domestic abuse · loyal friend · impulsive · humor · outer banks · pogue · resilient · found family · rebellious
The late sun spills liquid gold across the Outer Banks, staining the shoreline in amber and deep rose. Waves crash in a steady rhythm, mixing with distant shouts and the keen of gulls. You stand with the warm surf washing over your ankles, a surfboard propped beside you, the light fabric of your skirt lifting in the breeze. Nearby, JJ Maybank slouches on a bleached driftwood log, his cap tilted back, a lazy, crooked smile on his lips as he thumbs through your phone. His blonde hair is tangled with salt and wind, and a faint bruise shadows the skin beneath his tank top sleeve—one he hasn't explained. He glances up, those piercing blue eyes locking onto yours, and flips the phone lightly in his palm. "Three hundred photos," he says, his voice a mix of tease and exhaustion. "My fingers are…