𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥
storm of hearts
HURRICANE AGATHA LOOMED on the horizon, promising destruction in its wake. The Outer banks were a frequent target for catastrophic weather, and Matilda despised each storm just as much as the last. The bellowing winds and onslaught of rain always transported her back to a time in her childhood when she felt utterly powerless and abandoned.
Matilda had grown up quickly, forced to be self-reliant from a young age. Her father was always away working, and her mother seemed more interested in her own pursuits than in raising a child. She was never willing to trade in lavish getaways for parent-teacher interviews. In hindsight, it was painfully evident that her parents had gone to great lengths to avoid each other's company, leaving Matilda caught in the crossfire.
One night, as a storm brewed over the Outer banks, the atmosphere crackling with anticipation, the little girl's fear reached its zenith as darkness descended. The power succumbed to the storm's wrath, plunging the house into an abyss of blackness. In that moment, Matilda was stripped of her precocious maturity, reverting back to the vulnerable eleven-year-old she truly was. No longer the girl who navigated her way home after school, cooked her own meals, or possessed the knowledge to change a simple lightbulb. Instead, she found herself alone as the storm outside intensified, echoing through the desolate house.
Six months had passed since her mother's departure from the Outer Banks, leaving a noticeable void in the family. Despite her father being physically present, he seemed to be lost in his own world since her mother walked out. That night, as the storm raged outside, she couldn't help but worry about her father's safety– the man most likely The Cove with his permanent accessory of bourbon in hand.
By the time Victor Shoupe arrived, heart racing in concern for the his niece– the storm had reached its crescendo. And Matilda, she had already sought solace under her father's bed covers as she watched the lighting dance across the night sky through tear-filled eyes. The deafening sound of hail assaulting the house drowned out her soft sobs.
With each approaching storm, no matter how mild, Matilda could not help but be transported back to that day, forever etched in her memory. Agatha, like a hurricane of anxiety, held Matilda captive in its eye, leaving her on edge.
Matilda sat in her parked car outside her house, listening to the light rain padding against her car and the rhythmic squeaking of her window wipers against the windshield. The early morning hours were pierced by the wail of the hurricane siren, signalling the impending storm. Everyone scrambled to prepare themselves for the inevitable impact. Time seemed to press on relentlessly, showing no mercy to the weary residents, especially the working-class individuals who had to juggle their daily responsibilities with the demands of storm preparation. Yet, nobody was no stranger to this routine, having experienced it countless times before.
Matilda had spent the morning at the hotel owned by Marcus and her father, helping to fortify the building and aiding the guests who had already rolled in for the summer.
As soon as the initial raindrops started to descend from the sky, signalling the imminent arrival of Agatha, her father was adamant that she returned home before the weather picked up. It was obvious to James that his daughter was growing anxious, fumbling with sandbags as she readied the hotel for the storm.
The atmosphere had shifted drastically within the last day, the once serene summer clouds now transformed into a foreboding grey mass. The air carried a peculiar scent, a mix of dampness and anticipation, while the thunderclaps grew louder, mirroring the growing unease within Matilda's heart.
As she approached the house, she finally stepped out of the safety of her car. "Hi Lana," she called out to the woman who stood, gazing into the sombre clouds, lost in her thoughts.
"Hey sweetheart! Lucy is just inside making finishing touches to the Fort."
Lana Grubbs had been her nanny for many years, and now she was Lucy's during the summer. She had gone to high school with her father and they were great friends back in the day. Even after he left The Cut, they stayed in touch. That was just the person James was.
Matilda smiled at the thought. Lucy insisted that everyone camp out in the living room together every time a storm rolled around. "What are you predicting?" Matilda asked, joining Lana in staring out into the clouds.
"Nothing good," Lana murmured, her dark eyes briefly flickering towards the teenager as thunder reverberated through the sky.
One thing about Lana was that her intuition was always spot-on. Over the years, she had shared her spiritual nature with Matilda, often speaking of the moon's influence on the earth and water. When nightmares plagued Matilda, Lana gifted her a dream catcher and a howlite bracelet, now accompanied by an amethyst one. And thanks to Lana, Matilda had developed a fondness for horoscopes.
A tight knot formed in Matilda's throat as she absorbed Lana's words, her attempt to suppress her nerves evident on her face. If Lana sensed something in the air, it must have been significant. "It's really kicking up out here, are you going to be all good to get home?" Matilda asked, concern etched on her face.
