BOOK 1 [with seasons 1 & 2]
Aurora "Rory" Routledge is not just your average Outer Banks teen-she's John B's twin sister and the perfect partner-in-crime for summer adventures. Alongside their tight-knit group of best friends-JJ, Pope, and Kie-the R...
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Rory~
THE air in the container felt suffocating, like the walls were closing in on us, trapping us in a pressure cooker of emotions. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat like a hammer against my ribcage.
It was stiflingly hot, but the tension between us made it feel even heavier, like we were all holding our breaths, waiting for the next bomb to drop.
John B's words echoed in my head like a broken record. Ward's alive. Carter's here with him.
"You're joking," I let out a dry, humourless laugh that sounded more inhuman than anything else.
Denial. It was the only thing I could cling to.
"I'm not. I wish I was," John B said, his voice softer now, but no less firm.
The container fell into a tense silence. Thick. Suffocating. My head was spinning, and I couldn't seem to latch onto any one emotion. Anger? Disbelief? Hurt? They were all swirling together like a storm I couldn't control. I glanced at the others, hoping their reactions would ground me.
Kie was deathly quiet, her usual fire extinguished. Pope's face was contorted, caught somewhere between confusion and disbelief. JJ, though—his face was a thundercloud, jaw clenched, eyes alight with fury. He looked like he wanted to punch something, or someone.
"What do—what do you mean Carter's here with Ward?" I stammered, stepping toward John B as he climbed down from the crate. My voice cracked slightly, betraying the chaos inside me.
"And Ward's alive? How— I mean, we— " I shook my head, the words spilling out too fast for me to process. "We saw him die. We saw him die!" My voice was firmer this time, desperate for some kind of logical explanation. John B grabbed my shoulders, steadying me, but his gaze didn't waver.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me," JJ scoffed suddenly, his voice sharp and dripping with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes.
"Are you serious?" Pope questioned, his tone incredulous.
John B's eyes darted between us, his expression tense. "It was all a setup," he said, the words spilling out quickly now, like he'd been holding them in for too long. "Blowing up the boat, the confession to Shoupe—think about it. It was all to clear Rafe's name. And where was Ward when the cops came to arrest him?"
"Out on the Druthers," I whispered, the memory flashing vividly in my mind.
"And what's on the Druthers?" John B pressed, his hazel eyes pinned me, demanding the answer that I didn't want to give but had realized.
"Scuba," Kie said softly, speaking for the first time since John B had dropped the bomb. My eyes snapped to her, concern clawing at my chest as I took in her expression. She looked...defeated. Small. Not at all like the Kie I knew and love.
