Racing Heart/Chapter 3

***Spoiler warning:** Spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own discretion.*

## Chapter

Me, Jeremy, Courtney and JJ were at the beach.

The four of us had decided to go on an outing to get away, enjoy the sunshine, and feel the sand between our toes.
We had placed our umbrella at our spot close to JJ’s lifeguard chair for the duration of her shift, so when she finished she could come join us.

The sky was blue, the waves were rolling, the sun was shining, the seagulls weren’t stealing people’s food, (its only funny if its someone else) it was the perfect day out. Especially since Jeremy could get off work to enjoy a beach day with the rest of us. He had also brought one of his friends, Tyler, also a Viper gang member, to come with us. They were playing volleyball with Courtney and a crowd of others a little ways off while me and JJ were casually gossiping and catching up.

“...And she just doesn’t realize how much I love her. I keep telling her that, but it’s like Courtney doesn’t believe me,” JJ was saying.

Apparently, JJ and Courtney were having issues. JJ was venting to me about how Courtney always bore a constant fear that the former was going to leave her. I was thinking. I sometimes feared Jeremy would leave me, but not to the extent that Courtney did, according to JJ.

“Has that ever happened with you and Jeremy, Claudia?” She asked me, readjusting her visor.

“Rarely,” I replied. “I mean, I occasionally used to have a lingering feeling that he would get sick of me and ditch me.”

“I don’t know,” JJ sighed.

I took off my sunglasses and looked her dead in the eye. “Girl, you’re worrying too much. She’ll find out sooner or later how dedicated you are to what you guys have,” I reassured her.

“I hope so.”

“A lot of stuff has happened at the hospital lately,” I informed her, “Maybe that’s what's stressing her out.”

JJ turned to me. “What happened?” she asked.

“A fire broke out in a nearby neighborhood a few days ago. An overflow of patients were rushed in from the accident, and one died,” I said, my voice laced with grief.

“Oh, Jesus christ…”

“I know. But me and Courtney pulled our shit together and everyone seems to be recovering fine.” Maybe except for Peter.

JJ’s voice was quiet. “I didn’t know that.”

“Courtney never told you?” I asked, puzzled.

“Obviously not,” she murmured, thinking. “Does she not trust me?”

“No, don’t think like that. Some people…” I paused as I tried to think of a way to reassure her. “Cope differently.”

JJ didn’t respond, but I brushed it off. “I’m going to get hot dogs,” I told her. “Mustard?”

“Yeah.”

About ten minutes later I returned with five steaming hot dogs, my mouth already watering. “Courtney! Boys! Lunch is here!” I called.

“Finally!” Courtney exclaimed, running over. “I’m famished.”

Despite her girlfriend’s jovial mood, JJ didn’t acknowledge her. Courtney didn’t seem to notice, however, until JJ got off her shift and didn’t join them for lunch as her replacement took her spot in the lifeguard chair as she slunk off to the lounge.

Courtney looked up, half finished with her hot dog. “Is she not gonna eat?” she asked, eyeing JJ’s hot dog.

“I don’t think so,” I sighed. “Even still, you should ask her.”

“Ok,” she got up, sand spilling from her shorts as she trudged through the sand toward the lifeguard lounge.

I sighed again as I watched her go. Jeremy stared at me quizzically. “You good baby?” He asked, concerned.

I scooted over and collapsed into his arms dramatically, enjoying the warmth and feeling of his big muscular arms wrapping around my middle. “Eh.”

“What’s been going on?”

“I’ll tell you later.”