𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ∽ 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝐓𝐖𝐎

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▏INVISIBLE STRING ▕
➫ ———— act one. gold rush
CHAPTER TWO ─── people are meant to be burdens
to listen to ➺ style by taylor swift

deep, abiding friendships are the place where many women know lasting love.

— bell hooks, communion: the search for female love

☼

HURRICANE SEASON WAS EASILY THE BIGGEST DOWNSIDE TO LIVING IN THE OUTER BANKS. There was almost nothing to love about a tropical storm coming in and raining terror on the people of Kildare Island. It would leave behind all types of destruction and take weeks away from people's lives spent repairing the damage.

So when it was announced that Hurricane Agatha had slowly made her way toward the Banks, Josie was less than pleased. As if her experience at the airport wasn't bad enough, but to then wake up to her paranoid mother already doomsday preparing was not at all enjoyable.

It was all Max could talk about at the couple's lunch date: what he and his parents were going to do about the hurricane. The pool renovation had just been installed, the statues hadn't been properly cemented into the ground yet, and they were still painting the sides of the house—all jobs that were going to be delayed for weeks following the hurricane.

The pair sat outside on the deck of Joanie's Seafood, despite the cloud-covered sky that hung overhead. The forecast for that day and the next was not promising, and yet they'd decided to take advantage of the lack of rain and enjoy their beautiful lunch by the ocean.

Joanie's had always been a favorite of Josie's, so it was nice to get the full enjoyment before disaster struck.

The couple spent around an hour slowly eating their lunch and conversing, before they agreed to indulge themselves with dessert. That was when Max began talking about what he'd have to do with his new boat during the storm.

Josie could feel her headache as it slowly sank in. "Max, babe, I really don't think your boat is the biggest concern right now. It's a literal hurricane."

Josie stabbed into her lemon cake and took a bite, softly humming at the zesty taste. She did a little dance in her seat as the flavors coated her mouth, but stilled once she met the narrowed gaze Max shot in her direction.

"A hurricane that is going to tear up my brand-new, forty-thousand-dollar boat if I don't take the right precautions, Josephine." He reached over with his own fork to scrape a piece from her plate and shoveled it into his mouth. Josie gaped at the act, but it was replaced with a laugh when he sent her a goofy grin.

He was lucky he was cute; otherwise, she wouldn't have thought twice about poking his hand with the fork. She smiled, despite his smug expression, and rested her chin on the propped-up hand that held her fork.