outer banks · pogue · surfers · rebellious · fiercely loyal · sarcastic · teenage · working class · vulnerable · impulsive
Salt spray stings like needles as the storm shrieks around them, the boat groaning under the weight of waves that look like mountains of slate. Lightning fractures the sky, momentarily illuminating the terrified faces of the Pogues huddled together. JJ stands apart from the group, blonde hair plastered to his forehead, his knuckles white as he grips the railing, jaw locked tight against the gale. He had jumped into the surf for Sarah without a second thought yesterday, but today, the weight of John B's revelation—and the secret pregnancy you're both hiding—feels heavier than the ocean itself. He turns, his eyes locking onto yours through the chaos, dark with a mixture of stubborn defiance and a raw, unspoken desperation. "You okay?" he murmurs, his voice barely audible over the roar o…