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OUTER BANKS | S01E01 "Pilot"

Madelyn Cline via Tonya Brewer Instagram.

" other options. " the words echoed back with the faintest hint of amusement. there it was. devon had only been in town a couple weeks, but she'd heard enough whispers by now. enough stories. enough warnings from locals that always seemed to lower their voices halfway through explaining exactly who nate was and what he was building out here. the observation came easily. " you practice that line in the mirror or does it just come naturally ? " the corner of her mouth tugged upward. teasing, but only a little. his question earned a small hum from her as she thought about it. " couple weeks. " long enough to know which diner had the best coffee and which streets to avoid after dark. " I'm passing through technically. " her gaze drifted back toward him then. studying. " what about you ? " head tilted slightly. " you seem awfully invested in convincing strangers there's more to life than picket fences. " another pause. " are you incredibly passionate about community outreach ? "

" why ? does it seem like i practice that line in the mirror ? it actually does come completely natural to me. " he shrugged. nate wasn't sure what to make of her just yet, which wouldn't be totally surprising if he didn't pride himself on figuring people out immediately. she seemed harder to crack, though. no big deal. at least she wouldn't be boring. " is there something wrong with being passionate about the quality of life that people have ? " hand moved to his heart, faking offense. he does wonder what she might've heard about him so far. she's been here a couple of weeks, so it's likely she'd heard his name at least once or twice. what they say ? well, it depends on who was doing the talking. " community outreach is a stretch. i'm just here to help, doing my duty as a concerned citizen. i've been here about a year now, so i like to think i know a thing or two about this town. " longest he's ever been somewhere, actually. can't seem to leave just yet.

KHOBE CLARKE as beau maxwell in off campus (2026 –).

hand reaches to rub his face. this conversation is already turning out to be something that it shouldn't. max had started things with some naive hope that talking to gracie might make things between them at least a little better. " apology? " he echoes, dumbfounded. max could admit that he wasn't an angel. but, apologizing for something that hadn't happened was a sign of a fool . . . or so his father said. " i didn't do anything, gracie. i took a photo with a fan. " granted, the pose in the photo wasn't exactly reassuring. " it's part of the job. i don't know what else you want me to say. "

at first, she liked the normalcy that max made her feel. he was someone who wouldn’t treat her like glass or look at her with sympathy after what happened. of course, he didn’t know what happened either — but he also would never care enough to ask or find out. it was perfect. but god, he was also infuriating. albeit better to focus on how annoying he was than everything else. “ it’s not about that. “ gracie argued back. her head shakes in frustration. “ how about an apology for being the biggest dick on the planet, like, all of the time. would that be possible? “

riley could feel her heart strings being pulled. she hated seeing anyone sad. but, also knew deep in her bones that toxic positivity was just as bad. the only thing she could really do was lead with empathy and hope for the best. " lost? " she asks. " like ya don't know where home is . . . or are ya jus' feelin' a little outta place? " the clarity would help determine how she could help him. as soon as she saw the tears well up in his eyes, she placed a hand gently on his shoulder. wanting to provide comfort without crossing any boundaries he might have. " 's not gonna be like this forever because nothing ever lasts forever. that goes for everythin'. sadness. happiness. the whole lot. " a soft smile follows her words. " 'nd you're gonna be okay . . . i feel that in my bones. "

“ both, maybe ? i don’t feel like anywhere is home right now because i’m feeling so out of place. “ he wasn’t totally lying. nate didn’t have a specific home, not anymore. traveled around, finding people from all different areas of the world. it was easier that way — and sort of a thrill, seeing how everyone followed him. the group grew larger with each place he visited. god, he was truly amazing. doing incredible work all over the place. “ with all due respect, you don’t even know me. “ nate says back, his eyes drifting towards the soft hand on his shoulder. offers her a gentle smile, teary eyes fighting back a blink. “ i could be a horrible person. maybe this is what i deserve. “

the voice caught him off guard. hunter hadn't meant to overhear anything. truthfully, he hadn't expected anyone to be here at all. he shifted where he stood on the gravel path, hesitation pulling at him for a moment before he finally cleared his throat. just enough noise to announce himself rather than appearing out of nowhere. his gaze flickered toward the headstone before settling back on her. " you must be olivia. " he took a step closer, extending a hand. " I'm hunter, sorry for your loss. " fuck, he hated that phrase. it always felt hollow coming out of his mouth. like there should've been something better to offer people.

olivia flinched when she heard footsteps behind her, and then a voice that interrupted her conversation with her mother. " hi. " she mumbled softly. liv was always bright, always kind. but the last few weeks had stolen some light from her eyes. she tilted her head slightly at the male, trying to place him but nothing was ringing a bell. " thank you, that's really kind. " liv nodded after a moment. " are you — " she cleared her throat, hand moving to wipe the tears from her cheeks. " i'm sorry, my brain has been all over the place recently. were you a friend of jasmine's ? or .. did you know my mom ? "

" jeez. " brows lifting as she paused halfway through the doorway. " do I have to need something to come over ? " one hand lifted the takeout bag she'd been carrying the entire time, giving it a little shake for emphasis. " I actually brought you something for once. " figured he had probably forgotten to eat. " but I mean.. " smile poked through. " I can totally just fuck off and eat it myself. " already backing toward the door as she said it, very extremely slowly.

he was pretty sure he hadn't answered a message from her in awhile, far too caught up in his research. and yet here she was, standing in front of him with food. as if he deserved that. and yet, his brows raised instantly and his head tilted upwards to try and get a view of what she'd brought. millie was right, too. it had been awhile. " hold on, now. " lips curved into a small smirk. " i didn't say anything about you fucking off. in fact, you're exactly the person i wanted to see. how'd you know? " ethan shook his head in amusement as he closed his laptop. " have i ever told you you're far too good for this world ? "