❝ WON'T TAKE MY EYES OFF THE BALL AGAIN. YOU REEL ME OUT THEN YOU CUT THE STRING. ❞ ☓ 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.
★
trigger warning . . .
ⵌ this story contains...
❝ well... I kinda— sorta— stared into rafe's room while he was changing. ❞
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pro. Coke bros
THE LAST TIME VALENCIA SET FOOT ON OUTER BANKS SOIL, she was just fourteen. Now, after more than four long years, she was back—with her family in tow. It wasn't as different as she'd expected, but if she was being honest? The place reeked more than usual. Not of any real smell, but a deeper, more unsettling kind—a crude stench of tension and old emotions.
Valencia didn't care much—about the Outer Banks, her family, or the storm everyone was so worried about. That's why she sat with them at the table, silent and expressionless as her father droned on the phone with Ward Cameron, discussing the impending storm. The family had just arrived, and it felt like hell had broken loose the moment they stepped onto the island.
When her father finally put down the phone, he sighed heavily and glanced at them. "I'd hope that sigh doesn't mean we're gonna die—or something," her younger sister, Ginni, remarked casually.
"No—no. We're fine. You girls just stay inside," Olivier, their father stated firmly. "Seriously."
Valencia watched her dad kiss their stepmother Morena on the head before he walked away, leaving the girls at the table. Moments later, Morena stood and left the room as well. They'd all managed to stay in the same room for a grand total of ten minutes. A new record.
"Did Dad tell you why we came back?" Ginni asked, her eyes curious. Valencia just shrugged. They hadn't set foot on the Outer Banks since their mom died, and neither of the girls knew why they were back now—it all felt pointless. Ginni seemed almost excited, while Valencia couldn't care less. That indifferent attitude had been her go-to for months now.
Ginni sighed as she stood up from the table, giving her sister a quick look before walking out of the room. Valencia stayed behind, staring blankly into the space where her sister had just been. This whole situation was a load of crap—and I could tell you exactly why, but where's the fun in that? Instead, let's do a quick rundown.
Olivier Rivière was a well-known French-American businessman, and in the Outer Banks, he was what you'd call a Kook. Rich, powerful, and respected—the family name carried weight. So much so that he wasn't just an acquaintance of Ward Cameron; he was a friend.
Their mother, Wilma Rivière, died years ago when they were still living on the island—back when they were permanent residents. Life was... decent then. Not that Valencia missed it or anything, but having a mom was nice. During that time, though, their dad was an alcoholic mess with a bad habit of taking his anger out on his kids. But that's a story for another time.
