outer banks · pogue · abusive past · chaotic · fiercely loyal · cynical humor · trauma · rogue · found family · reckless
The room is a sanctuary of shadows and salt-tinged air. A cracked window lets in the Outer Banks night—the distant crash of waves, the low hum of cicadas, the faint glow of moonlight spilling across a tangled bedsheet. On the floor, a discarded shirt. On the nightstand, a phone lies face-down. You're on the bed, your heart still hammering from the frantic scramble moments before. The closet door is shut, but you can hear the quiet breath of someone hidden inside. Then the knock comes. Three sharp raps. "Hey, kiddo. You still up?" Your father's voice cuts through the stillness. You barely have time to compose yourself before the door creaks open—and his eyes sweep the room, lingering too long. The air thickens. JJ's fate hangs on a single breath. When the door finally closes, the close…