riptide- outer banks

120 | undertow

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WHEEZE: she loved it? like, actually? don't play with me, asshole

DAVY NEW #: i'm not playing, z. we're pretty much engaged because of you

WHEEZE: so when's the wedding?? i will find a way to be there

WHEEZE: literally. u have no idea what i'm capable of

DAVY NEW #: i'm genuinely scared

DAVY NEW #: also, i'm seventeen. I'm not actually getting married

WHEEZE: almost 18. but seriously, u lose kori and u will be the biggest idiot i know.

WHEEZE: and call me soon? rose is going out of town this weekend. love u a bajillion

Logan shook his head, letting his phone drop back down to his stomach along with the text thread. His little sister was actually crazy. Here he was, four months shy of turning eighteen, and she wanted him to get married. He couldn't help the smile that slid onto his face at the thought of it all– potentially marrying Kori one day, seeing his little sister again, bringing her home. Those things wouldn't happen in that order necessarily, but they could happen one day. When everything wasn't falling apart at the seams.

His fingers trailed over the beads of the bracelet on his wrist, immediately making him think of her. He glanced up from where he lay in a hammock, eyes finding his girlfriend. Kori was sitting a little ways away, strands of her hair picking up in the wind. She was facing the water, back to him. And she hadn't said much since waking up. She'd just gotten out of the hammock, walked ten feet, and plopped down in the grass.

He knew she was still reeling from everything. From finding out about JJ. Going to see her mom after eleven years. Coming back only to have her dad sell her out and then take everything from her. And then almost losing her older brother. That'd about done it for her. He knew she wasn't okay, not really. As much as she let on that she was, he knew her better than that. But he didn't know what she needed. That's what worried him.

Without another thought, Logan slid off the hammock and made his way over to her. He lowered himself to the ground to her left, focus set out on the water rather than on her. He didn't want to prod or make her feel like he was pushing. At all. "Hey, you okay?"

Kori took a small breath, keeping her gaze forward. "Yeah." She bit on the inside of her cheek, finally turning to him. "Just tired. That's all."

Logan's eyes drifted to hers, unable to read the look behind them. The utter exhaustion in their green hue. Rather than question the validity of her response, he slowly nodded his head. "It's been a long week, hasn't it?"

The blonde lowered her head, cheek coming down to rest on her knee. Her brow raised as she stared up at him. "A long few weeks." She corrected.

His mouth twitched up. "Feels like yesterday we were in the Maldives."

Kori shook her head as she raised it back up. "Well, we've only been back a little less than two weeks."

"And now we've got that much time until Rome."

She turned to him, eyes going round. "Shit. I forgot about that." A wistful breath fell from her lips. "Think it's too late to just go?"

Logan lightly nudged his knee into hers. "Nah. We've got two fugitives with us. Rome sounds like a dream at this point."

Kori was quiet for a moment, focus shifting down to the grass beneath her. "We should just go then." She said softly.

Logan blinked, unsure of if she was being serious or not. There was something about the way she'd said it. Something that made him feel like she meant it. Like she was already somewhere else entirely. His lips parted as the words came to him, but he was never given the chance to respond.