riptide- outer banks

eighty-seven | the art of circumvention

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15 Months Ago

Sunlight seeped through the blinds as a soft groan sounded through the room. Her hand fell down on the mattress to her right, but all she felt was the duvet. Kori's eyelids fluttered open as her head turned to the side. The space next to her was vacant. She inhaled as she sat up and surveyed her neat and tidy room. She'd had to share it with Logan the past two and a half months, but she didn't mind. She actually preferred it. It was probably because, in some weird way, it made her feel like this was permanent. Like there was absolutely no chance of being left.

Whatever it was, she loved that she got to share it with the person she loved. The person that she loved that was apparently already up and at it for the day. She let out one more groan as she fell back down on her pillow. Then she got up.

Kori quickly threw an outfit together before exiting her room. As she reached the living room, she peered out the back window to see Logan. A smile crept onto her face as she pushed open the door and jotted down the porch steps towards him. He glanced up as she reached him, brown eyes softening as soon as they locked onto her gaze.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked as she curled up next to him on the hammock.

Logan swallowed as she lay her head down on his chest. "Yeah. Thought I'd get some air."

"Hmm."

There was a momentary lapse as they just laid there. It was fairly early, but it was already absolutely beautiful outside. And nothing could change how perfect it felt. The way that she could hear the steady pulse of his heart and just the gentleness of his thumb rubbing her shoulder was something she never wanted to lose. He was something she never wanted to lose.

"Let's go to the Maldives."

Logan couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as his eyes remained stuck on the sky. "Okay. Let's go to the Maldives."

At that, Kori sat up. "Really?"

Logan brought both hands up to put them behind his head. "What? You didn't think I'd say yes?"

"Well, no. It's not that. It's just the shop isn't even half-way done and money is kinda tight right now because of JJ's reckless stupidity. I didn't think you'd agree so quickly."

"Well, think about it." Logan began, attempting to bury all of his anxiety as he spoke. "We were smart with a portion of our cuts. Invested in stocks. We're making money on the daily. You wanna go to the Maldives; let's go to the Maldives."

Kori said nothing. She just smiled. At him. At the way that he was looking at her. At anything and everything. She just smiled. "I love you."

Logan swallowed. "I love you, too."

She kept her eyes on him as she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. He brought his hand out from under his head to cup her cheek. But their moment? It was entirely short-lived.

"Hey, lovebirds!"

Kori exhaled as she craned her neck back.

"Time to get choppin'! This shop ain't gon' build itself!" Cleo shouted.

"Yep. Thank you, Cleo." Kori nodded her head in the direction of the brunette before turning back to her boyfriend. "Hey, wanna do something later?"

Logan inhaled, mind racing. "Yeah, yeah, maybe tomorrow. I told Pope I'd help him with something."

Kori ever so slightly tilted her head. "Okay." Then she was nodding. But something felt off. Not bad or unnerving, just off. "Hey, is everything okay?"

She watched as a smile flew onto his face. "Yeah. Everything's fine."