what now? | outerbanks

• twenty-seven •

"This isn't too fancy? Aren't we just getting lunch?" I'm watching myself pose in my full-length mirror, turning from side to side to get the full view of the white, lacy dress I wear.
    Kie, who is equally as fancy and is sitting on my bed, stands up and walks behind me, running her hands through my loose curls. "That's the whole point, Sarah. We're dressing up nice to make ourselves feel good. Sometimes it's nice to get all dolled up."
    "I guess I do feel better already," I admit with a smile, walking closer to the mirror to inspect my makeup and look for inevitable flaws. But, before I can find any, Kie pulls me back and leads me out of my bedroom.
    "Nope, no time for nitpicking; we're leaving." She shuffles us quickly through the house, and I hobble behind a little as I secure an earring onto my left ear.
    We get into her car, and I smooth my dress as I sit, making sure it doesn't wrinkle. Kie is wearing a red, silky dress, and her sparkly heels sit in her lap so she has better access to the car's pedals.
    She plays my favorite songs loudly over the radio as we drive happily through town, windows open to feel the Carolina winter air. After some time, she parks on the side of the road, and we exit the car, choosing which direction we'll start our day on.
We peruse a few shops and try on fun outfits in our old favorite boutiques. We buy jewelry and shoes and other random trinkets we have no real use for. For the time being, we're back to being the naive, problem-less girls we used to be.

