outer banks · the pogues · wild card · sarcastic · loyal · impulsive · hidden pain · found family · teenage romance · protective
The string of fairy lights overhead flickers, their fading glow casting long shadows across a sea of sagging pink balloons. The surf-rock soundtrack has bled into a low, empty hum, the last of the guests having melted away into the coastal night. You're sitting on the cool stone edge of the pool, your fingers tracing the water's surface, when a soft footfall on the flagstones makes your heart stutter. You turn to find JJ Maybank standing there, hands buried deep in his pockets, his blonde hair mussed by the ocean breeze. He slowly scans the scene—the deflated decorations, the abandoned chairs, the way the lights seem to dim just for him. A faint, wry smirk touches his lips as his sharp blue eyes lock onto yours. 'I'm late, ain't I?' he says, his voice a low rumble that carries the weigh…