connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

♡ GRETA ONIEOGOU via instagram ( greta.onieogou )

[connievanderbilt]

Connie knew what it felt like to be gossiped about, but the Cassidy's experience was on a different level. But regardless, Connie was a lawyer, she didn't rely on gossip for anything in life. The truth often diluted and changed over time to fit the narrative of whoever was spinning the tale. "Well, then I can imagine the perentification wasn't easy on you." Connie has a moment of silence, gaze pondering over the man for a moment. Despite being young and a little inexperienced in life that came with his age, the kid seemed relatively well adjusted despite his life circumstance. "Jameson. Your charge, what exactly happened?"

— @jamesonxcassidy

Jameson didn’t really hide too much about his family. Half of Aurora Bay already knew about the Cassidy’s situation through gossip or just pure shit talking. They were the one spot of a town that looked so perfect that proved some bad people had once inhabited the city limits. Jameson couldn’t escape that if he tried, but what he could do was make sure his daughter didn’t have the same upbringing he did. He had to make sure her chance wasn’t taken away like his had been. “ She’s here. While I was locked up, she went to college back east. But she moved him when I got out. It’s sort of always been us and I don’t think that’ll change. “ he noted. “ I think it’s good she’s here cause Emma thinks the world of her. It’s like there’s a positive influence with the same last name as her. “ he noted before shaking his head. “ believe it or not it was me doing the raising when it came to my sister and I. It was like I almost had experience being a parent before I was one “ he noted with a small nod that while Emerson had the good head on her shoulders he was the older brother and had fallen into the parental role. @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

"How's Billionaire-Ken going?" Connie wasn't exactly sure what Emira saw in Axel, but she kept those thoughts to herself. "I spent it with Imani. No interest in seeing my family, so it was nice and quiet."

— @emiradursun

"Christmas wasn't too eventful for me; I just spent time with Axel and got caught up with more of my relatives in Turkey," Emira told her with a smile, very happy to be getting caught up with her best friend. "I agree, the holidays did pass by too fast. What about you? How were your holidays? I want to know everything."

[connievanderbilt]

"He didn't appreciate my gift of the gab." Connie continues with the joke, letting a lazy grin hang on the corner of her lips. "Will should be careful, the first woman that married him turned out gay."

"I mean this the nicest way possible, but for the love of god you need to accept a damn compliment sometimes." Connie could understand the feeling of sceptical to kindness, she'd been aquatinted with it for a long time. "When you're in your wedding that's all you're going to hear from people. "I'm good on that front, no need to 'pity introduce' me to anyone."

— @lemielewis

"Alright, alright. Thank you, Connie. God, you're such a suck-up, no wonder Will divorced you." Not exactly the way it happened, but it was right there. "I'm still waiting to hear why I'm being buttered up exactly. Are you about to ask me to switch around the seating arrangement at the wedding and put you next to some hot singles?" @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

Connie didn't want to say it, but she assumed that Jameson's predisposition came from a systematic cause or family history. But wasn't sure which one, until now. "And your sister is... where, nowerdays? Parentification is hard on a child." It seemed as if Emerson did the best she could with the situation, Jameson still speaking so highly of the woman. "You had a strong role model, you were lucky. A lot of kids in similar positions as you didn't have that." Connie tilts her head to the side, resting her gaze on Jameson. "You gotta be the parent you wanted to have. The 'parent' your sister was, even if she shouldn't have been forced to be."

— @jamesonxcassidy

There was always this part of Jameson. The deep parts of him that unfortunately had been influenced by his father to never trust anyone in that had the power to influence whether he was in or out of jail. It was crap being raised by criminals because even if you tried to stay away from their life the damage was still done at least psychologically. But when it came to Connie, he fully trusted her. She hadn’t steered him wrong since he started going to her and after she made sure he didn’t take the fall for the apartment fire when he had nothing to do with it. He trusted her as much as he trusted his friends and family and maybe that was a bad idea but she would know all the things he had questions about.

