𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃─𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣.

─☼☼☼─

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙊𝙏𝙏𝙀 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙍𝙀𝙍𝘼 𝙃𝘼𝘿 never felt quite so smothered.

Almost two days had passed since their return to the Outer Banks, and Anna had barely left Kiara and Charlotte alone for more than ten minutes—Charlotte was pretty sure she even heard her mother watching her as she attempted to sleep.

And in an effort to deflect some of the attention from herself, Kiara had, in pure betrayal, revealed that Charlotte had been shot in the time they had been missing from home.

That obviously sent Anna into a tailspin which resulted in Charlotte being carted to every doctor and specialist within the island.

She tried not to complain too much, tried to appease her mother. But none of this mattered to her right now, the only thing she cared about was getting in contact with Rafe.

Her phone, which had been retrieved from Tannyhill earlier that morning—where it had been discarded on the night everything went down six weeks ago—, was clutched tightly in her hands as she sat at the end of her family's pier that stretched into the water in front of their house.

She had told her mother she just needed some time to think, and thankfully Anna retreated slightly.

Kiara, who had used Anna's fussing over Charlotte's ailment to her benefit, had left that morning, likely to see JJ.

Charlotte was slightly envious of her, wishing she could go see Rafe whenever she wanted. Too bad he was somewhere an ocean away. That was thanks to Kiara.

A shaky sigh fell from her lips as she glanced down at her phone, the October air blowing a breeze through her hair.

Not yet having the gut to turn the damn thing on, a black screen stared back at her.

She had no way of contacting Rafe. Or Wheezie, or even Rose for that matter. They had changed their numbers when they arrived on Guadeloupe, ones that Charlotte, for the life of her, could not remember.

A dark feeling of despair settled in her chest. She didn't even know if Rafe was alive.

Coming home was supposed to be the ultimate goal. Reuniting with the Pogues was what Charlotte had chased after for six long weeks...so why did she feel so damn lost. So sad?

Dropping her head slightly, she attempted to breathe, to list the good things over and over again; she was home, she was safe, Kiara was safe, the Pogues were safe — but Rafe wasn't.

How could she resume daily life as if nothing had happened? As if she hadn't endured more than a nineteen year old should, more than anyone should for that matter.

This wasn't her life. This wasn't where she had been destined to end up...was it?

The sound of her mother's footsteps on the dock almost sent her over the edge. A part of her told Charlotte to dive into the ocean, to do anything not to have her mother fawning over her for five more minutes.

Closing her eyes, Charlotte dropped her head into her hands, "I'll be in in like five minutes, mom." She promised, letting out a few muted curses under her breath.