    "Isn't that new seafood restaurant just down there, in that strip?" I ask my brown-haired friend, starting to walk before she can answer.
    "Oh, yeah. That girl's parents opened it a few weeks ago, huh?" She walks with me, and when we make it to the restaurant, we're clearly overdressed. I look at Kie, and the two of us burst out laughing at the circumstances. This is just what I needed.
    We get seated and order our food, and I try to text John B, but he doesn't respond.
    "So, how has Wheezie been with staying at the Cortes'?" Kie asks me, sipping from her glass of water. I tuck hair behind my ears, recalling my sister and I's previous phone calls.
    "You know, I think she's enjoying it more than she expected. Of course, they're not really her family, and she still would rather live with us, but they're great. She's really becoming good friends with the younger sister," I tell the girl, smiling as I picture the pale, curly-haired girl in my head. "And, truthfully, Sofia has been so sweet through all of it. She's been driving Wheeze back and forth from school every day, and she even helped get her ready for a date when I got held up at the shop."
    "A date?!" Kie gasps loudly, craning her neck forward as she grips the tablecloth in shock. "She's like ten years old, hello?"
    "Kie, she's almost sixteen," I inform her, and she looks even more shocked than before.
    "So, Sofia isn't a completely evil snake?" She drags, pulling the corners of her mouth into an awkward, detrimentally devastated smile.
    "Not one bit. She's an angel," I admit, dreading the words as they leave my mouth. "I really don't know what she sees in him. Every time I think we're getting somewhere, he does something just as worrying and offensive, and every bit of respect I had for him gets taken back."
"Trust me, I know exactly what you mean," she mumbles as she takes a big swig from her glass. I know exactly what she's referring to, and I stay silent, waiting to see if she's going to elaborate or not. Compliant with my hopes and dreams, she does. "The last weeks or so before we broke up were a hell I wish upon literally nobody in this world. Well, maybe Ruthie, but that's it." I laugh at her interjection and she shakes the table as she giggles.
"Yeah, she's a real bitch." I suddenly hush, looking around me quickly to make sure there aren't any ears that might relay this conversation, and once I confirm that we're in the clear, I start laughing again.
"I will say, I'm forever grateful I dated the old Rafe and not the person he is now," she says, staring at the tablescape in between us.
"I'll drink to that," I scoff, taking a large sip.
"Speaking of," Kie starts as the waitress makes her way in our direction. She sets our plates out in front of us, and before she can leave, Kie grabs her attention. "Could you grab us two PBRs?" The woman hesitates, but later agrees when I tell her that I'm a Cameron, and Kie thanks her appreciatively.
"PBRs? What's the occasion?" I ask her.
"Nothing, I just think you deserve a cold one." I think her answer is a little strange and unfitting, but I don't protest, happily snapping open the can and downing it with pleasure. It only gives me a light buzz, and it cleans away any nerves and self-conscious thoughts I had before we left.
We make it through lunch, the meal being shared with many and story retellings, and then we head back into town. I check my phone for the time. 3:00.
"We spent three hours in there?" I ask Kie, shocked.
"You know what they say," she teases, and I push her sideways on the sidewalk we're strolling along. "I'm glad you had fun," she tells me.
"Thank you, Kie," I say, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. I trip a little bit in my heels and try to cover it up, but it's clear that the girl noticed.
"Okay, seriously? You only had one beer."
"It's not my fault I'm a lightweight," I whine, fidgeting with the bracelets on my wrist. "We should probably drink some water and head back to the shop. Pope's gonna kill us for being gone for so long."
"Okay, but I have one more thing to show you." We end up back in the girl's car, and she drives calmly down winding streets, exiting downtown and entering a more rural, coastal side of town. It's similar to Figure Eight, but not quite as grand and a little more organic. I don't recognize any of it.
"Kie, where are we going?" I continue to watch out of my window, observing for any hidden clues or insights.
"You'll just have to wait," she says, and I groan at the suspense. I've always hated surprises. She continues to drive, and after a few more minutes, she pulls into a private beach access.
"Wait, we can't pull in here; this is just for the people who live in this neighborhood," I explain nervously, confused about how the girl doesn't already know this.
"Just trust me on this one, Sarah." The authority in her voice takes me back a little, and I automatically trust her every step. Upon parking, she lightly grabs my shoulders and faces me toward her. The girl smiles, and she almost looks sad. Not sad, but maybe sentimental? Nostalgic? Her features are unreadable, and I scare myself into feeling like I'm overthinking the whole interaction. She snaps me out of my thoughts when she pops the cap off a tube of lipstick.
She swipes the product onto my lips, and smooths stray bits of my hair from around my face. Finally, before leaving the car, she sprays an appropriately heavy amount of designer perfume on the heat points of my body. She exits and ends up on my side of the car before I can open the door for myself.
"M'lady," she curtsies, and I cringe a little bit, taking her dainty hand anyway.
"Okay, what's up? Why are you being weird?"
"Can't say. Just close your eyes." I listen to the girl, reluctantly, and close my eyes. I grab her hand and she walks me to our destination silently. My heart beats, and I'm thankful for the beer I had with lunch, or else I'd be a crying, nervous wreck. As we near where we're headed, a soft tune makes its way to my ears, and it perfectly harmonizes with the angry winter waves of the neighboring ocean.
    We stop, and I wonder if we've finally made it. All of a sudden, I feel arms wrap around me, and I jump a little at the contact. Soon, though, I melt into the hug, realizing it's just Kie, and I keep my eyes closed, scared of what's in front of me.
    "I love you," she tells me. "You can open your eyes now." It takes me a second to comply, but when I do, I'm completely and utterly dumbfounded.
    As if through magic, every calm, easygoing nerve of my body that I gained from the PBR is yanked from my being as I watch the scene in front of me unfold. 
