i. The guilt ridden girl
Season Two ╱ Episode One

The OBX heat clings to Suki's skin as she comes to a stop on her bike, sweat trickling down her temples. This coastal town has always been notorious for its unbearable heat and humidity, but the scent of salt and blooming flowers make up for the fact. At least, for some people. If you're like Suki, you'll see right through the charming scenery for what this place truly is—Hell on Earth.

Anger bubbles inside her due to the sight in front of her, igniting her sore muscles. "—who cares? They should be glad I'm not setting the house on fire." Kiara Carrera's irritated tone fills her eardrums, a can of spray paint clutched in her grasp.

It wasn't the fact that she and her accomplice slash friend, Pope Heyward, were currently vandalizing Tannyhill that made her want to pull their hair out, I mean she's vandalized her share of mansions in her teens years, but it was what they were writing that made her angry.

In large, bold red letters: MURDERERS.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Suki deadpans, her sudden appearance shocking the two Pogues who flinch and slowly turn around. She leans her bike against the wall furthest from there.. artwork.

"Oh—we, uhhh.." Pope stutters, practically stumbling over his feet to back away.

His nervousness, on top of the fact that Kiara stares at him in annoyance, Suki knows this clearly wasn't his idea—it was Kiara's.

"Shit." He then curses, his gaze on one of the many balconies attached to Tannyhill behind the concrete wall. Rafe has been watching the entire interaction with a clenched, bruised jaw, they each realize. Suki wasn't sure who looked more terrified in that moment. Her lips part, but before she could tell them to leave Kiara zips up her backpack and slings it over her shoulder.

She actually tosses the empty can of spray paint to the ground, even though she despises littering. Might as well make them clean it up, right? "Look, we know what you did and you're not getting away with it."

"Murderers!" Kiara adds, raising her voice so Rafe could hear in the distance.

Suki wouldn't be surprised if half the neighborhood on Figure Eight could hear. She drops her own bag onto the ground, her temper reaching its peak. Taking a threatening step towards the Carrera: "Get off this side of the island, Kie, or I swear to God—"

She's not sure when or how it happens, but now they're standing face to face, the heat from their bodies radiating off each other because of rage. "Don't act all high and mighty, Catton. We both know where you really belong. Traitor." Kiara seethes, though she's never felt this mad before.

Having no self control, Suki balls her hands into a fist and forcefully shoves the curly brunette back into Pope's embrace just as he tries to break them apart. "Like you have room to talk, Kiara!"

"You're not even a Kook—and you never will be, so just give up already!"

"Don't start, bitch! You're not even a real Pogue!"

At that, Kiara scoffs and goes to pounce only to be grabbed at the waist. "Nuh-uh, nope. Not happening." Pope shakes his head, snatching her wrist now—ready to drag her away. "Are you serious?" He has the audacity to scold Suki before they disappear. Though, not forgetting to look over his shoulder to make sure Suki doesn't try anything.

Breathing heavily, Suki snatches her backpack off of the gravel and heads towards Tannyhill. It didn't matter how long she's been staying here, she still couldn't get used to its exquisite structure. The air inside was thick and full of tension, a particularly normal atmosphere since the loss of the Kook princess, aka Sarah Cameron.

It makes Suki wonder why she's even staying here.

The time to pretend to have an alibi is over, she could just head back home and say the gas leak had been fixed. And it didn't help that every night she hasn't been able to close her eyes knowing that Ward's bedroom was just across the hall from the guest room—where she'd been sleeping because of his one rule for her and his only son: no sleeping in each others rooms.

If she did end up getting sleep? She'd wake up in a cold sweat, that afternoon on the tarmac on constant repeat behind her eyes.

Just to get some shuteye, Suki started taking sleeping pills on the reg. Another thing that seems to help is the piece she'd stolen from Barry not too long ago and hid under the mattress brought her some peace of mind.

She didn't trust the people under this roof—except for Louisa, of course.

"Hey," Rafe forces a smile as she steps onto the balcony upstairs, pulling her from her thoughts. "how was work?"

"It was work. Y'know, exhausting as usual." Suki replies, pressing a sweet kiss to the corner of his mouth before tossing her bag onto the coffee table and plopping onto the small sofa lying directly in the sun. You can rarely escape the star during this time of year in the OBX.

"I told ya, you can always quit." He takes a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of the room. "Come work for my dad or take a—"

Jesus. Not this shit again. "Rafe," She sighs, not even the least bit sorry when she sees his genuine expression. He can tell Suki's already frustrated by the way she runs a hand through her newly bleached hair. "I don't want to revisit this conversation, right now. Okay? I have a lot on my mind already and I like working, it keeps me busy and away from here. Btw—"

"Whoa, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Flashes of the last time they had a similar conversation burned in the back of Suki's mind, making her clench her jaw tight. The topic brought up a fight she desperately wanted to forget. It was the first time she felt like they'd never be able to pick up the pieces. "I don't want to be like Ward and Rose, Rafe. I like working. It always helped keep my mind off my home life. And being a housewife is NOT the life I want to live. That's so fucking boring."

