CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
[48]
song: starstruck by sorry

Cassie lugged the heavy bucket of soapy water up the narrow flight of stairs. The pounding bass from the nearby bar rang through the boat, making the hull tremble slightly, as if the entire yacht were vibrating in sync with the music.

Reaching the top deck, Cassie set the bucket down with a thud as she grabbed a towel and began working her way along the polished leather seats, watching the party unfold beneath her. The laughter and chatter from the bar mingled with the echo of clinking glasses, but she couldn't see much from her vantage point. The crowd below was a blur of expensive clothes and glossy hair, faces obscured by the bright, flickering lights from the bar's neon sign.

She scanned the area again, eyes narrowing as she tried to make out a familiar face in the crowd. No sign of Rafe. Which was probably a good thing, considering she had no real plan for how to keep him distracted.

Sofia had promised to keep her updated. She was bartending the party, and would text Cassie if she saw anything suspicious.

Cassie's stomach twisted with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. This was a risk— no, it was a gamble. She knew exactly how much could go wrong, but the adrenaline of it made her heart race. She wasn't fooling herself; this was bound to unravel in ways she wasn't ready for. But she also couldn't bring herself to care.

They were borrowing a boat. If Rafe wanted to make it a thing, he could make it a thing.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she turned to see Alvaro trudging up the stairs behind her, lugging a heavy vacuum with him. Cassie sighed, dropping the towel into the bucket and standing up straight, her muscles sore from hours of cleaning.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath.

Alvaro glanced around, searching for a nearby socket to plug the vacuum into. "What?"

Cassie inhaled deeply, the scent of saltwater mixing with the cleaners she had been using. She scratched her forehead in frustration. "I forgot to ask Leigh-Ann for the keys to the Jackman's boat. I'm supposed to move it to the marina up north."

Alvaro shrugged, his expression neutral. "When?"

Alvaro was an older, cranky, skinny man who'd migrated from Chile to the Outerbanks in the nineties, had been married to the same guy since then, and was second in charge at the marina.

Cassie's eyes flicked to the party below and back to Alvaro, her mind racing. "Before the morning. It was on the list. Totally slipped my mind. Did Leigh-Ann leave for the day?"

He glanced at his watch. "She's gone. I can do it if you want to finish up here."

Cassie shook her head. "No, I—" Her voice trailed off. "Do you have her number? I'll need the code for the clubhouse."

Alvaro grunted, bending down to untangle the vacuum cord. "She's at home with her kids. You missed a spot." He pointed to the spot on the leather chair Cassie had left behind.

Cassie clenched her jaw but forced herself to take a breath, "I don't want to bother her, but—"

"I have the code." Alvaro cut her off, annoyance edging his voice as he straightened up. "But you're gonna have to wait. This was supposed to be done an hour ago."

"Oh, I can just go grab it myself—"

He let out a small laugh as he shook his head. "I'm not supposed to let anyone in without a manager."

She shrugs. "Leigh-Ann lets me in all the time."

"Then why don't you have the code?" Alvaro asked, eyebrows raised.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, frustration simmering. "Fine. Thirty minutes. I want to go home."

Alvaro scoffed, clearly irritated. "You wanna go home? I wanna go home. La Reina del Sur is on."

The vacuum turned on with a loud roar, drowning out most of the sound from the bar below, though the distant party chatter still found its way into her ears.

Cassie pulled out her phone, fingers quickly tapping the screen.

cassie:
anything?

sofia:
coast is clear

Cassie felt a ripple of tension ease in her chest, but could still taste the inevitable chaos. She wondered if this was maybe going to go smoothly, but considering the way her brother's plans usually go, she knew not to get ahead of herself.

jj:
wya

cassie:
my shift isn't over for ten mins

jj:
so?

cassie:
this is why u can't keep a job

jj:
:)

He was waiting in the parking lot, the van likely parked at the farthest spot, just out of sight. Everyone else was waiting at the house. And Cassie was waiting on Alvaro, who painstakingly took his time to look over everything she'd already cleaned.

"You're gonna miss your show," Cassie said, her tone light but her impatience palpable as she leaned against the wall near the top of the stairs. She forced herself to stand still, even as every muscle in her body itched to move.

