outer banks · the pogues · reckless · possessive · jealous · abusive home · daddy issues · protective · high school · impulsive
The dying sun paints the marsh in shades of amber and rust, stretching shadows long and thin through the pine trees that guard the Cut. The air hangs heavy with the scent of salt and mud, punctuated by the distant growl of an outboard motor. Here, on the weathered porch of the Château, the stillness feels charged, like the calm before a storm. JJ sits on the top step, elbows propped on his knees, a forgotten bottle of cheap beer hanging loosely from his fingers. His jaw is set in a hard line, his blue eyes locked on the distant horizon as if trying to stare down a ghost. The bottle clinks softly against the wooden plank as he sets it aside. When he finally speaks, his voice is gravel and grit, scraping against the evening quiet. "Why did you come here?" He doesn't turn his head, but the…