'she's kook fuckin' royalty, man.'
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a lot of things go unnoticed in the outer banks. things like missing millions in gold, underage drinking, and the bruises that litter the skin of the kook princess.
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( pogue hq )
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HER HANDS WERE SHAKING. She only realised when John B slammed on the brakes, and the Twinkie screeched to a halt in what looked like the middle of the jungle. The only thing Lucy recognised was the Hawk's Nest — the local name for an old, abandoned watchtower — looming in the distance. She could hear waves lapping gently against a nearby shore. It was a quiet night. Too quiet.
Pope, John B, and Kiara climbed out of the van, laughing amongst themselves. Lucy stayed, looking down at her hands.
What had she just done?
She must be an idiot if she thought she could act like that and get away with it. No, Lucy thought, there would be consequences to how she had behaved. In the moment, she hadn't cared, but now? She could not make the shaking stop. She knew what Rafe would do to her the next time he saw her. She knew she could not run forever. The summer air turned cold on her skin, easily breaking through the thin material of JJ's shirt.
JJ.
Lucy didn't understand him. She didn't know if she ever really would. But she wanted to. She hadn't really recognised the boy who came to her aid, hadn't recognised the boy who caressed her face in the dark. She didn't know how to reconcile the boy she had seen tonight with the boy who had yelled at her in the jail. He had rejected her offer of help, but hadn't hesitated to help her. Lucy saw him differently now.
This friendship between them was unsteady at best, dangerous at worst. JJ seemed uniquely able to make her break composure, and if tonight wasn't evidence of that, she didn't know what would be.
As if he could sense she was thinking about him — was that a thing he could do? Maybe Lucy should be worried — she felt familiar blue eyes on her, and met his gaze. He hadn't gotten out of the van yet, like the others had. Why not?
She wanted to get out of her own head.
He was sitting next to her in the van, not close enough to touch but close enough to be reassured by his presence, stable and consistent at her side. When they met eyes, Lucy felt for a moment like they were back behind the curtain in the country club. Just them.
She felt her heart drop, ever so slightly.
You okay? He mouthed. She shrugged, absentmindedly playing with the jagged tear in her dress, a physical reminder of what had almost happened. There was no easy answer to that question, after all. His mouth drew itself into a thin, frustrated line.
Wordlessly, he shuffled closer. He leaned over and bumped his shoulder against hers, a small comfort. The corners of Lucy's mouth turned upwards slightly.
"You ever been to Rixon's before?" The question came out of the blue, JJ's voice nonchalant. Lucy appreciated the distraction. She shook her head. He smiled, and nodded towards the van's open door. "It's, like, Pogue HQ. Super secret. Invite only." Lucy rolled her eyes.
