*Sequel to Bad Habits*
The Emerson Rhodes that everyone knew and loved was gone. It was almost like she never existed at all. Nothing mattered to her anymore. The girl who once loved with her whole heart felt nothing anymore. It was like when Sarah...
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"I'm a Rhodes, aren't I?"
--☆--☆--☆--
The fake smile that Emerson had put on the day before hadn't left her face since she got to school that morning. Nobody thought to question it, Emerson looked normal, normal enough that is. She laughed when she was supposed to, she made jokes, and participated in class, she seemed perfectly fine.
But of course, she wasn't. Despite having two more classes that day Emerson couldn't stand the thought of staying in school for another second. So when the bell went off signaling the start of their lunch break Emerson felt relief for the first time since she woke up that morning. She didn't bother lingering in the hallway, even though she had told Topper and Nick she would meet them for lunch. Emerson walked straight out to her car and got in.
She felt this pit in her stomach, it's been there all day. She felt like something was off, something was wrong, and she wanted to know what it was. Maybe it was the hug with Rafe, or JJ's confession, or maybe it was the spam caller from the Bahamas who kept trying to get her on the phone. She didn't know, but she couldn't stay at school a second longer.
The boys walked out of the school just as Emerson pulled out of the parking lot. They shared a look of confusion but just assumed that she forgot they were supposed to meet that day. Emerson drove down the streets of the OBX, but she didn't have that same life in her anymore. Under normal circumstances she would play music and sing along the entire way home, but now the car was silent.
It took her a couple minutes to pull into her driveway and the second she did she realized why there was a pit in her stomach. Ever since Carter left there were only two cars in the driveway, Addison wouldn't let anyone park in Carter's spot. But now there was a car and it was in her dad's spot.
Emerson pulled her own car into her spot, right in between her parents. She should've realized that Carter would be coming back, especially since Addison said there was something she needed her for. Emerson grabbed her backpack from the passenger's seat and got out of her car. She looked into the foreign car, it was a rental, it could belong to anyone.
After walking away from the car she walked over to her front door, opening it quietly. She stood in the doorway for a second, trying to see if she could hear anything.
"It's half a billion dollars, Addie," Emerson recognized the voice immediately, it was Carter. "We need that money."
