017 !! PUSHOVER

She pulls out her key inserting it in the lock but the lock jingles lightly causing her brows to be pulled together.

Stuffing the key inside the pockets of her jean shorts, Georgie tries the door knob which turns effortlessly when she goes to open the door.

Unlocked.

That's weird.

Carefully, she opens the door only putting one foot in and gingerly stepping inside.

A wave of relief and confusion washes over her at the sight of her father fidgeting with the cable box on the couch.

"Dad?".

Luke startles looking up from the cable box in his hand.

"Oh, Georgie. Done with work already?", he frowns.

She nods shutting the door and pulling her bag off her shoulder.

"It's Midsummer's tonight so Anna closed up early".

A faint sense of recognition crosses his face but other than that, Luke says nothing.

She decides to end the conversation as soon as possible and moves over to the kitchen halting only once when he calls out to her.

"And where's your brother? Fucking around again?".

She flinches at the tone of his words and the words themselves but refuses to show it, instead rubs her hands over her arms.

"He's with Kie, I think".

Luke scoffs, "I honestly don't see why y'all like hanging out with her so much. She's Anna's daughter, she's gonna use you and spit you out like shit".

A bubble of frustration grows inside of her, Georgie knows how much her father despises the Carreras but that doesn't mean that he's right.

Anna is still the woman who's kept her employed at The Wreck for the past two years.

Kiara is still her childhood friend who'd do anything for any of them.

So it's incredibly unfair that Luke Maybank chooses to hate them even though, the Carreras are kinda responsible for keeping him alive.

They're the ones paying Georgie, after all.

The least he can do is try and hide his distaste for them once in a while.

She doesn't reply, no matter how much she wants to it is not worth the risk.

And the last thing she needs today is to deal her with ever present daddy issues when she's already promised Heyward that she'd help him and Pope out at Midsummer's.

It is a good job and Heyward's insisting on paying her by the hour.

And she is not letting Luke Maybank spoil her already distressed mood.

So, she pulls out the packet of bread she'd bought just two days ago and grabs tomatoes, cucumbers and the butter slab from the fridge and gets to work preparing a sandwich for her and her good for nothing father.

She's in the middle of chopping the tomatoes when the call comes.

In a matter of a few seconds, Luke Maybank has managed to swear half of the town — and his kids, mind you — and almost topple over a chair in the living room.

Georgie runs out of the kitchen to ask him what's going on when one murderous look is thrown her way.

"You", he jabs a finger towards her, "in the car, now".

She doesn't have the time nor guts to ask what he's suddenly so mad about so she quietly follows his orders, settling down in the passenger seat of his jeep and letting him speed down the road towards Figure Eight.

"You fucking morons. The fuck have you two been getting yourselves into?", Luke shakes his head hitting the steering wheel with a force that makes Georgie jump in her seat.

"What happened, dad?", she swallows down her fear.

He laughs a sarcastic devilish laugh, " 'What happened, dad?' don't play that shit with me, Georgie. You know what happened".

Confused, she turns to him.

"No, I don't.  I swear I don't, really. What's going on?".

"Your piece of shit of a brother got arrested. You hear that? He's arrested, Georgie. Now, you tell me where the fuck", he hits the steering wheel again — this time she only gulps —, "do I get the bail money from, huh?".

When she doesn't say anything, he hits the steering wheel for a third time, this time making her bite down on her lip to keep herself from crying.

"Where, Georgie?", he throws her a sharp glance.

"I'll pay for it. I'll help you pay for it", she murmurs trying to keep it together.

Another sarcastic laugh.

"Yeah, no shit. He fucks up and you clean it up. That's the agreement, right?".

Georgie goes silent.

She knows this statement all too well.

Every time JJ messes up, Georgie comes in practically begging for him to let her clean it all up.

And he lets her.

But that's not his fault.

She's used to looking out for her brother and if that means being labelled as a 'pushover' then so be it.

She just wants him to be okay.

Because he's all she's got.

Despite having a parent live in the same house as hers for as long as she can remember, she's never truly had Luke Maybank be there for her and JJ.

He's an adult keeping them from being swooped away by Child Services and that is the only reason why they still tolerate him.

Why, even as he's glaring and leaving the car, Georgie refuses to stand up to him.

In fear of what the consequences might be.

Ten minutes later and out he comes walking with a visibly scared JJ by his side.

In an instant, Georgie exists the passenger seat and gets in the back not uttering a single word to either of them.

They get in and Georgie sits fearfully quiet at the back glancing between them when they don't say a word to each other.

"Dad, I swear . . . .", JJ is the first one to break the silence.

But the instance he does, Georgie gasps crying out loud.

Luke Maybank punches his son for a second time not even even letting him breathe and comprehend what's going on.

"Thirty thousand dollars! Do you know what you did to me?", Luke yells pushing JJ against the car door as he gasps in fitfuls of breaths.

Georgie lunges forward roughly pulling at her dad's arm with tear filled eyes.

"Dad, no", her voice cracks just as her dad throws another punch at JJ, the impact being harder this time due to his face being pressed against the window.

He cries out in pain and Luke punches again.

"How you gonna get the money back? By sittin' around and doin' nothin'? I'm gonna tell you right now, you're a worthless piece of shit", he throws him against the window by his collar.

"Shut up!", JJ finally yells back trying to get him off him.

"Dad, stop", Georgie lets out a sob grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and attempting to pull him back.

"Your mama knew", another punch.

"Shut up!", JJ hits out with his elbow which earns him another punch as Georgie completely breaks down trying to claw through the material of her father's shirt.

"You tell me where you're gonna get the 30 grand now!".

He finally throws him limp against the window and ignites the car putting it into drive and flashing through the streets towards their house.

Georgie covers her mouth just as another sob chokes out.

She closes her eyes inhaling deeply to steady herself.

The pain, the pain of seeing her brother, the one person she loves so much in this entire world being hurt, hurt so brutally by the man they call their father dug deep inside her soul.

A vacant need of comfort and solace arises in her in such moments.

She tries to silence herself pressing the back of her hand into her mouth to keep herself from gaining his attention.

It feels so fucking repetitive.

The pain is so fucking deep that every time it happens, the sheer pain of it is multiplied and brought down on her.

It keeps burning deep inside of her sometimes not even letting her breathe and she fucking hates herself for it.

When the jeep pulls into the driveway, Luke is quick to abandon them in the car and stomp over to the house.

Once he's inside, Georgie pulls open her door shuffling towards JJ's and doing the same with his.

He stays seated there, silent tears falling down his cheeks with his head bent over his chest.

Gently, she reaches out to him and wraps her fingers around his wrist.

The action makes him yell out a loud sob and push his face in her neck, hiding in her arms as if those arms alone are enough to keep him safe from the world.

She pulls him against her chest sniffling as he cries in her arms.

Her hand softly rubs his back.

"It's gonna be fine", she whispers tightening her hold around him.

"When? When will it be fine, Georgie?", he sobs hiding his face further into her hair.

A lump forms in her throat at his words.

She sniffles shaking her head and pulling him close to give all the comfort he needs.

Everything the world can never give him.

"Soon. I promise I'll get us out of here".

***
are we sad?? idk what i'm feeling but i just really really wanna stab luke maybank iykyk also i don't add tw to chapters bc that ruins the vibe + i literally listed all of them in the first part?? hello its not my fault if you skip stuff??? so um yeah