Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

021. THE PHANTOM

Kie pulls up outside the siblings' house, both looking at the white building sadly.

"Home sweet home." JJ says. He takes his hat off and runs his fingers through his hair.

"Do you want me to come? Cause I'll come." Kie says.

"No." JJ denies, putting his hat on the dashboard. "This will only take a second." JJ gets his bag and gets out of the car. Cordelia quickly gets out of the backseat, shutting the door.

"No. No way." JJ states.

"Jayje--"

"Cordelia. No." JJ orders.

"I'm not letting you go alone." Cordelia states.

"Cordi--"

"He almost killed you last time."

"He almost killed you too."

"Which is why we go together. Cause then he can't almost kill us." Cordelia states, walking towards the house.

"We-- wh-- we were together last time." JJ says, quickly following her.

JJ races up the stairs and stands between her and the door.

"If you go in, you have to stay behind me the entire time. Unless he's chasing us, then obviously, run in front of me. Point is, I'm between him and you at all times." JJ says.

Cordelia mockingly salutes him making JJ slightly roll his eyes.

"Smartass." JJ whispers under his breath. He turns to the door and opens it. "Dad?" He calls out. They don't get an answer and walk to the living room, finding Luke asleep on the couch.

"Dad, I need the keys to the Phantom." JJ states. "Dad?" He asks, not getting a response. He picks up a pill bottle and reads it before putting it back on the coffee table. JJ lightly lifts the chain around Luke's neck up, revealing the keys to the boat on them.

"Great." Cordelia mumbles. She goes to the kitchen table and finds tweezers and a pencil. She walks back over and starts to walk closer to the couch, but JJ stops her.

"Whoa. Whoa, what the hell are you doing?" JJ asks her.

"Getting the keys." Cordelia states like it's obvious.

"No. No, I'll do it." JJ says, trying to take the pencil and tweezers from her, but she doesn't let go of them.

"Jayje, I'm better at using tweezers than you are. I've got this." She tells him.

"I told you. Me between you and him at all times." JJ reminds.

"He's completely knocked out. I'll be fine." Cordelia quietly argues. "The longer we fight, the sooner he'll wake up. And we need to be at the dump by three."

"Lia, I don't--"

"Jayje, I've got it."

JJ reluctantly steps aside and Cordelia kneels in front of the couch. She slowly reaches out for the keys.

"Your hands are shaking too much." JJ whispers.

"Shut up." Cordelia hisses.

Cordelia goes to lift the necklace up, but freezes when her dad's eyes open and land on her.

"I didn't expect to see you." Luke mutters.

JJ quickly yanks Cordelia to her feet.

"Don't talk. The stutter's gonna piss him off." JJ whispers, grabbing the pencil and tweezers out of her hands. He protectively pushes her behind him as Luke sits up.