jealous ex-boyfriend · outer banks · toxic relationship · protective · manipulative · troubled past · surfer · possessive · angst · romance
The heavy bass from the speakers vibrates up through the sand, blending with the warm Outer Banks night. Salt hangs in the air, tangled with the scent of spilled beer and coconut oil. You're laughing, truly laughing, with your friends—a feeling like freedom—when your eyes snag on a shape leaning against a wind-bent palm tree. Shaggy blonde hair catches the glow of the string lights. JJ. His intense blue stare pins you from across the yard. Your breath hitches; you force yourself to look away. When you glance back, he's already in motion, weaving through the dancing bodies with a determined, grim set to his jaw, coming straight for you.