riptide- outer banks

123 | fifteen again

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Kori's words lingered in the air for moments, but it could've been an eternity.

"Shit." Pope murmured, dragging a hand over his jaw.

Kiara glanced at the door like she was tempted to go after her, but stayed where she was. Sarah's gaze dropped to the ground, arms folded over her chest. Cleo was toying with one of the cards on the table, curling the edge up. John B just closed his eyes, heavy breath emitting from his lips.

But Logan? He was still sitting where Kori had left him, elbows resting on his knees. His eyes were fixed on a crack in the floor, head shaking when he finally gathered himself enough to say something. To back her up– because she wasn't wrong. "She's right." He finally said.

Everyone turned to him.

He sat up in his chair, looking at each of them. "JJ might be the most loyal of us all. If there's a risk, he's taking it if it means protecting one of us." He shook his head. "And I know he's not the easiest person to deal with when things go south. But JJ's had the worst week of his life. I don't need to list off why. He's lost everything. Everything."

There was a beat.

"And we're just letting him sit out there like he isn't drowning."

John B's lips part as if he was going to say something, but nothing came out.

Logan helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "I get it. I'm not the first person he runs to when things get bad. I'm not you, Kie."

She wasn't looking at him, gaze stuck on the ground.

"I'm not his brother. I'm not even his best friend." He continued, barely glancing at John B. "I haven't been there as long as you guys have. But I've seen him step up for every single one of you. No hesitation, no thought for what it might cost him. Just loyalty for the people he loves."

Pope shook his head.

"And now he's out there thinking none of us give a shit." He threw his hand up, guilt spilling out in his voice. "Kori's doing what we should've done hours ago. She's reminding him that he's not alone. The least we could do is stop acting like he is and help him. Even if he won't ask for it, he needs us. And he needs to know that we'll be there."

Pope slowly nodded his head. "I think we're the assholes here."

"Jayj needs us. We gotta show up for him." Kie piped up.

Sarah and Cleo nodded their heads.

Logan forced out a breath. He knew Kori was upset, but what she'd said had felt like a blow to the gut. She wasn't just mad about everything she and JJ had lost this week; she was mad at all of them. And now, he had no idea where that put them. All he wanted was for her to be okay, but she wasn't. She wasn't anywhere close to being okay and he had a terrible feeling that this wasn't something he could fix or make better.

He shifted his gaze to the window, staring out at the skyline. Kori and JJ were out there somewhere, sinking together. That thought made his heart drop. All he felt was guilt. He should've been there for her. For both of them. But he hadn't been.

Out on the deck, Kori rounded the corner. Her expression didn't soften at the sight of her brother slumped against the side of the boat. If anything, it hardened. She took the remaining steps to him and dropped down on his left with a quiet thud. Legs folded underneath her, she let out a breath. Loud enough for him to spare her a glance, but not his full attention.

Just like the last fifty times she'd seen him, JJ still had that stupid bottle in his hand. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, his mental state already a load of shit. He was drunk and he didn't care. As long as he couldn't feel the pain in his heart, it didn't matter to him. He took a long pull, jaw tensing as the liquid burned down his throat.