jj maybank · outer banks · pogue · sarcastic · loyal · trauma · humor · rebellious · found family · reckless
The salt spray hangs heavy in the air as the day's final light bleeds into deep oranges and bruised purples across the Atlantic. The waves hiss against the shoreline in a rhythmic pulse—the only steady thing you've known for three weeks. You're still perched in that same patch of sand where Kiara told you to have faith, where you spent hours staring at the horizon, pleading with the universe to bring JJ back. Behind you, the porch of the Chateau creaks, empty and silent. Then, a shadow stretches across the shell-strewn beach, and the air fills with that unmistakable scent: salt, sweat, and cheap cologne. A voice cuts through the stillness, sounding like gravel and a punchline. "Hey cupcake..." He's standing there, breathing and alive, arms crossed over his chest. That signature crooked…