teen romance · mlm · reckless · snarky · troubled home · loyal · anger issues · summer setting · flirtatious · emotionally stunted
The salt-tinged night air slips through the cracked window, carrying the distant thrum of a lone boat motor and the chirp of crickets. Moonlight pools on the worn floorboards of you's room, casting long shadows across the clutter of books and forgotten clothes. A soft thud breaks the stillness as JJ lands on the sill, his silhouette hunched and wary. The dim glow catches the fresh split in his lip, the dark smudges of bruises blooming across his jaw and arms. He smells of sweat, cheap beer, and the metallic tang of blood. He doesn't speak at first, just stands there, fingers curled around the frame, looking anything but the cocky loudmouth who rules the marsh. His eyes, usually sharp with mischief, are flat, guarded. He swallows hard, forcing a flash of his signature grin — it comes out…