Five Years Later • JIARA •

5

Kiara's POV:

Cole came home the next morning with a black eye and cut lip. The second I saw his face, I knew it was from JJ. My blood was boiling.

"What happened?" I asked Cole super concerned

"Your friend JJ punched me. JB and Pope went in for the night and JJ was drunk. He started yelling at me and then he punched me."

"I'm so sorry, baby. Let me get you some ice." I said going to find some ice in the freezer for him

Cole went to bed and I called JJ and left him a few nasty messages. I knew he wasn't going to answer. He was hungover but I was going to talk to him about this. I don't care how much he hates Cole, he cannot fight him. I was so pissed at JJ.

Cole showered and was laying in bed. I went and laid next to him and apologized to him again. I felt guilty that I told him it would be fun and then this happened. While Cole slept, I ran to the grocery store. Later, I went to the chateau and asked John B and Pope what happened and they didn't see it start.

"Kiara, do you think he's jealous?" Pope asked

"I have no idea what's going on with him. Things have been weird between us because we haven't spoken in five years. I should have told you guys sooner."

The boys asked why and I just said I didn't know and they didn't say anything else. We just hung out and then JJ showed up. I got up and said, "We need to talk."

I walked outside and he followed me.

"You need to calm down and figure your shit out. I know you don't like Cole and I really don't care. But you cannot punch him or fight him, okay? Next time, I will never speak to you again and Cole will press charges." I said sternly to him

JJ's POV:

"Kie, he started the fight. He told me that the world..." I started trying to tell her but she cut me off. I was trying so hard not to cry. Kie was my safe place. She was always there for me no matter what and I needed her right now.

"I don't care what he told you. There is no excuse for punching him." She yelled at me

This was stupid to be upset over. I can get over it when it's my dad, but when it's someone else, it hurts. Most people have a safe place. You know, a place they go when they feel like shit. For me, it used to be my closet when I was hiding from my dad. But then I met Kie and whenever my dad and I got in a fight, she was there. She took care of me. She cleaned my cuts and iced my bruises. She held me and let me talk. We got super close on the surf trip and she knows my deepest and darkest secrets. It sucks having my safe place be a person because I lost my safe place.

Kie stormed off pissed at me. I haven't ever seen her this mad. She left in her new kook car and I left too as I didn't want to face Pope or John B. I went home to my dad who had Barry over. Fuck.

Barry punched me and then my dad started. The two were destroying me. I didn't care anymore. I could die on the floor and it wouldn't make a difference. I gave up fighting back. I didn't want to fight anymore. They both stopped when I passed out and when I came back to it, they were gone. I went to my room and was woken up to Kie's voice. Fuck. Why was she here? She knew better than to come over here.

I left my room and saw my dad standing there. One hand of his was on Kie's hips, disgusting. The other held her hands above her head and his body was touching hers. I yanked my father off of Kie and I punched him. He hit me right back and this time, I didn't hold back. I wasn't fighting for myself. I was fighting for her.

He eventually passed out and I grabbed Kie's arm and brought her outside.

"Why the hell are you here? You know better than to come here." I yelled at her mainly out of fear

"I needed to talk to you about the fight with Cole..." She said upset

"Just leave me the hell alone, Kiara. I'm done with this shit. You have your life and I have my life. There is no place for you in my shitty life and there never will be." I said opening her car door forcing her to leave

"J, don't go back in there. You deserve so much better. Your life isn't shitty, your father is shitty." She said as she got in her car

I told her to wait here and I went inside and came back with my famous backpack. I got in her car and she started to drive. I said she was not going to her kook house and I began giving her directions. It was about a thirty-minute drive. We didn't talk the whole way there.

We arrived at my small cabin in the woods. Kie looked at me and asked, "Where are we?"

"Come on.." I said getting out of the car and fiddling with the keys to finding the right one to the door