but supportive of all of her endeavors.

"I knew you could do it, Colls." He mumbled in her ear while she nuzzled into his shoulder. "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm sorry for not telling you as soon as I found out. I just wasn't sure if I should bring it up and if you even cared about that sort of stuff." Collins looked down shamefully.

Pulling back to look her in the eyes, JJ shook his head and gave her a look that told Collins without words that she'd said something incredibly nonsensical. "Of course I care about that stuff. It doesn't even matter to me that you didn't tell me right away. Shit, Collins, I thought you were about to tell me that you didn't want to see me anymore."

Furrowing her brows at him, it was Collins's turn to look at him like he'd said something totally illogical. "What? Why on Earth would I do that?" She would never want to give up the sweet little dynamic they had going on between them. It was one of the best things in her life that she had going on. Collins wouldn't want to give up something like that.

"I don't know." JJ shrugged. "I thought maybe I wasn't treating you right. This is like, the fifth time this week that I've left you here by yourself while I go out and surf. I wouldn't really blame you for being mad at me about that."

"JJ," Collins made sure to meet his gaze while she spoke. "This is one of my favorite things to do. Not only do I get to sit on the beach with my favorite book, enjoying the beautiful view, but I get to watch you do something you love and like to do, too. And you eventually always find your way back to me anyway, so it's not like we never have any time to spend together. There is nowhere that I'd rather be than here."

She smiled softly as she looked at him, still saddened by the uncertainty still hinted on his face. A rogue lock of hair had fallen slightly over his eyes and so Collins reached her hand over to brush it back so it was flush with the rest of his hair. The gesture seemed to smooth away some of his qualms, much to her relief. She continued to do it in hopes of easing him back to her, running her fingers through his hair in such a doting manner.

JJ didn't like to think about the girls he'd been with in the past too often. Rarely did he ever really do so, nor did he see the need to, seeing as most of them were hook-ups on a whim that never lasted long enough for him to care to remember. Pretty shitty of him, he knows, but that was the reality of his past love life. Although, ever since he'd started talking to Collins, he'd found himself thinking more and more about the girls from before; not exactly comparing them, but appreciating what he had with Collins that he would've never had with any of those meaningless flings.

For example, if he were to do exactly what he had done to Collins to any of those other girls, he would've never heard the end of it. The fact that he knew that should've told him that he knew better. Girls don't like it when you leave them by themselves, or when you aren't giving them a hundred percent of your attention. It's like you're wasting their time. When he thought about how other girls would've probably reacted to him, JJ pretty much expected the same from Collins and he wouldn't have blamed her for it either.

Clearly, she had much bigger things going on in her life. She was doing things that would better her and set her up for an amazing education so that she could do something she really cared about. She didn't have time to throw away by spending it with him, just for him to abandon her on the beach.

But JJ forgot about one major thing; in fact, it's the most important fact of all. He didn't like Collins because she was similar to all of the girls he'd been with before. If he did, they would've probably been over a long time ago. He'd never been drawn to start anything serious with those girls, he would've never even dreamed of starting futures with them or been with any that might've changed his mind. Until Collins, of course.

Ever since he'd seen her at that bonfire, he'd wanted her. Ever since she'd let him spend that random afternoon to evening with her in her room, after they'd nearly escaped danger from a couple of treasure hunters, he realized how different things could be. He didn't have to be drunk or high to feel something for her. He didn't have to keep going on this cycle of unremarkable relationships (if he could even call them that) just to fill a void in him that he never considered investing in before.

But with Collins, he was all in.

"I don't think there is anyone else in the world quite made for me like you are, Collins Jacobson." He chuckled to himself before his eyes flitted over to hers.

A happy grin spread across her face and Collins rested her hand on the back of his neck as she felt a bubbly feeling wash over her. "I suppose it's pretty easy to find when your world is as small as this island."

JJ smiled softly. As much as he sometimes hated where he'd grown up, a part of him would probably always be grateful to their shitty little island. After all, it couldn't be all that bad if Collins Jacobson had come from it. To think, if they'd never been born and raised in the same place, they may never have crossed paths. Despite all the trauma their families had put them through, it felt like they were defying the odds set against them by finding happiness in each other. JJ was willing to take whatever little victories life threw at him, and having this angel from the cut holding him felt like he'd won the biggest game of life to ever exist.

"I guess I've been keeping something from you, too, but mainly just because I've been trying to find the right time to do it." JJ reached over into his backpack sitting behind him, rifling through the small pocket on the front for a while in search of the object he was looking for.

