AFTER THEY HELPED BRING JOHN B BACK HOME, Kiara and Pope were quick to head back home. They were both infuriated with what had gone down, so they were not willing to stick around longer than they had to. No one could really blame them though. 

Carson shot one last glance at John B as he fell fast asleep on the couch before she stepped outside to get some air. She figured she would just crash at his place tonight, still too mad to go back home yet. She wanted to avoid saying something she didn't mean, so she decided it would be best to keep some space until she figured out how she was feeling.

"Car," JJ said. She turned around as she stood leaning against the railing of the porch. She raised her eyebrows when he didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just stood there awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Are you okay?" he asked. It sounded a bit funny coming out of his mouth. JJ wasn't really the type to try to comfort someone. "Something obviously happened before the kegger. And the way you just snapped at Sarah like that... I don't know, it felt like it was more than just a Kook-Pogue thing. It felt personal."

Carson didn't know what to say. She didn't think JJ would have even put that together. Everyone knew he wasn't the brightest of the bunch, but maybe he paid more attention than she gave him credit for. She sighed, figuring if anyone would understand issues with a father, it would be him. Besides, as hot-headed and impulsive as JJ could be, he had an unwavering sense of loyalty. She knew she could trust him.

"I found out who my father is today," she finally said. He raised his eyebrows in surprise, not having expected that to be the thing that had happened. "It's Ward Cameron." The name felt like acid coming out of her mouth. It felt wrong to even be saying it out loud.

"Is that a fucking joke?" JJ said, though he could tell by the look on her face that it absolutely was not.

"I wish," she said. "And all this time, while he's been living with his family right across the island in a mansion, I don't exist to him. That jackass has been sending my mom money every month since I was born. The thing is I don't think that money is even because he cares. I think it's to keep my mom's mouth shut about what happened between them and the fact that I'm his goddamn daughter." It was clear by the way her voice shook at the end that she was struggling with this information. For her entire life she hadn't know who her father was. As soon as she learned to be okay with that, she finds out it's a man that lives 10 minutes away.

"You know what, you're so much better without him. Your mom raised you all on her own and look how amazing you turned out. He should be jealous that he can't take any credit for that," JJ said, sounding so determined to make her realize that it didn't matter what Ward thought. For some reason, Carson couldn't help but tear up a bit. It wasn't even that JJ had said anything that special. She hastily wiped away her tears, letting out a pathetic laugh.

"Fuck, I think I'm still drunk," she joked. He laughed. Instead of making fun of her for crying, which he normally would have if it wasn't as serious of a conversation, he opened his arms to pull her into him.

"Come here," he said. She rolled her eyes with a smile as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She closed her eyes as she let him just hold her for a moment. It was just starting to get too long of a hug when JJ broke the silence. "I can't believe you threw your beer at the back of Topper's head." She burst into laughter at the sudden shift, but it was exactly what she needed.

"He deserved it," she said.

"Damn right he did," JJ said.

"You're an idiot though," Carson then said. "You didn't have to shoot the gun." He groaned, falling back into one of the chairs on the porch.

"I shot it into the air," he said. "No one got hurt."

"It doesn't matter. You can't afford to get into trouble," she said. JJ made a name for himself. So many people had already decided his fate for him, that he was going to be a useless piece of shit like his dad. But Carson knew that was so far from the truth. JJ was nothing like his father. She didn't want him to start thinking he was. "If not for you, then do it for us."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved off her which just made her sigh. But she already knew that JJ would do anything for them, so she didn't take his dismissal so seriously. "Are you gonna go home tonight?" he then asked curiously.

"No. I don't think I'm ready to face my mom yet. I don't blame her for keeping it a secret from me, but that still doesn't make it easy," she said. He nodded his head in understanding before a smirk curled up on his lips.

"So are we going to cuddle tonight then?" he asked deviously.

"It's really a wonder you actually get girls to sleep with you," she stated, trying not to laugh as he made stupid faces at her.

"You know you can't resist me," he continued.

"If you mean I can't resist the urge to punch you, then sure," she replied smoothly. He fake-gasped before jumping up from the seat and running towards her. She laughed as he threw her over his shoulder, carrying her back inside.

"You're going to regret saying that," he warned her.

"Shut up. John B's sleeping," she reminded him.

"He can sleep through a hurricane," he said. "In fact, he did. Aggie the bitch kept me up all night and he was dead asleep the entire night."

"Wow, just another thing John B is better than you at," Carson joked.

"That's it, you're done, Keller," he said as he placed her into the bathtub and turned the shower on before she could get up. She gasped as the water drenched her in her clothes.

"JJ!" she said. He laughed at the annoyed expression on her face. His laughing quickly stopped though when she grabbed the shower head from him and turned it towards him.

"You did not just do that," he said as she was now the one laughing.

"You started it," she reminded him. She reached down to turn the shower off before realizing the bathroom was now covered in water. "John B's gonna kill us."

"That can wait until the morning."