"At least find somewhere else to work. Your boss, Raz, is such a fuckin' weirdo. I see the way he looks at you—looks at Sofia. Haven't you noticed his choice in waitresses? Guys a fuckin' pedo."

"It doesn't matter, Rafe. It's good money."

"Of course, it fuckin' matters, Suki. You matter. Jesus. Just—please at least think about working for my dad? He's constantly looking for a new assistant. His are always trying to get into his pants. One time—"

"First off, that's disturbing," She cuts him off, "and second of all, I don't want to work for my boyfriend's dad. That's fuckin' weird. Plus, I see the way he—actually, the way your entire family looks at me—like trailer trash. I KNOW they don't like me."

"That's not true and you know it." He actually laughs, "If it were, we wouldn't be together right now."

His choice in words has her fuming. "What the fuck, Rafe? I'm done having this conversation. When you're ready to stop sucking up to your goddamn dad, call me. Otherwise.. don't."

After that argument, it took them days to reconcile.

And who was the one to run back? Suki. She felt weak doing it, but he hadn't called her and she got worried—he wasn't doing so well after the argument either. It helped that she understood where he was coming from, her boss really was the creepy type. I mean, dude has a retraining order against him that his ex-wife filed. He's rich so that was overlooked.

But.. living as a housewife? Oh, hell no. Suki liked sticking her hand in the cookie jar, as bad as it sounds it keeps her life interesting.

Now, working as his dad's assistant.. whole other level.

Being an assistant for Ward freaking Cameron is a really great job for someone from the Cut. Pays well. But like she said before, she didn't trust him—hell she couldn't even sit at the dinner table without excuses herself every five minutes. Sitting across from him brought back too many memories of that afternoon on the tarmac.

It isn't an option.

"It means—nah, it doesn't mean anything." Suki sighs finally, running a frustrated hand over her face. The look he sends her has her reeling. "It means nothing, I swear. Okay? Jeez, what's up your ass today?"

"Those Pogues—that's what. They think they can come around here, accuse me—accuse us of shit and then vandalize Tannyhill? Nah. That shit.." Rafe drawls, slapping his fist down on the coffee table in anger. He doesn't miss the way she flinches, hard, once again.

His gaze softens, but he can't find it in him to apologize. He's so fucking sick of apologizing. "..that shit pisses me off."

"Rafe," Suki paused, swallowing the lump in her throat, but she somehow wanted to comfort him. They were so similar—nobody ever checked in on her and look where that got her. "Are you.. okay?" Leaving her spot on the sofa, she makes her way over towards him and stands behind him, comforting hands massaging the tight muscles in his back.

She can't remember the last time somebody comforted her like this, and the little voice in the back of her head reminds her that he's been under so much stress lately—what with his dad, the police, Barry, the Pogues—his sister's death.

"M'fine, Suki." Liar. Noticing the look she sends him—having tossed his head back against the head-rest of the chair, he sighs heavily and leans into her touch. "Just runnin' low on sleep lately. And this—our fighting? Doesn't help."

"Oh, so it's my fault now?"

"Holy fuck, Suki." Rafe curses, shrugging her hands off of his shoulders and rising from the chair. "It never is your fault, now is it?"

Suki's lips part in shock, "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" God, her voice sounds so small—she fucking despises it. Sometimes, she wishes she had a Time Machine. So that maybe she could go back where they didn't fight all the time, like during the summer when all they had to worry about was his dad kicking him out or going to parties. Other times, she wishes she'd never met him at all..

"I'm not trying to be a dick, Suki, but you're constantly pushing me to talk. Haven't you thought—" He snaps, tapping his temples repeatedly, "—that maybe I don't want to talk? To anybody—to you. And it doesn't help that you constantly make me out to be the bad guy, like you weren't the one to initiate the conversation."

"Like—fuck, can't you just give me a break? You've always been good at that, you know, unlike everybody else in my goddamn life."

"Wow.. Okay. You want a break, Rafael?" Suki scoffs, leaving his side to snatch her backpack from the coffee table and turns to look him in the eyes. Eyes that are full of anger and.. regret. "Fine, I'll give you a fuckin' break."

Spearing him one last glance, "By the way, I wouldn't step foot on the Cut if I were you. You're so-called 'friends'—Kelce and Topper, said some things at the Country Club about the rumors going around about my involvement in sheriff Pete's murder. Then, JJ Maybank started to talk shit about yours. Who knows who took it to heart." She informed, then slams the balcony door shut before he could reply.

Two minutes later, Suki's back on the street wondering if the guilt she's feeling was worth it.

"Fuck this."

Anora speaks
okayyy so these two are toxic as fuck..