Alvaro glanced at his watch again. "Who cleaned this last? This isn't up to standard."

Cassie shrugged. "Probably Micaela."

"You hear she's pregnant?" Alvaro looked up from his clipboard.

"Code, Alvaro," Cassie waved him on to hurry up. "I wanna go home."

Alvaro grunted, tossing a towel a seat before standing up with an exaggerated groan. "Jesus, you kids. Always in a rush."

Cassie stepped aside, giving him space as he trudged past her, heading toward the stairs.

cassie:
gonna need u at the clubhouse
my manager is with me

jj:
👍

At least her brother didn't ask too many questions, didn't make things harder than they needed to be. It brought her relief when it probably should have brought her a little concern.

Alvaro was still mumbling something under his breath as he started checking off locations on his clipboard, his steps echoing on the wooden planks of the dock.

They walked down the marina side by side, but Cassie's attention was elsewhere. Rafe's boat was easy to spot—it always was. It was the largest yacht in the marina, an imposing mass of sleek glass and polished chrome that made all the other boats look like toys in comparison. She'd been on it so many times that even in the dim light, she could pick it out a mile away.

As they approached the clubhouse, Alvaro stepped in front of the door, deliberately blocking her view as he typed in the code.

Cassie scoffed, her patience running thinner with each second. "Seriously?"

He glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow with a smug grin. "I worked with your brother, girl. I know what you all get up to." The door beeped as it unlocked, and he swung it open.

Cassie shot him an innocent look. "What do you mean?"

Alvaro just hummed, a sarcastic frown on his lips. "Jackman's keys are..." He looked at the clipboard, scanning the list. "8A. Has a little yellow surfboard on the keychain."

Cassie's eyes flicked over to the clubhouse. It was little more than a cramped closet of a room. The walls were cluttered with keys hanging from pegs, some snacks scattered on the table, and a few life-vests hastily shoved onto some hooks in the corner. But she wasn't really looking for the Jackman's keys. She was looking for Rafe's.

But the names weren't listed with the keys— just numbers and letters.

"Um..." Cassie stalled, trying to keep her voice steady.

Cassie's mind raced. There were only two rows on the board. Row A and Row B, with ten columns each. She assumed the higher numbers on the board were reserved for larger yachts. She had docked the Jackman's boat plenty of times. Their yacht was big, sure, but it wasn't anywhere near the size of the Cameron's. So it had to be farther than the eighth column, but there were three keys hanging there.

"La Reina del Sur..." Alvaro hummed impatiently from behind her, pulling her from her thoughts.

Cassie's mind snapped back into focus. She needed to act fast, and this was Pope-intended thinking that she just didn't have time for.

She turned around. "Can I check something really quick?"

"Sure." Alvaro handed her the clipboard.

"Oh." She muttered, taken aback at how easy that was and how little effort it took.

She scanned the notes, everyone's name alphabetically ordered. There were the boats, who cleaned them last, who docked them last, if they needed to move marinas, and the number and letter for their keys.

Rafe Cameron: 10B

Cassie stifled a grin of relief as she grabbed the Jackman's key from the board, then casually knocked over the pile of life-vests near the door.

"Oops," she said, as she carefully nudged one of the life-vests under the doorframe, just enough to keep the door from closing fully. She made sure it wouldn't lock.

Alvaro, oblivious, continued talking. "I think this could be good for her. Her husband's been a jackass since they moved here in 2005."

Cassie nodded, half-listening as she adjusted the life-vests.

"You know she's tried to divorce him three times, and he won't sign the papers?"

Cassie stood and followed Alvaro out, casting a final glance behind her. The door gently closed, but stayed open enough to let JJ slip through.

"You're kidding?" She asked as she pulled her phone out.

cassie:
10B

jj:
🫡

Cassie shoved her phone back into her pocket as she caught up with Alvaro, crossing her arms over her chest as they walked. Her heart was hammering in her ribcage. She had never imagined she—of all people—would be helping her brother steal from her place of work.

"And I tried to tell her—" Alvaro held up a finger as he spoke, clearly eager to continue. "I tried to tell her that he was a bitch long before they married. You know we used to work together before this?"

