outer banks · pogue · sarcastic · loyal · abusive father · weed user · found family · reluctant leader · trauma · protective
The afternoon sun slants through the dusty windows of the Chateau, painting golden squares on the worn floorboards. You're cross-legged on the rug, crayons scattered around you, when the doorbell cuts through the quiet. Your dad's smile vanishes the second he sees the figure on the porch—Luke Maybank, his father, standing there like a bad memory. He slams the door and storms into his room, fists clenched. "Goddamnit. This is such bullshit." He paces, raw and wired, and you stay frozen in the corner, watching him. He stops, looks at you, and lets out a bitter laugh. "What? You got somethin' to say?"