he wasn't jealous, it was platonic concern.

Over the next few weeks Otto split her time with her new group of friends and Wes.

The vast majority of her time was spent at either the Chateau or the Harrington manor. Although she always made sure to spend at least one full day with her family.

Wes graduated two years before, so he didn't go to college, he had some position in his father's business. Otto kind of ignored him when he spoke about the business - she didn't give a shit.

He hadn't worked for the position, he was a nepotism baby through and through. While people worked hard from the bottom of the ladder, in jobs that played nothing there Wes was, being thrown to the top of the ladder with no experience where he had to rely on people in lower positions to teach him how to do his job. A job which they deserved.

"You coming to the Chateau?" JJ asks as the pair walk out of the old school, Otto shakes her head, "Wes is picking me up." If asked JJ would've lied and said he wasn't disappointed but in reality he didn't like how much time she was spending with him, nevertheless he nods, looking around for the pretentious car.

He wasn't jealous.

That would he ridiculous.

He was merely concerned for his friend.

Platonicaly.

"Call me if you need anything." He says with a smirk he pulled on in an attempt to be casual. Otto rolled her eyes and patted his cheek condescendingly, "Alright big guy."

She walked away, waving goodbye to the rest of the group who all said their own goodbyes to her.

None of them shared the same concern JJ did. It was ridiculous and completely unfounded.

Somehow JJ just knew it would all go terribly wrong.

He had heard the stories about Wes, about his fuckboy ways but what was more concerning was how he treated his ex-girlfriend. After they had broken up she up and left the Outer Banks, moving somewhere on the west coast.

Otto's eyes found the car immediately and she walked over to it, swinging the car door open she hopped in, throwing her backpack in the back seat.

Wes was silent, his hands wrapped around the leather steering wheel tightly. His usually tan knuckles were ivory due to the grip he had on the wheel.

He was pissed.

He had seen JJ and Otto, he saw them talking and he saw her pat his cheek. He didn't know it was condescendingly, that she was being patronising. He just saw her touch him, and that pissed him off.

"The fuck's up with you?" Otto asked, getting comfortable and clicking her seatbelt into place.

"What's going on with you and Maybank?" The man asked through gritted teeth.

Otto scoffed, "I really do not understand how that is any of your concern."

"Of course it's my business. I can't be seen with a whore." He spits.

"Don't call me a whore." Otto hated when women who were sexually active got labelled as sluts or whores, but men who did the same were seen, by most men, as something to look up to. Something to replicate.

"Well if the shoe fits."

Otto was silent. Every muscle in her body ceased working. Her breath got caught in her throat and she was pretty sure even her heart stopped beating.

She had been through this before.

It only took a second for her body to reboot, she was still silent but her body unfroze and she just unclipped her seat belt and went to grab her backpack from the back seat, but a large hand stopped her.

"Shit. Otto, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry." He apologised, his grip on the steering wheel was broken, his jaw was no longer clenched and he looked genuinely apologetic.

Otto rolled her eyes, she wasn't going to put up with that shit. She didn't trust him to begin with and she certainly didn't trust him now.

"Please, just listen to me. Then you can leave if you want." He said, not sounding like his usually overly-confident self.

The teenager ceased her movement, her rucksack sat in her lap, her manicured hand was on the door handle.

She needed to go.

She knew she could just call JJ, she knew he was serious when he said to call her if she needed anything. But she didn't go. The hurt in his voice struck a cord in her heart.

"I had a girlfriend, she cheated on me. I just-- fuck, I really like you Otto. I felt like it was happening again, I don't want that to happen again. I'm sorry, really fucking sorry."

The girl clenched her jaw, her head leant back and leaned against the headrest.

She knew what it was like to be cheated on. Dante had done that to her and it really screwed with her. She could see the effects of being cheated on in her relationship with Kieran, she was always terrified he was going to cheat on her, she'd stress about every woman in his life.

"I understand." She said hesitantly. She didn't want to expand, but Wes nodded, he got what she was trying to say.

"I finally remembered to get 50 out the bank." He smirked, going right back to normal.

The pair hung out for a few more hours, the made out a little and watched a movie. As the sun was setting Otto decided it was time for her to head home.

Wes drove her home, and when he pulled up to her house that was basked in warm sunlight he looked over at Otto.

"Can we be exclusive?" He asks.

She snorts in amusement, "That's a strange way of asking me to be your girlfriend." She teases.

"And that's a strange way of saying yes."

"Cocky bastard." She said leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips. "But fine. We can be exclusive."

She hadn't forgotten, she had seen the red flag, but he managed to conceal it in a way that made it hard for her to act upon it.

But, God, she wished she had said no to his question.

•