𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

thirty three.

─☼☼☼─

"You have three new messages"

Message received today at 9:08am

I saw your car at the house last night...were you here? Wheezie said she didn't see you, but she lies sometimes. Are you okay? Can you please just─please call me, Charlotte.

Message received today at 10:45am 

You know I love you, right? I'm not sure what your sister and her friends are saying...but you can trust me. I hope you know that. 

Message received today at 1:13 pm

We need to talk.

─☼☼☼─

A day after her visit to Tannyhill, Charlotte was at The Wreck helping her parents prepare for the dinner rush. According to Anna, the fact that Charlotte managed to leave the house yesterday was a sign that she was completely fine to come back to work. 

Charlotte didn't necessarily agree, but she figured keeping her mind busy would maybe be a good thing. 

Kiara and the boys had started back at school, and Anna and Mike refused to let Charlotte wallow any longer. It was time for real life. 

"Hey, Char?" Anna called from behind the counter. "Your phone's been buzzing like crazy."

Her mission of pretending her life wasn't a shit show was ruined by that announcement. No doubt, it was Rafe calling her...again, and again. 

"I'll get it in a sec, mom!" She answered, sorting the pile of cutlery in her hand. She didn't need to see his name flash across her screen for the umpteenth time, it was just a brutal reminder. 

"Here." Her father said, passing the device to her with a small smile. "It's kind of annoying."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte grabbed it, preparing to shove it into the pocket of her apron. But as it buzzed again, she caught sight of the notification. 

It wasn't a call from Rafe this time, but a text message. 

Ignoring the curious look given to her by her father, Charlotte unlocked the phone, moving toward the privacy of the balcony. 

She clicked on the message from the unknown number, noting that whoever this was had put her into into a group chat with her sister, JJ, and Pope. 

The message thread popped up, and Charlotte felt her heart beginning to hammer in her chest as her wide eyes scanned the few messages that had been sent back and forth. 

The initial message was a picture... a single picture. 

But the people in the picture are what caused a mixture of relief, excitement, skepticism, and panic flooding through Charlotte's body. 

It was John B and Sarah. 

Her eyes skimmed the responses from Kie and JJ, and the subsequent one sent back from the unknown number. It was him...it was John B.