Collins peered over to try and catch a glimpse of what it was that he was trying to retrieve, a subtle furrow in her brows in curiosity. What could it be?

Her question was soon answered as JJ turned back to her, and her gaze quickly shifted to the silver chain dangling from his fingers. He holds it up to her, and Collins is in awe as she takes the piece of jewelry by its charm and takes a closer look at what it is.

Her thumb brushed over the small circular plate that was no bigger than her fingernail, embossed with two letters on the front of it. "CJ? My initials?" She'd always wanted a necklace with her initials on it, though they could never afford something personalized. She'd never received a gift like this before, and the fact that it was coming from JJ made getting it so much more special.

"Or Collins and JJ." He offered with a small shrug.

A part of her felt a little silly for not realizing it right away. "I love it."

"Can I put it on for you?" He asked, holding his hands out to take the necklace from her. She placed it in his hands eagerly, turning around so her back was to him.

She felt the delicate chain fall around her neck and JJ's hands working the clasp to secure it. Her fingers grazed the small charm sitting between her collarbones and felt her heart swell with adoration. Once JJ was done, she turned back to face him, wishing she could see herself in it. JJ's eyes swept over her; the sight of her wearing a piece of jewelry made by his hands was enough to drive him wild.

"Gorgeous." He murmured, admiring the way she looked in the sun with her new necklace glistening in the light. He wished he could stop time at this very moment, just so he could remember her this way for years to come. He was sure they would have other summers together, but their first would always remain special to him. Collins Jacobson would always and forever be his summer love.

She looked at him with a sort of mischievous delight in her eyes and smile before she squeezed his shoulder and pushed herself up to her feet as an idea popped into her head. "You know what I just remembered? You may not recall, but someone promised me free surf lessons that night at the bonfire. You were kind of drunk though, so let me know if none of this is making sense right now."

She said it all in good fun. They'd already talked before about how much JJ regretted being so incapacitated the night he'd finally discovered Collins Jacobson. It wasn't exactly the meet-cute that they would've liked to tell. And the part where he started shooting a glock like a mobster didn't really sound all that romantic. But to be fair, it was a hell of a 온라인카지노게임 and it wasn't like he wasn't paying for it. She had permanent ammo against him to use at her disposal whenever she wanted.

"The idea somewhat comes to mind now that you mention it." JJ grabbed her outstretched hands and hoisted himself up to stand with her. Back to their varying heights, he looked down at her and a small smirk tugged on his lips at her attire. He still hadn't gotten used to her in a swimsuit. The first time he'd seen her, she'd taken him by surprise. He didn't make a big deal out of it, seeing as it seemed like Collins had never been all that comfortable outside of her t-shirt and shorts. It was a wonder to him why she would even feel that way, what with how she wore that bikini. It's like she only kept her physique hidden so that she didn't draw the desire of literally every other human being in the vicinity.

"I'm cashing in my deal now." Collins smiled playfully up at him, never breaking eye contact as she hooked her fingers around the waistband of her shorts and tugged them down until she was stripped down to her full bikini. She knew exactly what she was doing when she walked off to pick up JJ's surfboard, holding it with both hands and starting towards the water.

For a moment, JJ's too wrapped up in watching her move to actually grasp what she's doing. As they had reached the stage where unexpected kisses and wandering hands were warranted, JJ had found that just like time, Collins's ability to flirt had progressed, too. He'd caught on to the fact that most of the time, her method of toying with him was usually in the nonverbal cues she gave him. Siren eyes, hips swaying, cheeky smiles... Maybe she didn't even know she was doing it, but sometimes, it really felt like she did.

"Woah, there," JJ quickly snapped himself back to reality and took off in a jog to stop Collins before the water could even touch her feet. He gently took the surfboard from her and held it by his side, laughing a little at how small she looked next to his board. "Let's take it easy before we hit the gas."

And so they started off slow. JJ had Collins lay belly down on the board while he held onto it in chest-deep water, practicing going through the motions before Collins decided to try and go all pro on him. They practiced riding towards the shore, doing so until Collins was able to pop up onto her knees and sit without toppling over, but JJ made sure to be there in case she did. Funny how she was the lifeguard, yet he was the one ready to rescue her.

After a couple of tries and many swims back and forth, in and out of the water, Collins and JJ took a quick break while floating. They were both submerged in the water, holding onto the surfboard with their elbows propped up on it and their arms resting along the surface. From across the board, Collins faced JJ with a small smile on her face, enjoying the time they were spending together. She was surprised by how much she actually liked surfing- at least, her beginner version of it. She could see now what made it so appealing.