    JJ is standing next to me, and further in front of us are two sections of chairs, separated by an aisle. I spot Wheezie and Sofia, Pope's parents, Pope and Cleo. I observe it all with the utmost love in my heart, but that same love intensifies even further when I catch a glimpse of the end of the aisle. My fiancé.
    John B. stands there beautifully, donned in a casual suit with his hair laid in perfect, beachy waves and his hands clasped in front of him.
    "Oh my God," I breathe out, looking to the blonde boy next to me for support.
    "Surprise, princess," he smiles, rubbing my shoulder soothingly. "It's your lucky day."
    "Oh, J," I sob, overwhelmingly joyful tears falling down my bronzed face. He hugs me tenderly, but quickly pulls away as he grabs a handkerchief from his pocket and hands it to me, knowing I wouldn't want to get married with tear-streaked makeup. I watch as Kie and Cleo find spots on either side of the altar, and then as Heyward finds his way in the middle of it. I forget sometimes that he's a certified officiant.
    "Whenever you're ready," JJ says quietly between us, hooking our arms together. I look at him one last time before we head down the aisle, and I can't help but smile.
    "For the record, I wouldn't want anyone else to walk me down the aisle." He doesn't respond, and I don't expect him. All he does is smile back and then begin walking. My heart races faster than ever, and I think I might pass out, but never once do I consider turning back. More silent tears flow as I make eye contact with each of the few guests, the event feeling perfectly homey and intimate. As I get closer and closer to John B. and the altar, Cleo winks at me reassuringly, and Kie forms a heart with her hands.
"Hi," John B. whispers to me when I make it to my spot across from him. He takes my hands from my sides lovingly and observes my outfit, carefully stopping on each little detail.
"Hi," I whisper back, my voice cracking in my nervousness. I take my hands for a second to fix his bow tie, before returning them to their rightful spot in his. "You're lucky I'm me because any other girl would be absolutely furious with you right now," I tell him, referring to the surprise wedding.
"Good thing I don't want any other girl," he teases, and I can tell he almost leans in for a kiss before stopping when he remembers where we are. I raise my eyebrows at him and warn him to be classy.
"Are we ready, you two?" Heyward asks, opening his worn and well-read-through Bible.
I stand there, perfectly still, and almost not listening to the speech Heyward gives as I stare into my boy's endless honey-filled eyes. I've never known anything more encapsulating. Heyward speaks to us and the crowd, and I can tell he's getting teary-eyed as he talks about our growth and accomplishments. I shift over a little bit and give him a tight hug, thanking him for being the father I so desperately needed, and he kisses me on the head. John B. performs the same actions, Heyward being an even larger part of his life.
The older man weaves through passages and rites, and then begins the typical process.
"John B, do you take Sarah as your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish her from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health?"
"I do." His smile is bigger than I've ever seen it, but at the same time, tears brim in the corners of his eyes, and his chin trembles.
"Sarah, do you take John B. as your lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and cherish him from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health?"
"I do." Soon, my face mimics his, and all I want to do is have him hold me in his strong arms.
"Now, John B. will give Sarah his prepared vows."
"Dear Sarah Cameron, Kook-Princess, love of my life," he starts, and I can already feel my tears falling again. I look behind me to my friends with wet eyes, and they shoot me confident thumbs-ups. I hear giggles from the seats in front of me as I turn back around. "If you're listening to this now, it means I pulled this surprise wedding off and you didn't immediately decide to divorce me. I know you come from grand, extravagant events, but I thought this just might top those. Honestly, I have never met anyone like you; no one so caring, so loving, so truthfully down-to-earth. You're everything good in this world wrapped up in the most perfectly wonderful human."
"Oh, baby."
"Sarah, you do so much for me and our friends and the people you care about, that sometimes, you even forget how important you are yourself. So this- this wedding- was my- our gift to you, a dedication to everything you do to make us better. I'll love you forever," he finishes, and it takes everything in me not to kiss him. I wish I had vows too, and I would come up with some on the spot if he hadn't just stripped me of every coherent thought possible.
"I love you too."
"John B," Heyward calls, motioning towards the boy. "Sarah," he says, motioning to me. "I now pronounce you Husband and Wife; you may now kiss your bride."
    The world goes still, the ocean drains from my awareness, and for me, the two of us are the only ones that matter. John B. leans down so his face is level with mine, and he lingers for a moment, his warm breath sending shivers down my windswept face.
    Our lips meet with what is only describable as a spark, and my body presses against him tenderly. The kiss is deep and powerful, and every butterfly I've ever had since the beginning of our relationship comes back to me now. One of his hands finds my face, and the other, he places on the small of my back. Cupping his face, I kiss him for a final second and then part our lips, resting my forehead against him.
    The outside world comes flooding back, and I can hear little cheers and claps from the small crowd, but I don't dare look. I keep my boy in my hands and bask in his warmth. I move my face back slightly so I can look at him fully.
    "You look very handsome," I tell him innocently, smoothing down his lapel.
    "Why, thank you. You look pretty lovely yourself, Mrs. Routledge." I smile wide at the name and peck his lips again before we walk down the aisle. I stop at each of the few rows of chairs to hug the guests individually, lingering significantly on Wheezie.
    "Thank you for coming, Sneezy," I joke, kissing her dramatically on the cheek and then wiping off any excess lipstick from the skin. I move sideways a little bit to hug Sofia, and she moves a piece of my hair that got blown to the wrong side in the wind.
    "You look beautiful," she tells me, and my nose scrunches as I hug her again.
    "Thank you- all of you!" I yell behind me as John B. leads me away.
    "Adiós!" John B. farewells to the others.
   

