saltwater | outer banks

11| when we're both sober

VENUS WAS ON CALL number three of the night as she trudged down the road in the dark.

"Why can no one answer their phone?" she complained, stumbling slightly. She had already tried calling her mother, Jax, and finally Pope, but no one had answered—most likely because it was three in the morning.

Her phone buzzed, making her pull it away from her face and glance to the screen, inwardly praying it was her someone replying to her.

Venus, come back to the party. I didn't mean to make you upset, I'm sorry.

She bit her cheek in annoyance at Rafe's name displayed across the screen. She clicked on the notification and opened the message, noticing typing bubbles appearing after a few seconds.

That guy is a fucking idiot, trust me.

Venus couldn't help but roll her eyes. It's not that she didn't trust Rafe; it was simply that he believed every person aside from his friends was "a fucking idiot," so she took the opinion lightly.

It's okay, she typed, but I'm not coming back. I'm going home.

It didn't take more than a minute for her phone to start ringing, causing an agitated groan to escape her lips.

Venus let out a huff and inwardly calmed herself, deciding it would just be best to answer.

"Hello?"

"V, what do you mean you're going home?"

"I mean I'm going home, Rafe, going to my house. Where I live," she answered blandly, nearly tripping over a rock on the side of the road as she did so.

"Venus, no. You—you know that's not what I meant. Why are you going home? How are you going home?"

"I'm walking. You picked me up, remember?" She tried her best to follow the line that traced the side of the street, but her feet kept wavering off of it as she talked. "Even if I did have my bike, I'm not very good at balance right now."

"If you would've just came with me, I could've taken you home. I'm coming to get you." She heard the jingle of keys in the background. "Drop your location."

"No, Rafe. I'm okay walking, I'm serious. When I said by myself, I meant it."

"I assumed someone was coming to get you. Why are you being like this? Stop being stubborn and send me your location." His tone fell harshly, making her stop abruptly as her jaw slacked in surprise.

"Are you being serious right now?"

"Yes, I'm being fucking serious, V. Do it now." If it were even possible, his voice grew rougher and it made her spine straighten.

"You need to fix the way you're talking to me before I even consider sending it to you."

"I'm not doing anything! I'm talking to you like a normal fucking person. I thought we were okay. Why—why are you mad at me all of a sudden? I'm not the one that tried to start a fight, okay?!"

"Rafe, I know you too well to believe that you didn't do something. I don't know what you said to him and I don't care, but you can't just come out of nowhere after disappearing half of the night, and think that I'm going to do whatever you want."