angel - rafe cameron (outerbanks)

23 - rapunzel, rapunzel

chapter 22
rapunzel, rapunzel

angie sat on her bed, her legs tucked under her as she stared out the window. the dusky sky outside mirrored the misery hanging in her chest.

she hadn't spoken to sarah since their blow-up yesterday, and rafe... well, that was even messier. he hadn't called, hadn't come by. she couldn't decide if that was a relief or a curse. maybe a little of both. she should've been glad for the distance, but it only left her feeling more alone.

her mind was a whirlpool of thoughts—sarah's angry words, rafe's betrayal, and the looming question of what had happened to maddie. all of it seemed too much to bear. the damn box. that thing had unsettled angie in ways she couldn't explain. she couldn't bring herself to tell her parents about it. no one understood; certainly not her mother and father.

the door to her room creaked, and angie glanced over her shoulder as her mom stuck her head in.

"angie, honey, are you okay? you've been quiet since we got home."

angie didn't meet her gaze. she couldn't bring herself to say the truth. that everything felt like it was unraveling. "i'm fine," she lied, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. "just tired."

her mom nodded and left, the soft click of the door behind her echoing in the room. angie exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair, thinking about the box she kept hidden under her bed. she needed to figure out what it meant, but she had to be smart about it. no one could know about the weird, unsettling feeling she had every time she looked at it.

her phone vibrated on the bedside table, cutting through the silence like a clap of thunder. she grabbed it, seeing topper's name flashing across the screen. she hesitated, then swiped it to answer.

"angie," topper's voice crackled through the speaker, tense and urgent. "you won't believe this."

"what is it?" angie sat up straighter, her pulse quickening. she knew something was off. there was always a catch when topper called.

"john b's running from the cops. they're saying he shot sheriff peterkin at the airstrip. it's all over the island."

angie's breath hitched in her throat. "what? no way."

"yeah, and apparently the pogues are helping him," topper added, his voice laced with disbelief. "it's a mess. i told you they're trouble, and sar—"

before he could finish, a loud knock rattled through the house. angie's heart skipped a beat. she glanced toward the stairs, her nerves on edge.

"hold on," she muttered to topper before setting the phone down and darting to the top of the stairs. the sound of her father's voice drifted up.

"kiara," he was saying. "how lovely to see you." angie's stomach flipped. kiara? what the hell was she doing here?

"top, i'll call you back."

her mind raced as she bolted down the stairs, her feet slapping against the wooden steps. she rounded the corner just in time to see her dad stepping back from the door, his expression one of pleasant surprise.

"hey, kie," angie said, her voice cool as she stepped forward, brushing past her father who took this as his cue to leave the two alone.

kiara stood in the doorway, her face tight, eyes scanning angie like she was trying to figure her out. the two of them had never really gotten along, and now—after everything that had gone down with sarah, and whatever else was brewing—angie had a sinking feeling this wasn't going to be a social visit.