It feels like you're one with the wave, therein, you're one with the water. You move when it moves, and you crash when it crashes. But when you're gliding across its surface and you can feel it guiding you like it knows exactly where to push you so that you catch that perfect high, it's like there's a bigger force at play that's showing you everything that you've been missing out on your whole entire life. Collins makes sure she doesn't miss out on that feeling; she grabs ahold of it and tightens her grip on it to make sure it never slips away.

"You remember when you asked me what I thought the afterlife would be like, and I said it'd probably be surfing with John B?" JJ kicked his legs in the water and squinted in the sun.

"Yeah," Collins replied, "of course."

Looking to the side where all there was to see was nothing but ocean for miles and miles, JJ admired the scene for a moment, just thinking similar thoughts that he had before when he'd looked at it from the shore. "I think this is as close as I'll get until then. And if it is, I think I'll be okay with that."

"Me too." Collins gazes at him while he watches the waves roll, half making sure they aren't hit by a tsunami and half appreciating the curl that they make. It's not until his blue irises meet her brown ones does she feel herself take another plummet down the endless rabbit hole that was her affection for JJ Maybank. It's still yet to be determined if she will ever get to the bottom of it, though Collins doubts such a thing even exists.

She seizes the moment and leans forward, stretching herself thin in order to get close enough to plant her lips onto JJ's. She keeps one hand on the edge of the board to hold herself up while using the other to hold JJ's face and keep him close.

Initially, her body had been shivering from the cold waters. There were goosebumps on her legs and she felt like her toes had turned into icicles. But when she was kissing JJ, Collins suddenly stopped shaking. Warmth flooded her body.

It was a salty kiss, the taste of the ocean overpowered their tastebuds, but they didn't even notice when they were too focused on the other's touch. Collins is pretty sure that this is something she'll never get tired of doing. She couldn't get enough of his lips as they moved with hers; tingles shot through her body when she'd feel the brush of his tongue along the tip of hers, or the gentle bite he sometimes gave her which left her lips even more swollen and red than they normally were after they finally pulled apart. He knew exactly what made her knees buckle and her heart skip a beat, and so she soaked in every bit of it as much as she could, wanting him more than she wanted air to breathe.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this." Collins said quietly, laughing softly to herself. Her nose brushed against JJ's and her mind went back to the fact that she was actually kissing him. That's where it seemed to always be lately.

"Good." JJ replied back to her, giving her another peck on the lips and tasting the ocean once more. "Let's hit one more wave while we head out."

He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her back onto the board, anticipating the next wave that came before he slowly started to help push Collins out with the motion of the water. Collins did her best to help paddle, her arms sore from all the stress she'd been putting them under. She was sure that with time it would get easier, but for her first day, they burned like hell.

As the wave pushed her forward, Collins kept her head up and her shoulders back, using her hands to help stabilize her as she got up onto her feet. She wobbled, taking a moment to find her balance before she felt steady enough to not have to focus so hard on it. And before she even knew it, Collins was surfing, all on her own.

"Yeah, baby!" JJ cheered, and his whoops followed her from where he was treading in the ocean. He grinned proudly at her, watching her ride with complete and total admiration.

Collins refrains from celebrating too early, settling on smiling to herself as she rode the surfboard all the way down until she was near to the shore, jumping off before she hit the sand. She feels her heart swell with pride, accomplishment bringing joy to her, although JJ might argue that he feels even more pride and joy to see that his teachings have paid off.

He paddled over to his girl, letting the ocean carry him a little bit until she was finally within his reach. JJ didn't hesitate before he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him to envelope her in his embrace. She gasps in surprise by his touch, but immediately shifts around to squeeze him back tightly.

"Did you see that? Holy shit, what a rush! I finally rode my first wave!" She wrapped her legs around him and held on while he kept them afloat in the water. She had a big grin on her face like a little kid who'd just won their first big game. It made JJ happy to see it, which felt like a prize all on its own.

"And my girl did it all by herself. Told you I'm the master." He smiled smugly.

Rolling her eyes, Collins replied, "Yeah, yeah, guess you weren't all talk after all."

She kissed him again out of celebration, and maybe also just to shut him up. Either way, Collins did it because JJ Maybank just might be the only person she ever wanted to kiss and what kind of idiot would she be if she didn't take advantage of that?