She glanced over her shoulder, adjusting her ponytail as she covertly watched Rafe's yacht on the far side of the dock. JJ was slipping into the clubhouse through the half-open door, and Cassie let out a quiet breath of relief.

"Mhm. Back at Room 29. Both servers. And she always came in complaining about—" Alvaro continued, but his words faded into the background.

"Mhm," Cassie mumbled, her attention on Rafe's boat up ahead.

"Hello?" Alvaro said, breaking her concentration. He pointed at the Jackman's boat right beside them, which she was about to pass.

Cassie blinked. "Oh. Thanks," she muttered.

Alvaro looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Alright. I'm heading out a little early. Don't tell Leigh-Ann."

Cassie gave him a tight smile and a quick nod, watching as he turned away and walked back down the dock.

Her eyes flicked back to the bar. Still nothing from Sofia.

But that was because Rafe wasn't at the bar. No, she could hear him now, two boats down, his voice mingling with laughter as he clinked glasses with a blonde woman perched on the nose of a yacht. Hollis Robinson, she recognized her.

Cassie's eyes widened in panic, her heart kicking into overdrive. She quickly scrambled back down the bridge and onto the dock, trying to keep quiet so no one—not Rafe, not Alvaro—would notice.

JJ came striding out of the clubhouse, the keys to the boat in hand. Cassie waved at him frantically, her body stiff with the fear of being caught. She shook her head, motioning for him to hide.

"He's right there!" Cassie whisper-yelled.

"Who is?" JJ asked, confused, craning his neck to get a better look. But Cassie grabbed him by the arm, pulling him toward the row of fishing boats, and pushing him into the space between them.

"Wh— Rafe!" she responded, trying to keep her voice low, but the anxiety was bubbling up. Her chest felt tight, the words barely escaping her.

"Yeah, so?" JJ blinked at her. "That's why you're here."

Cassie shook her head. "No, I'm here to get you the keys—"

"And distract him."

"He's on a..." Cassie whipped her head around, trying to get a better look at what was happening on the boat ahead. It was Hollis Robinson who he spoke to, and he was assumedly on her yacht. Both had drinks in hand. She turned back around to JJ. "I don't know. I don't kn—"

"Is that that real-estate lady?" JJ interrupted, peeking his head around her to get a better look. "The one that bought your grandma's house?"

Cassie was feeling frantic. "Yes." she said, her voice tight.

"What is he doing with her?" JJ asked, squinting at the scene across the dock.

"I don't know." Cassie responded impatiently, like he didn't hear her the first time. "This is so stupid."

JJ raised both hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, woah, chill. We got the keys. We're, like, sixty percent there."

Cassie let out an exasperated breath. "Yeah? And a hundred percent of this is at my expense."

JJ grabbed her by the shoulders, a look of determination in his eyes. "Dude, I need you to lock in."

Cassie could've slapped him. "I—"

"Pirates. Treasure. Money. Debt-free. No more Barracuda Mike." He listed off things that he thought would calm her down.

But Cassie wasn't having it. "I—JJ, do you understand why this is difficult for me?"

JJ's eyes flickered back toward Rafe and Hollis down the dock before he focused on her again. He gave a thoughtful pause, as if really considering it. "Do you want me to do it?"

Cassie shook her head immediately, the response instinctual. "No. I just wanted to make sure you understand that I'm doing this with full reluctance."

"I hear you, I see you, alright? You're so seen. So heard." JJ put a hand on her shoulder in what he probably thought was a reassuring way.

Cassie huff, but she couldn't suppress the brief smile that broke through her frustration. She threw her hands up like she was about to shove him into the water, which made him flinch, and she barked out a laugh as she turned back toward the boat.

No plan. Zero plan. She was moving on pure adrenaline now, just trying to survive the moment.

Why didn't she think this through? Why hasn't she thought anything through? For months?

Cassie grabbed a bucket of cleaning supplies off the dock, her heart pounding as she climbed the bridge to Hollis' yacht. She shook her head as if she could physically shake off the doubt that gnawed at her, but it wouldn't go away.

She caught the tail end of Hollis' conversation with Rafe, her voice high and breezy. "...and that's... Oh—"

Cassie looked up. Rafe's back was to her, but Hollis peeked around him, catching sight of Cassie with an awkward smile.

