stevie | outer banks | JJxOC

46- stressypants

After sleeping in the back of the truck, wrapped warmly in JJ's asm and her head resting on his chest, Stevie and the others continued their journey. After the hellish journey, they might as well go to Charleston to see if they could still talk to the Limbrey person, even if they were a day late.

"They're a bunch of fancy people," Kie read the information she gathered about the Limbreys off of her phone as Pope drove across through Charleston, "They've had three governors in the family. They've run Charleston for, like, 300 years."

"Wow they're like proper, proper Kooks," Stevie said looking out the window at the fancy houses they were passing.

"These Kooks make our Kooks look like Pogues," JJ agreed.

Reluctantly, the four got out of the car and stood at the gate outside the looming property, all of them uncomfortable. The house itself was nice and well kept but it had a soulless, heartless atmosphere, the opposite of the chateau.

"Look at this home security," Stevie grimaced looking at the spikes around the gate, again confirming her right to be apprehensive.

"Are those spikes to keep people out?" JJ asked looking up at them, noticing after Stevie had pointed them out.

"No," Kie answered regretfully, her gut, similar to Stevie's, uncomfortable with the situation.

"Slave quarters are over there," Pope nodded with his head, "these spikes were to keep people in." he sighed.

"I really don't like this," Stevie turned to look at Pope then JJ with furrowed brows.

"It's for John B," Pope reassured her. They followed the path up to the grand elaborate door where Stevie scoffed slightly realising there was no doorbell. Pope used the knocker on the door three times, the sound shook through the house, "think that was too much?"

"It echoed the entire house. That's for sure." JJ said dryly and sarcastically, "They definitely heard it,"

Pope went to go knock again but as he reached for the door it moved away from him, revealing a disgruntled man in the door frame. He scanned the group, eyeing each one up before he settled on Pope. Pointing his finger in his face her said, "You must be Pope,"

"Are you Mr. Limbrey?" Pope asked, assuming he was the one that sent the letter.

"Ms Limbrey was expecting you yesterday." he scowled back at the group. They tried to explain that the car had broken down and that they could do anything to get there on time. Additionally, it didn't help that the invitation was super cryptic and there was no number left on it. The man looked blankly at the four teens explained, before glumly saying, "She expected you to come alone."

"These are my friends, they helped–"

"The instructions were explicit. Your friends can stay outside," the man cut him off before thinking in his head for a second, "unless one of you is the Routledge girl. Limbrey's heard a lot about her." Her stomach plummeted. How did he know about her? JJ took her hand feeling protective all of a sudden. "You the Routledge girl?" he asked, picking up on the change in behaviour and the shock on her face. She nodded slightly, struggling to find the words to answer him. "You can come. You two stay outside," He gestured to JJ and Kie.

"We're kind of a package deal, man," JJ tried to protest. He was worried about sending his girlfriend into a house with people they didn't know. He didn't like that they knew a lot more than they should. He didn't want her to be vulnerable without him to protect her.

"JJ." Pope stopped him, "I got this, I'll look after her."

"I'll keep the car running," JJ whispered before leaning in to give Stevie a peck on the lips, in support.