"Yeah, the car is up and running again. Scooter picked up some extra shifts," she reassured the girl, her expression radiating warmth as she observed her. She gestured towards the car parked on the other side of the fountain.
The girl followed her gaze with a soft laugh, "I didn't even notice."
Scooter and Lana had been together since high school. He was a little rough around the edges, but he was a big softie at heart. The pair had once taken a 10-year-old Matilda to the county fair, walking around hand in hand with the little girl between them, smiles all around as she swung their hands. In a way, it was like all three of them got to act out a reality they couldn't have; Lana and Scooter got a taste of parenthood, while Matilda experienced the love of two devoted parents.
"You've always been a dreamer, lost in your own world," Lana remarked with a fond smile. "You used to tell me bedtime stories," she reminisced, the two sharing a smile. "Will you two be okay?" Lana inquired, a hint of concern in her voice, a nurturing instinct that came naturally to her.
"We'll manage. You should head back before the storm hits," she advised, glancing up at the darkening sky. A sudden clap of thunder made her flinch, a shiver running down her spine.
Lana enveloped her in a warm hug, pressing a tender kiss on her forehead while Matilda embraced her back, the soothing fragrance of sage and lavender lingering in the air. "Drive safely and let me know when you're home," she murmured.
Matilda stood on the deck, watching Lana climb into her car and wave goodbye with a half-hearted gesture. It was a familiar routine for Matilda, always waiting until the car disappeared from the driveway. Letting out a gentle sigh, she finally stepped inside, closing the front door behind her with care. She removed her damp shoes and placed them neatly on the rack.
"Hey Kiddo," she called out.
The sound of little feet belonging to Lucy reverberated through the house as she ran towards Matilda, wrapping her arms tightly around the older girl's thighs. "Tilda!" she exclaimed joyfully, pulling away and taking Matilda's hands to lead her to the living room. "I built a fort! But we need more blankets," she explained as she tugged Matilda along, who followed effortlessly. "You're sleeping next to me," she declared, pointing towards the room.
"Let's start getting ready for bed in case we lose power. You have a bath while I make us some food," Matilda instructed, her voice filled with a sense of responsibility.
Lucy grew up as an only child with her father after her mother passed away at birth, being raised by her grandparents until their families merged when their fathers got married. The two girls were both more than thrilled to have a sister, and had been two peas in a pod since.
Lights illuminated the Shoupe residence and Matilda busied herself making dinner while Lucy bathed. She made sure her sister was fed and dressed and then changed into her own pyjamas, feeling too anxious to eat. An hour later, Matilda was sitting on the couch playing with a flashlight when Lucy entered the room, adorned in her matching pyjamas and holding her stuffed animals, giggling softly at her older sister.
"Okay, let's pick a movie," Matilda suggested.
"What about Marley?" Lucy inquired.
"I put him in the laundry before we left," Matilda replied effortlessly, continuing to unfold a pink blanket and draping it over Lucy's legs.
"I let him out," Lucy whispered, her voice tinged with guilt.
"You did what?" Matilda's expression shifted, a mixture of surprise and concern.
Lucy's bottom lip protruded slightly as she observed Matilda's reaction. "Daddy would have been angry if Marley pooped inside again, and he needed to go!" she defended her actions.
Matilda exhaled deeply, her gaze drifting towards the window where palm tree leaves rustled against the glass. The weather transformed drastically during the hour she had been home. The wind howled through the trees, carrying away anything that was not securely fastened, while rain hammered against the panes. Matilda's anxiety surged as she worried about their golden retriever. Swiftly masking her concern, she offered Lucy a gentle smile and patted the pillows. "He's probably just in the backyard. You stay here, and I'll go check," she assured the girl. "Promise?" she confirmed.
"Promise," Lucy murmured, slipping beneath the covers and wrapping her arms around the dolphin plush that Rafe had won her at a carnival two years ago.
Being out in the midst of a hurricane was the last thing the young girl desired. Hastily, she donned a rain jacket that had been tucked away in the cupboard beside the back door of the mudroom, slipping her feet into a pair of boots. As she opened the door, a gust of wind greeted her, causing her to take a step back. It felt like a nightmare as she ventured onto the back deck, shutting the door behind her.