“ I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but my parents were in and out of prison most of my childhood. So I ended up being the one that raised my sister. We had our aunt but it was always us. We were always a team. Emerson’s the best person I know and she’s that way because she just is. But sometimes I think maybe I helped with that. That maybe because she came out of our childhood so amazing and self reliant and strong that means I’m doing the right thing by my daughter. Because I always look to what happened with my sister and I to remind me how to approach things with Emma. I get so worried all of the time that I’m gonna mess up, but I know I can’t be that bad of a parent deep down, because I’m bad at a lot of things but I know I was a good brother. I think I need to stop focusing on the cycle my parents started and more on the cycle I started with Emerson and replicate it more with emma “ @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

These moments felt good between them. Whatever trepidation and fear Connie felt in her heart about being an adequate partner for someone who put her very high on a pedestal, times like this felt so easy. Natural. Even half asleep the moment spent together relaxing in bed were just perfect. "Yeah." Connie nods, wiping the sleep out from the corner of her eye's, "Get something stupidly sweet and covered in Christmas." She smiles. The idea sounded so corny, but something she knew would bring happiness to Imani.

— @xoimani

Imani had been so stressed with her first ever college finals, but today gave her an excuse to not worry for one moment. She could focus all of her attention on Connie today. "Morning beautiful." Imani smiled softly, her dimples showing as she leaned in to press a small kiss to Connie's lips. She had somewhat of a day planned. Having gone through her closet and sold off things she didn't need anymore, she was pretty confident she could afford a birthday and Christmas. "You want to go to driftwood? Get a fun drink?" She said as she was already rolling out of bed. She tugged at her shirt to cover her hips before walking to the door and leaning on the frame to look back at Connie. @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

Starter Call: @emiradursun Where: Connie's kitchen counter

"Okay, so how was your Christmas." The lawyer pushes the glass of wine towards her company, before making herself comfortable on her own kitchen stool. "I feel like it went so fast I didn't get to see everyone i wanted to."

[connievanderbilt]

"It's a compliment Lemie, just take it." Connie couldn't say the reaction wasn't at least somewhat expected, letting a grin hang lazily from her lips. "I'm not that underhanded."

"I'm alright. Buttering up people with flattering comments gets exhausting."

— @lemielewis

Lemie looks down at herself before glancing up at Connie suspiciously. "I look the same as I always do. Why are you trying to butter me up?" She isn't used to receiving compliments, even the ones she gets from Will are sometimes met with doubt. Perks of growing up with shitty parents, she supposed. "I've been okay. You know me, I'm always waiting for the other shoe to drop. How are you?" @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

Who: @lemielewis Where: Seascape

"You look lovely." When Connie gave an unprompted compliment, she meant it. The lawyer hadn't spoken to Lemie in person for a while, but had a brief conversation with Will about some issues in their relationship. It wasn't Connie's business to pry, but she hoped that whatever nonsense was going on behind the scenes had rectified itself since then. "How have you been?"

[connievanderbilt]

Who: @princemercer Where: Seascape

"Hello, Mercer." Events like this were always a good opportunity to source out the competition for the new year. Prince had been on her radar for a while now. "Got a new years resolution yet?" Connie slide a drink across the table the bench towards the familiar man. It was the first "I certainly do."

[connievanderbilt]

Connie's outfit for New Years Eve — 2024

@aurorabayaesthetic

[connievanderbilt]

Connie rests her gaze on Jameson evenly. As a lawyer, there was always a certain level of bonding you weren't supposed to cross with a client. She wasn't their friend. Connie doesn't know why she'd put so much energy to help Jameson remain on the straight and narrow, but she'd sunk too much time into it to give up now. "You do know how. The question is if you're going to be strong enough to do it."