Kie

    As I watch the couple leave in bliss, I walk over to my own love and hook our arms together.
    "So, successful?" I ask him, nudging him in the side.
    "I think so. Now we can officially say I do have good ideas." I have to give it to him; he deserves the credit. The two of us walk a little farther towards the water, but we stop before our feet reach the flowing waves.
    "You know Topper showed up today?" I keep my eyes trained on the glowing horizon, but JJ snaps his head to face me.
    "Wait, what? What did he want? What did you do?"
    "No, it was while we were talking about plans for today; I wasn't in there. It was just Sarah."
    "Son of a bitch has the worst possible timing." He puts his hands on his hips and sucks his teeth. "Did she tell you anything? About what he went in for?"
    "Kind of, but I think it was just his same old bullshit."
    "You know, Kie," he starts, and from the look on his face, I'm already scared of what he's going to say. "You're lucky your psycho ex-boyfriend is a different kind of psycho, or else his face would 100% be caved in."
    I turn to him with a smile and playfully wiggle my eyebrows, wrapping my arms around his neck. "You would do that for me?" I joke.
    "Anything for you, turtle girl," he says sweetly, and I swat at his head when I hear the nickname. Suddenly, I gasp as in one fell swoop, JJ lifts me from my feet and cradles my body in his arms, bridal-style. I squeal at the splashes of cold water that reach my skin as he runs into the ocean, his feet padding against the caked sand.
    "JJ! Put me down!" I plead, though I don't really want him to and could honestly stay in arms for the rest of my life. Realizing what I said, the boy stops when the water reaches his knees and looks me in the eyes, wiping drops of water from my face.
    "What was that? Put you down?" He asks knowingly, and fear drains to my face, already steps ahead of his plan.
    "JJ, don't. I swear to God, JJ, I will never sleep with you again," I reason, clasping my hands tighter around his neck and trying to sound as serious as possible. For better or for worse, however, he sees right through me.
    "That's a lie!" As he speaks the final word, I feel his knees bend beneath me, and the two of us go crashing into the water. I shriek as the cold water soaks through my dress, and JJ cheers, pumping his fist in the air as the adrenaline runs through his veins.
    "Holy shit!" I lean my head back so the water coats my hair, and I can't help but laugh as the blonde in front of me starts to dance through the waves. He grabs my hands, and we sway together to nothing but the natural music of the ocean.
    JJ pulls me in closer and wraps his arms around my waist. I rest my head on his chest and listen to the sound of his quick-beating heart.
    "I love you, Kie," he breathes out so only I can hear. I lift my head from his body and place a light kiss on his sun-damaged lips, smiling as I pull out of it.
"Do you?" I ask with fake surprise, and my mouth falls into an O.
"More than anything," he mutters, and my heart skips a beat, but I won't let him get to me that easily. I playfully knee him in the gut and run away from him toward the shore.
"So corny!" I tease as I run. He calls after me and tries to grab my legs, but I escape unscathed and watch from afar on the sand as he exits the water.
"Say you love me too!" He yells at me.
"Huh?" I pretend not to hear what he says and wrinkle my eyebrows in confusion.
"Say it back!"
"Come on, Jayj. It's cold; let's go home." I turn my back to him and start walking to the beach exit.
"Is this what we're doing? We're doing this, huh?" I hear his feet running behind me, and then he tackles me into the sand. His hands tickle me relentlessly, and I choke on my laughter, bringing my knees to my chest in an act to limit the attack. I squeal and scream his name, but he continues to tickle me.
"Fine! Fine!" I surrender, holding his head in my hands and locking his eyes with mine. "I love you too, JJ." His hands stop roaming in an instant, and he helps me to my feet, kissing my lips.
"Thank you, baby."
"You know, Pope and Cleo are at his parents' and the newlyweds are in a rental," I hint, wiggling my eyebrows.
"House all to ourselves?"
"House all to ourselves."

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sorry this chapter is so long! i got a little carried away 🙈🙈

can't wait for the next couple of chapters, they're going to be so sweet!

love you guys ❤️