The wind and rain combined to create a white haze that obscured the backyard, making it difficult to see. With trepidation, she descended the steps onto the grass, the wind battering her body and causing her coat to flutter wildly. She clutched the hood of the jacket tightly over her head as she moved around the backyard and calling out for the dog, rain pelting her face like tiny projectiles.
As she rounded the side of the house towards the shed, she felt a sudden grip on her arm, prompting a small scream that was quickly swallowed by the howling wind. Whirling around quickly, her eyes met the drenched figure of JJ, and she released a sigh in both annoyance and relief. "What are you doing here?" she questioned.
"What are you doing outside?" he replied, pulling her closer to the side of the house for shelter.
"Marley is missing," she explained, keeping close to him to be heard over the raging storm.
"Bob?" he shook his head. Bob being the nickname he had given the dog, believing she was named after Bob Marley even though Lucy had corrected him on multiple occasions. "She's in the shed," he added.
A wave of relief washed over Matilda as she allowed the boy to guide her into the shed, shutting the door behind them. Now shielded from the relentless rain, she looked up at JJ, noticing droplets of water cascading down his forehead from his drenched hair. Realizing she had been staring for a moment too long, she cleared her throat. "Why are you still here? You never answered me earlier."
"Your dad asked me yesterday to stay because he knew he would be at the hotel so–," JJ started.
"In the shed?" she asked, her confusion evident.
JJ simply shrugged in response. "He just said to watch the place and you.." his words trailed off, realising how stupid he sounded. The storm outside mirrored his internal turmoil, his attempts at conversation falling short as he grappled with his own insecurities.
"It's fine," she swallowed slightly, letting him know he did not have to explain himself. It definitely was in character for her father to pull something like this. "I-I need to get back inside– Lucy is all alone," she whispered. Her gaze shifted from JJ to the other side of the shed, where her golden-haired dog lay curled up, seemingly unaffected by the storm. Who knew a dog could be braver than her?
The teenagers, despite their bickering when Matilda picked up the medium sized dog and proceeded to carry her to the house, managed to navigate their way back to the safety of the house.
In the dimly lit mud room, she gently placed Marley on the floor, watching as the dog instinctively shook off the wetness from the rain and it covered the room and the girl. "It's not funny," she told JJ who quietly chuckled from behind her as he latched the door shut.
She removed her hood, revealing her slightly dishevelled hair as she peeled off her coat, grateful for its protection against the rain– her pyjamas completely dry. She leaned against the bench as she pushed off her soaked boots. Her attention turned back to JJ who quickly pulled his gaze back up to her face, moistening his bottom lip slightly.
Their eyes met, and he cleared his throat awkwardly acting as if he wasn't just gawking at the girl.
"I'll go get towels, okay?" she confirmed after taking in his appearance. She casted a final look at him as she stood in the archway, "And JJ," she began, the boy looking at her expectantly. "Stop being weird. My dad said you're always welcome here," she commented.
"Got it sunshine," he responded playfully. "I'll fix myself before you come back," he teased, already relaxing again in front of her as if his previous day's turmoil had been forgotten— and it was; because he wanted to be there.
She shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she left the room. Matilda hurriedly grabbed a couple of towels from the spare bathroom, her steps light and purposeful. Returning to the room, she found JJ in the process of removing his shoes. Handing him a towel, their eyes met once again, and they exchanged matching smiles. While JJ dried himself off, she focused her attention on Marley, the dog who was determined to escape her grasp as she tried to towel dry her fur. Laughter filled the room as JJ watched her struggle and she couldn't hold back her own amusement.
After successfully persuading JJ to take a shower to warm up while there was still power in the house and leaving a change of clothes outside the bathroom door, Matilda returned to the makeshift fort with a dry but musty-smelling dog in tow, who happily bounded over to Lucy.
"What are you doing, Princess?" Matilda voiced, moving her body to settle down on the makeshift bed of blankets and pillows.
"I want to do nails," Lucy replied, pointing to the box beside her.
"I thought I told you to wait here," Matilda reminded her.
"You were gone forever and the wifi dropped out. Plus I stayed in the house." Lucy explained.
The lights flickered slightly, making both girls look up, almost expecting the house to plunge into darkness.
"I don't think you'll have power much longer," JJ's voice echoed through the room.