— @jamesonxcassidy

There was this aspect to Jameson’s life he wanted to avoid more than anything. And it was the fact that Jameson had come from trouble and became worse trouble for a small town like Aurora Bay. He’d become the resident murderer and that was something he wanted to avoid bringing to his own daughter’s life. He hoped kids at school didn’t know about him and the incident that sent him away. “ I grew up like that. I think the first few years of my life, I had no idea what my dad looked like in normal clothes or without the glass reflection. “ Jameson’s admitted. “ shes such a good kid. I don’t want her to risk ending up like me cause I don’t know how to stop a cycle “ @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

"You know what, you're right. There is no point." Connie could feel the heat rising to her skin, crossing her arms over her chest in a meek act of defensiveness. "Don't roll your eyes at me." She barks, almost on instinct. "You conveniently jump over my point of you making a terrible choice, you're just making excuses." "I genuinely hope you don't enjoy it." Reaching down to collect her purse, Connie instinctively looks across the room to find Imani.

— @marivelasc

"Then don't stand there and say that I have to earn your trust again if there's no point." She understood why Connie couldn't forgive her, but to give her hope and then take it away like that because she was still holding an old version of herself against that didn't exist anymore.

Mari rolled her eyes. She was still young when she admitted that on TV and Connie didn't understand the pressure behind the scenes of reality tv was. If she said it, it was because she did want to finally get it off of her chest. No one even knew who her best friend was.

"You don't get it Connie. You don't think of the insane amount of pressure that goes behind the scenes of producers pushing you to be their best product." She didn't know why she was explaining this anymore. She wanted to enjoy the party.

"But you know what? I don't want to do this anymore. Enjoy the party." @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

Connie cocks her head to the side, picking up the slight air of apprehension in his voice. "Just okay?" She didn't know will to be pandora's box in regards to opening up about his feelings, but she felt by now the pair had been through enough for him to trust her with his truths. "What do you meant 'got in her head'?"

— @willxmeyers

Will's smile falters slightly as the spotlight turns on him. While things had definitely been getting better, there was always some seed of doubt that the engagement would end.

"It's going okay," Will replied, although Connie's comment hits a little too close to home. "Lemie's mum got in her head a bit, but we're getting through." At the end of the day, all Will had was hope.

( @connievanderbilt )

[connievanderbilt]

Closed: @xoimani 🎄 Where: In bed, their house.

The pitfalls of having a December birthday often let people to forget about it. But Connie had a sneaking suspicion that Imani wouldn't. But waking up next to her felt special enough for Connie, especially when they were often very lonely in the past before coming to Aurora Bay. "Good morning." She mumbles into the strands of familiar scented hair resting over her face.

[connievanderbilt]

"No, thanks to no one but me." A defence Connie just a middle into the centre of her own chest. All her life Connie had to be her own advocate, even when the people surrounding her seemed to fail at it. "I don't care, Mari. There's no statute of limitations on broken trust." "You made a conscientious choice, knowing who the other person was —What he did to me. That's purely a reflection on who you are as a person, not me." And that was the fundamental problem on why Connie couldn't pick up the shattered remains of their friendship, to reconcile.

"Yeah, sure, you apologised. But there's a difference between genuinely feeling guilt for your actions, and feeling regretful that you couldn't keep your mouth shut on national television and got caught."

— @marivelasc

Their stories ran so similar, but Mari wasn't Connie. "And are you still all of that?"

Rolling her eyes, she couldn't be bothered anymore. "It's been over ten years, Connie." And it had been seven years since the reveal. It wasn't new news. "And I've apologized since." She was becoming more upset as Connie spoke, "Because you have never given me a chance to prove myself, so you can't say that." @connievanderbilt

[connievanderbilt]

"Prick." It's a comment purely made in jest, as Connie mirrors Will's own knowing look back at him.

"What about you? What's going on with that whole engagement thing?" If out of the two of them Will was the person that had his life most put together it was time for Connie to take a long walk. "You haven't scared her off yet?"

— @willxmeyers

Will casts Connie a look, her half-smile makes him follow suit and then finish the job with a wide grin. "Well, you are very wise when you want to be," he replied lightly.

This was definitely one of those times when it was easier said than done. In her shoes, Will wasn't sure that he wouldn't have done the exact same thing. That fact alone might be a direct result of their similar upbringings.

"Take that time, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Will had no doubt, there wasn't much that Connie wouldn't get to the bottom of.

"I'm no relationship expert, God knows that, but I do know that she makes you happy." If she didn't this wouldn't even be a conversation.

( @connievanderbilt )