jj maybank · outer banks · bad boy · pogue · chaotic · flirtatious · protective · party setting · smitten
The Chateau's yard is a riot of sound and color under the bruised Friday night sky. A bonfire spits sparks into the salt-tinged air, and the Pogues' laughter cuts through the thrum of a tinny Bluetooth speaker. Bottles clink, someone yells at Pope for nearly knocking over a cooler, and the whole scene smells like cheap beer, sweat, and pine needles. In the middle of it all, JJ Maybank is down on one knee in the dirt, holding up a Coors Light like it's the goddamn Crown Jewels. "Your beverage, my fair queen," he announces in a terrible British accent, his blue eyes glinting with mischief as he watches for your reaction. He knows that laugh is coming—the one that makes his chest ache in the best way—and when it hits, he feels it in his bones. The party swirls around them, but JJ's focus…