Matilda turned her gaze towards him. JJ stood in the entry dressed in the grey sweats and black t-shirt she had left for him– she coincidentally left out telling him she had stolen them from Rafe at some point. A stark contrast to his usual appearance but nevertheless, he looked handsome with his unruly blonde hair still damp from the shower— and that cheeky grin that tugged on his lips as Lucy perked up at his presence, almost squealing his name. Sometimes, it was hard not to admire him.
Lucy eagerly pulled JJ towards the blankets on the floor, her face beaming with joy. "JJ, guess what?" she exclaimed. Matilda couldn't help but smile at their interaction, observing how JJ had blossomed in the past few weeks, mirroring Lucy's infectious energy as he grew more comfortable with the little girl who eagerly greeted him every day he worked at the house.
The sound of her phone vibrating caught her attention. Surprisingly, the cell towers were still functioning, indicating that the power hadn't gone out yet. This realisation unsettled her, as she peered outside and realised that this was just the beginning of what Agatha had in store.
She picked up her phone and saw a flood of messages from Rafe. After Ward insisted that the entire family stay together, Rafe had nearly cracked it and complained to the girl because they had to cancel their plans. And apparently, he was now in a mood because he had to spend quality time with his sisters, more so Sarah.
Her teeth sank into her lower lip, holding back the grin that threatened to spread across her face as she replied to his texts regarding his habit of secretly passing money to Wheezie and blindsiding Sarah in Monopoly.
"Tillyyy," Lucy whined, holding up two bottles of nail polish. "Pink or purple?" the girl questioned.
"Hmm, purple," Matilda confirmed, setting her phone down. She watched as Lucy bossed JJ around to paint her nails and he went along without argument. A smile playing on her lips as he concentrated, tongue poking out in focus.
"You're not very good at this," Lucy critiqued, noticing JJ painting her skin purple instead of her nails. Matilda stifled a laugh, covering her mouth as she watched JJ's face fall.
Lucy dismissed his attempt to cover her nails and blew on them instead, while JJ turned his head towards Matilda with a disapproving gaze as she finally laughed aloud.
"Come, come," Lucy beckoned for her sister to move closer, holding her hands out as the girl shuffled closer.
Matilda playfully examined the girl's freshly painted nails with a hum. "Very nice, princess," she stated, basking in the proud smile that formed on Lucy's lips.
"What colour do you want?" Lucy questioned, turning her head to look at JJ expectantly.
JJ who was watching the two with his own smile, scrunched his nose up at her words, "I'm not painting my nails. It's for you two. Tilly said she wants hers done," he said quickly.
Matilda held her hands up to show off her light blue nails, "Sorry! I just got mine done," she shrugged.
Lucy looked at JJ wearing a puzzled expression, her face scrunching up slightly as she turned to her sister, "Boys can paint their nails, right?" she innocently questioned.
"Of course they can," Matilda confirmed
JJ started to shake his head as the little girl pouted out her bottom lip, "No way," he firmly declared.
Two minutes later, both his hands were outstretched towards the girls. One hand rested on the floor as Lucy carefully painted his nails, while the other hand hung in the air as Matilda focused on her task.
His eyes narrowed at the older girl who had been smiling the entire time in amusement. "Stop smiling," he demanded.
"I'm not," she mused, dipping the brush into the bottle before continuing to coat his nails. "Stop moving," she groaned as she accidently painted his finger.
"My hands can't stay still mid air," he defended.
Matilda firmly clasped his hand, pressing it gently against her exposed knee to silence his complaints, a victorious grin playing on her lips as she locked eyes with him. The rough texture of his fingers lightly grazed her skin as his fingers involuntarily twitched at the touch, causing a subtle shiver to run down her spine.
While the storm outside raged on, a comfortable silence settled in the room other than the occasional hum from Lucy. This appeared to be a good distraction for Matilda who now had other things on her mind, not just Agatha— namely a certain blonde pogue.
&&. note
this isn't my favourite chapter, but lucy being a sass queen makes up for it.
but good news is we are finally getting into the storyline for the show which i'm excited for. mainly because it's going to bring a lot of angst.
Tilly kinda has a little bit to do with the royal merchant plot, but she has her own plot for the first season. It might make the season seem a little slow but I didn't just want to write her joining the pogues straight away. I couldn't see that happening with how I've written JJ, and her friendship with Rafe would 100% conflict with the Pogues.