written in the stars - a topper thornton fanfic (outer banks)

t w e n t y n i n e

song: 'i was all over her' by salvia palth

present

'G'vieve?' Topper whispered. He hadn't been expecting to see her, but part of him had been hoping he would. It was their meeting space after all. Or, at least it had been. He'd visited it almost every night since he returned to the Outer Banks, yet Genevieve had never been there at the same time. He was beginning to wonder did she even remember about it.

His head was still spinning from the coke. He had only done one line, but that was more than enough. He managed to sneak off before Rafe or Sarah could tempt him with another one. Besides, Topper hadn't derived any pleasure from the coke. Instead, he had found himself imagining what Genevieve would have said had she seen him. Not a very enjoyable thought, to say the least.

Genevieve hesitantly began to walk towards Topper, glancing over her shoulder to make sure JJ wasn't on his way home. She slowly walked over to the log where Topper was sat. She sighed shakily as she sat down next to him; this time last year they were probably sat in this very spot, but under very different circumstances.

Topper looked over at her. He had so much to say to her, and he didn't know where to even begin. 'What brings you here?' Topper said, mustering a weak smile. His eyes darted across Genevieve's face, trying to decipher what she was feeling, but it was impossible. Her face revealed nothing, her gaze remained fixed on the ocean.

'I could ask you the same thing,' she whispered. Genevieve sighed shakily, not knowing what to say - or where to begin.

'I had to escape from the party at the Cameron's. Muscle memory brought me back here.'

Genevieve looked over at Topper, finding herself immediately lost in his bright blue eyes. Before she could stop it, a sob wracked her body and she found herself with her head in her hands.

Topper felt as if his entirely world had come crashing down when he saw Genevieve begin to cry. He went to wrap his arm around her, but Genevieve had wiped her eyes and sat up.

'Where were you?' She exclaimed angrily, wiping the tears from her eyes. 'Why did you leave without telling me anything? You had my phone number, Top. You could have texted me and blocked me if that's what you wanted, but to tell me nothing? To leave me thinking that it was my fault that you left?'

'G'vieve...' Topper began, but he was cut off. His eyes followed Genevieve as she began pacing back and forth, running her hands through her hair. His eyes couldn't help but fall to the bruises on her back that were revealed everytime she lifted her hands up. His heart broke a little more each time. What had changed since he had left?

'Topper, I loved you. I loved you and you left me broken. I have spent everyday of the last year of my life, the worst year of my life, thinking about you. Thinking about why you left, thinking about why you never told me why, thinking about what I did to drive you away. I needed you, Top. I needed you. And just when I was beginning to feel like myself again, you show up to our kegger with Sarah fucking Cameron. Are you trying to do everything in your power to hurt me?'

'You thought you drove me away?' Topper said shakily. He could tell that he had hurt Genevieve, but he hadn't known how much.

Genevieve nodded, biting the inside of her cheek and turning to face the ocean to hide the tears that were beginning to form. She blinked them back and sat back down next to Topper.

'Oh Genevieve,' Topper whispered, instinctively wrapping his arm around her. He had expected her to pull away, but instead, she rested her head on his shoulder. Many a night they had spent just like this, but never with them both in this much pain.

'Genevieve, my leaving was never your fault. My parents heard what I did to Rafe and they freaked. You didn't drive me away, you could never do that.'

'But you beat Rafe up to protect me,' Genevieve whispered.

Topper sighed as he gently kissed the top of her head. 'Yes, but I'd probably have beat him up sooner or later regardless. You just expedite things.'

Genevieve couldn't help but laugh softly. The laugh that sent chills through Topper's entire body. A laugh he hadn't heard in a year, but that he'd never forgotten.

'I missed that laugh,' Topper said with a sad smile.

'Me too,' Genevieve said, her voice barely a whisper.

Topper glanced over at her, wondering what had possibly changed to make her this... broken. Surely this wasn't all his fault? 'What's aft-'

The laughs never lasted long, and Genevieve was quickly filled with the familiar anger and pain that had wholly consumed her. 'Why the fuck are you following us though?'

Taken aback by her sudden change in demeanour, Topper felt his walls beginning to go up. 'Because..' he began, but couldn't find the words. How could he tell her it was all so she would make her way back to him? And now he was beginning to ask himself how could he be so stupid to think that it would actually have worked?

He avoided Genevieve's expectant gaze. 'Because what the fuck are you doing nosing around for that Grady-White? Diving on tanks that are barely full, that are stolen, and without anyone who had ever dived before? How could you be so stupid G'vieve?'

Genevieve's eyes widened slightly. She didn't recognise this Topper. He was angry, but Topper never got angry with her. But if he could be angry, so could she.

'Well I'm sorry, Topper, but we don't all have a trust fund to fall back on now, do we? Do you seriously think I'm doing all this for the shits and giggles? That Grady-White could put food on my table for the rest of the year. And let me tell you, it's been a long time since there has been. But you wouldn't know that, would you?'

The anger in Topper's eyes vanished when he saw the hurt flash across Genevieve's face. 'What do you mean it's been a long time since you've had food on the table?'

Genevieve could hear the genuine concern in Topper's voice. If she wasn't so angry at him, she'd believe that he was in just as much pain over it as she was.

Genevieve shrugged, avoiding his gaze. 'It doesn't matter. What matters is how you're doing everything in your power to fuck up my life even more. So, just...' Genevieve had to pause to try hide the pain in her voice. She failed. She couldn't hide anything from Topper; he knew her too well. 'Just mind your own business with your Kook fucking princess on your fucking Malibu 24-MXZ, and stay the fuck away from me.'

'Genevieve, wait!' Topper exclaimed, watching her as she began to leave.

'Please, Topper. I can't keep letting you hurt me.'