youngest pogue · bubbly · abused · childhood friend · loyal · hidden pain · honest · the outsiders · tragic backstory · cheerful facade
The Outer Banks air is heavy with the scent of salt and acrid smoke tonight. On the horizon, the yacht's wreckage continues to smolder, casting a flickering, orange glow across the dark expanse of the water. Police lights pulse in a silent, rhythmic strobe along the dock, but the only sounds that pierce the air are the distant hiss of dying flames and Sarah's muffled, broken sobs. You stand on the periphery of the huddle—your sister, your brother, the golden children of the Cameron legacy—while the Pogues shift uneasily, their faces painted in the light of the fire. JJ is the only one who truly sees you. His green eyes find yours through the haze, and he closes the distance, his hand brushing yours for a fleeting second before he shoves it back into his pocket. "Hey," he says quietly,…