Hollis looked confused. "Sorry, did I—"

"Oh, no—" Cassie shrugged, a thick tension in the air as Rafe turned around to see who Hollis was speaking to. "You were on the cleaning list, so I..."

Her sentence trailed off as she looked up to Rafe. What was it on his face? Pity? Sympathy? Embarrassment? It made her blood run cold, and a knot grow in her throat. What was she doing? 

For a moment, her world narrowed to the few feet of space between them, and she could feel the familiar knot in her throat tighten. This was humiliating. There was something about lugging cleaning supplies onto a yacht that made her feel so small.

It wasn't even part of her job—she only did it for the tips. Her real job was docking yachts. Somehow she'd convinced herself that was less dehumanizing than cleaning them.

Especially now, when Rafe would be the kind of person that gave her a ten dollar bill for the good work.

"I'll come back later." Cassie nodded, finally peeling her eyes off of Rafe and back to Hollis. She turned to leave, but was stopped.

"Oh, don't. We—" Hollis stepped closer, clearly not picking up on the awkwardness of the situation. "Would you like a drink? You are a client, after all."

Cassie reluctantly turned back around, watching as Hollis approached her with an arm out, like she was physically ready to pull Cassie back into the boat.

Hollis waved her forward. "You know Mr. Cameron, right?" She gestured to Rafe.

Cassie watched him stiffen, scratch an eyebrow with the hand that held his whiskey glass.

"Oh, right." Hollis shook her head, slightly embarrassed. "Of course you do. Um— please, stay. You must've been working really hard tonight."

Cassie couldn't hide the resentment on her face as Hollis turned and walked over to the bar. Her eyes flicked over to Rafe, who gave her a face that read as 'what are you doing here?'.

She ignored him, focusing her attention back to Hollis. "You don't have to do that— oh." She was already handing Cassie a glass.

"Mr. Cameron and I were just discussing some development plans," Hollis continued, turning to Rafe. "I actually bought land from Cassie's family not that long ago. We, uh, plan to develop an outdoor shopping area in that neighborhood."

Cassie clenched her jaw, feeling Rafe's stare.

"Ah." He raised his eyebrows, taking a sip. "Land... what land?"

"My grandpa's land— the house. My grandma's house." She stared at him, emotionless. "The one that died? You knew her." She reminded him, with no intention other than making him feel bad for asking.

"Right." Hollis said, breaking the tension and changing the subject. "Cassidy, have you ever been to Goat Island?"

She quickly turned her focus to Hollis, eyebrows narrowed slightly. "I—" but her train of thought was interrupted, reminded by her original reason for even being here. She glanced past Hollis, down the dock and towards Rafe's boat, which was slowly inching out of the marina. Cassie inhaled sharply, knowing she needed to keep this up. "I haven't." She lied.

"Beautiful chunk of land." Hollis nods. "Lots of untapped potential."

"Can we—" Rafe speaks up, "you were talking about potential partnerships."

Cassie stiffened as she watched Rafe turn back around to look at Hollis, all he had to do was look up past her to see his boat being stolen.

"Rafe." Cassie spoke up quickly, earning his attention once again. Her mind raced. "I didn't know you..." she was panicking, drawing out her words to keep his attention. "Were in... real estate."

He narrows his eyes, shaking his head confusedly like he was taken aback by her behavior. "I'm..." he turns back to Hollis and points at Cassie. "Sorry, what is she doing here?"

Her eyes widen as she sees JJ wave from the helm of Rafe's boat, almost fully out of the dock.

"I grew up cleaning houses." Hollis nodded sympathetically towards Cassie. "Now I buy them."

Cassie nodded along, trying to care about Hollis' attempt at connecting. "Maybe I can uh—" she glances to Rafe's boat, then back to Hollis. "Maybe someday I'll do the same."

Hollis lets out a breath of laughter, tilting her glass toward her. "Exactly. It's all about hard work."

Rafe was completely lost, suddenly turning to Cassie and walking toward her. "Can I talk to you?"

She wasn't given much of an option, as she was pulled on by her arm. It wasn't the time or place to complain about him yanking her around, if it kept his eyes away, she'd let it happen.

He took her off the boat, and stopped over the water, standing on the bridge between the dock and the yacht.

