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It started off small.

Emelina hadn't known what she had done, but she found it odd when JJ started to touch her less. No handholding, no hand on her thigh, no arm around her shoulders. She noticed right away.

It started getting progressively worse in a short matter of time. Because now, he wasn't kissing her the way he used to... until it led to no kisses.

Her window at night received zero knocks, no matter how long she stayed up to hear it. He was John B's and seemed to have a valid reason every time.

"It's getting late. I think I'm gonna head on out." Emelina announced, growing tired of researching where the island room might be. Her eyes landed on JJ, silently pleading he would offer to join her. He didn't look her way.

"Okay. I'll be there later." Kiara told her, taking a sip of her soda can while nonchalantly tapping JJ with her foot as she passed him. He looked at her weirdly before glancing at Emelina, "Uh, night, Em."

Her lips turned flat. "Night."

She turned around and left abruptly. Her car keys were tightly wrapped around her hand as she made her way over to her car. If she wasn't unexpectedly crying, maybe she could've heard the porch door open and shut and had enough time to stop the tears from flowing.

"Hey, Em, you good?" She heard his voice and stopped dead in her tracks. "Yeah, JJ. I'm just going home," she replied, opening the front door of her car and was internally thankful for her back facing him.

His hand grasped onto her shoulder and spun her around before she could enter the vehicle. She looked down, trying to hide her tears but he saw them and wiped them away. She backed away from his touch. "Goodnight, JJ."

"What's wrong?" he asked, dropping his hands down to his sides. She squinted her eyes at him, "Like you don't know."

There was a look in his eyes—as if he was aware of his actions. His upcoming words, however, revealed the opposite. "I don't, actually. All I said was night."

"That's right. That's all you did."

"What are you talking about?" He ran his tongue on his bottom lip, fixating her red cap as she rolled her eyes at the question. "I'm talking about you becoming so distant. I mean, you haven't stopped by my house since my birthday... and now? You barely look at me."

JJ looked away for a moment. "I've got my head wrapped around this island room shit, Em. What do you want me to do? Go home with you?"

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