𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

FORTY-FIVE| all hail topper thornton

THERE was a light atmosphere throughout the OBX the next morning.

It was as if something had technically shifted. The sky was no longer cloudy, rain no longer poured from the clouds—a warm breeze traveled through the island, lazily drifting through the air and causing a slight humidity. It was as if Kildare County was trying to signal something good was finally going to happen to the Pogues.

Eden Bexley was relaxing in the surf shack outside the Chateau, scrolling through her phone with a peaceful attitude. She allowed the warm breeze to brush against her skin contently—despite how last night ended, she was much happier today.

However, there was some pit of anxiety within her mind. Sarah still hadn't returned.

After saving the Maybank from jail time, the group returned to the Chateau to crash, where the Bexley had expected to see the Cameron girl show back up. Eden knew she'd gone to see Wheezie, but that shouldn't have taken more than a few hours—and it wasn't like Sarah Cameron had anywhere else to be. Her home was refuge to two murderers; the Chat was her place now, too. 

Eden knew that Sarah could handle her own problems.....as could her father. Ward had John B. in jail, and the only other person on that tarmac was his daughter—if he could keep her quiet, then he was closer to being free than being found guilty. That's what got Eden anxious.

What if  Ward had kidnapped her in a way, keeping her locked up in the Cameron estate so she couldn't speak? What if something had happened with Rafe? What if Wheezie wasn't really the one behind the screen when she'd given Sarah a location? What if—

There's a thousand what if's wracking through the Bexley's brain and she feels sick thinking they could be true. When she'd looked to John B. in the courtroom, she'd promised that the Pogues would take care of Sarah for him—that she would. And if Sarah was truly in danger, she'd break that promise and that made her feel horrible.  

The Routledge boy was on the verge of being killed and she couldn't even keep his girlfriend safe for him. 

Kiara's ukulele strumming took the girl out of her thoughts and she came back to her friends. The Carrera is beside her lightly playing her instrument, JJ's waxing his surfboard and Pope is examining some tools, all the while watching his friend scrub wax on the board. 

"That's a lot of wax on your board, man." Pope comments, watching the Maybank boy, who'd been waxing for a decent amount of time. "Put too much wax on there, it's gonna be slippery."

JJ looked up from his board, staring at the Heyward with an incredulous look—as if he couldn't believe Pope was telling him of all people how to wax a board. "Are you telling me how to wax my board, Pope?"

"No, I was just saying that's a lot of wax—"

"No, no, no, no." JJ counters, "You're telling me how to wax my board. Are you kidding me?"

Pope shrugged—he could care less that he was telling JJ, the best surfer amongst the Pogues, how much wax to be using. "I'm just saying it's a colossal waste of wax."

Kiara looks up at the two boys with an unimpressed expression, "Guys, really?"

"Pope, you know how JJ gets, so don't try to test him on his surfing knowledge." Eden  automatically tells each boy to stop bickering with one another, like a mother trying to get her two kids to apologize. She doesn't even look up from her phone as she speaks it comes so naturally. "And JJ, don't be so closed off to other people's opinions, kay?"