"Are you trying to screw this up for me?" Rafe asked her pointedly, trying to read her expression.

But now Cassie was confused. "I'm working, Rafe." She answered plainly, though she was slightly sidetracked trying to understand what it was she was just 'screwing up'. She glances up to Hollis, who was pouring herself another drink.

Rafe shook her arm where he held her, trying to redirect her attention back to him. "Huh?" He pried.

Cassie looked up at him with wide, angry eyes before she shook him off her arm. Whatever it was she had walked her self into, it was clearly important to him and whatever 'business man' facade he'd been upholding.

She thought about the last time they were this close to one another— the day of the ceremony. Where he showed up and made a fool of himself, and ruined what should've been a good day for her and her friends.

Cassie looked over to her right, Rafe's boat now fully on its way out of the marina, driving off into the night. Smiling, she turned back to Rafe.

He shook his head. "What? What now?"

She started backing up off the bridge with a shrug. "I just don't remember seeing your boat on the docking list."

"Cassie, I don't have time for your bullshit r—" He was talking over her until he processed what she said. "What did you say?"

She stepped off the bridge as she looked over to his boat, then back to Rafe, watching as he realized what happened.

"Hey—" he muttered at first, quickly stepping down the bridge and onto the dock. "Hey!" He was yelling now. "Hey— what the—" he snapped his head back towards Cassie.

For a moment she was enjoying seeing it all go down, feeling a sense of pride that their plan had worked. Of course, they knew they weren't going to get in and out of here without Rafe noticing, what mattered was that they got the boat in their possession. They'd deal with him after they found the wreck.

But seeing Rafe's angry expression as he turned to look at her, Cassie realized that their plan was missing a key part: an exit strategy.

Quietly, she turned on her heel like slow movements would ensure she wouldn't be caught leaving.

"Are you—" she heard him say from behind her. "Cassie!"

She instinctively started running, the docks creaking underneath her as she sprinted, her heart hammering in her chest. The sound of Rafe's voice calling her name only spurred her on faster. The dock stretched on ahead, endless, but every step was getting heavier as she glanced back over her shoulder to see him gaining.

Rafe's voice cut through the air again, this time sharper, filled with something closer to anger than confusion. "Cassie what the hell are you doing?!"

The cold night air stung her face as she pushed past the end of the dock, where the long wooden planks met the road. Cassie didn't even slow down, her feet pounding the pavement, desperate to get away from the chaos she'd just set in motion. His boat was already out of sight, disappearing into the dark waters.

She came to a slow as she rounded the corner by the marina, her breath coming in ragged bursts, a chuckle mixed in with all the panting.

Rafe was stuck in between desperately watching his boat sail off and trying to chase after Cassie for some answers, unsurprisingly pissed off.

But he was catching up, and Cassie had one of two options. She could join the party going on at the bar beside the marina, or make a run for The Twinkie that more than likely didn't have its keys in it.

Rafe couldn't do anything with so many people around, or so she hoped. So Cassie quickly ushered herself into the bar, the sound of Rafe's frantic yells echoing in her ears as the pulsing music seemed to drown out everything else.

"There's a cover for guys," the bouncer grunted, his large hand outstretched as Rafe tried to follow her inside.

Breathing heavily, Rafe flung his arm out toward Cassie, his desperation palpable. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as he was abruptly halted at the door. "She—" Rafe's voice cracked with anger. "She's a thief— that girl you just let in, she just—"

"Listen, man, I need you to lower your voice and calm down," the bouncer said with a firm, unyielding tone.

Rafe's eyes flared with indignation. "My boat— that— Cassie!"

Cassie was swiftly swallowed by the chaos of the crowd, the press of bodies jostling her as she was pulled deeper and deeper into the crowd. The booming bass of the music vibrated through her chest, adding to the panic that surged through her veins.

Suddenly, a drink splashed across her arm, followed by the sharp jab of a shoulder slamming into hers as someone surged past. The scene was a blur of faces and movement, too much happening at once for her to even register who was doing what.

But through the crowd of partygoers, she caught a glimpse of the bouncer, his imposing form cutting through the crowd. Rafe right behind him, his face twisted in frustration and fury.

