riptide- outer banks

seventy | home sweet home

〰⋅〰⋅〰

Tannyhill was dark. No lights were on inside and there was no light left in the sky as they neared the large home. Logan's eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, flickering to the front yard, then to the driveway. Rafe's bike was gone, which meant that he wasn't home.

He turned back to the two blondes, straightening up to his full height. "Alright. We're good. He isn't here."

"That doesn't mean Pope isn't." Kori pointed out.

"Let's just—" JJ sucked in a breath. "Let's just stick together. Okay?"

Both Kori and Logan nodded, the brunette taking the lead. It was his house, after all. He continued forward, setting a hand on the handle of the front door. He twisted and luckily, it was unlocked. The three of them subsequently walked inside, the door quietly closing behind them.

It was eerie being back. With the knowledge of what Rafe had done and what Rafe had given Logan, it caused a chill to slither down his back. He didn't want it. He didn't want any of it, yet he had been given it. Despite everything he had done to him, his older brother didn't care. He just wanted a relationship with him, something his little brother didn't want. Not anymore.

Kori crept into the kitchen, almost getting trauma flashbacks from the last time she had been in there. She shuddered, gaze wandering about the room and past the cabinets her head had so gracefully slammed into five weeks prior. "Pope?" She whispered.

There was no response.

"Guys, I don't think he's here." Logan voiced.

"We gotta try, 'kay? We can't rule it out just yet." JJ murmured, brushing past him to walk into another section of the house.

Kori's fingers restlessly tapped against her thigh, something Logan immediately took note of. He instinctively took a step closer to her, voice hushed against the muted ambience. "You okay?"

She met his protective gaze, head following in a nod. "Yeah. I'm just worried about him."

"We'll find him. Whether it's us or Cleo, we'll find him." Logan reassured her.

She didn't say anything else, decidedly starting in the same direction JJ had walked in. Just as they reached one of the rooms, Kori felt her phone vibrate with a new text notification. A line appeared between her brows as she reached into the back pocket of her overalls to retrieve it.

TO KORI & JJ

[POPE]: Don't worry. It's Cleo. I found him at the marina. All good.

A palpable aura of relief fell over both of them as they read the message on her screen. Almost as if on cue, JJ exited the nearest room, arduous breath filling the space. Without saying anything, he took the remaining steps to Kori, wrapping his arms around her.

"He's good. He's good." He breathed out, separating from her after another moment to glance at Logan. "Let's get out of here. I don't wanna be here any longer than I have to be."

"Trust me. Neither do I." He paused, head nodding towards the stairs. "We'll be right behind you. I just need to grab something."

"Okay. Come right home though. Okay?" JJ directed his request mostly to his sister.

"Yeah. We'll be right there." Kori reassured him.

JJ nodded before heading back towards the front door, while Logan and Kori made their way up to his room. They climbed the last flight of stairs, quickly reaching his door. It was wide open— the exact same way he'd left it the last time he'd been here. He'd meant what he said. He didn't want to be here. He hadn't planned on coming back at all, but while he was here he needed a few things.