A wave of panic rose in her chest. She felt cornered, trapped in a whirlwind of noise, bodies, and an overwhelming sense of impending chaos. She could barely see over the crowd as she searched for an exit.

But she felt someone grab onto her hand and yank her back, though instinct told her to fight it, she eased when she saw Sofia. "This way!" She yelled over the music.

Cassie nodded, her heart racing, and with a quick glance over her shoulder, she allowed Sofia to guide them both through the mass of bodies. Behind them, Rafe's voice carried through the chaos, a series of muffled shouts that Cassie couldn't bring herself to focus on— her panic was too sharp, her mind too scattered. Another hard shove sent her stumbling, nearly knocking her off balance, but Sofia kept her steady.

With a sudden push, Sofia led them through an employee-only door, and they both nearly toppled in. Inside, the bright, sterile lights of the kitchen were blinding in contrast to the neon strobe lights of the bar, and Cassie fought to steady herself.

"There's a back door around here—" Sofia's voice was urgent, cutting through Cassie's disarray.

"Thank you!" Cassie gasped, her heart still thundering in her chest. She didn't waste a second, darting in the direction Sofia pointed, too frantic to stop and ask for any further directions.

As Cassie fumbled with the back door handle, she heard the bouncer's voice from somewhere inside, sharp and accusatory. "Was there a blonde girl in here?" he demanded.

Sofia's voice, cool and unaffected, answered with practiced ease. "I don't know... no, I don't think so."

Cassie swung door open and tumbled out into the cool night air, a relieved breath escaped her lips as the door slammed shut behind her, cutting off the noise and chaos.

She pressed herself up against the door, struggling to regain her breath as the adrenaline that had been surging through her veins began to drain away. A soft, almost disbelieving laugh bubbled out of her, too pleased with how upset Rafe had been.

But as the laughter died on her lips, an unexpected pang of guilt twisted in her chest. Each chuckle that escaped her left behind discomfort, a growing reminder that she had actually been running for what felt like her life. From someone she used to love and trust so immensely.

Even as the years went on, it would never not be hard to think of what could've been. Because surely, it didn't have to be like this. These constant games, the back-and-forth, the shifting dynamics— it was the only rhythm they knew now. And it was endless. There was no resolution, no finality, just this exhausting push and pull. Every interaction, every confrontation, always felt like a repeat of the last.

Pulling out her phone, she checked her messages.

jj:
picked up the crew
me and kie are diving should only take like 45 mins
i left the keys to the twinkie in the glovebox🫡

She huffed out her last deep breath, trying to regain whatever logical thinking had just gone out the window the last half hour as she rubbed her eyes frustratedly, making her way over to the van.

a/n
MAJOR OBX S4 PT 2 SPOILERS AHEAD

ok ya i finished pt 2 this morning. shoutout to everyone who was filling my comments and message boards with spoilers that was awesome 😐 but i guess out saved me the blow ??

i honestly thought at first that it was rafe that was gonna get killed off. especially w the way they treated his character this szn i thought they were gonna do the whole redemption arc then immediately gets killed sorta thing but then someone like explicitly commented that jj gets killed so .. 🚶‍♀️

i cried !! :( makes me so sad bc it felt so crazy to kill him off bc like he is ... outerbanks?? like he's what makes the pogues the pogues i guess?? i do love a show that takes risks like that tho and i love that it showed that not everyone is invincible ? just sad ;( especially thinking back to watching s1 during the pandemic and how it seemed soooo simple then aw :(

i do think ppl who are claiming this is his gfs fault or talking about all the issues with madison and shit are extremely silly. we do not know these people. and yall are wayyyyy too comfortable toying with people's real life relationships because of a fictional character and i think some of yall need to unclench. WE DO NOT KNOW THESE PEOPLE. we do not know what is going on that set and i think a lot of his has been blown wayyyy out of proportion. :/

ANYWAYS do not worry ive prepared for all possible outcomes this season ☝️ like ive said before it's hard writing for a show that's still airing bc i don't know what to expect next but hopefully yall bare with me as i trudge through this season. ive barely written my way through episode 2 so ill be sticking around for several more months🚶‍♀️!

love u all even tho u spoiled it for me and i hope u enjoyed this chapter!❤️
jane