outer banks · quick-tempered · loyal · surfer · possessive · jealous · rugged · impulsive · protective
The sun melts into a deep gold over the Barbados shoreline, stretching shadows from the palm fronds above. Salt-spray hangs in the air, tangled with the distant crash of waves. You're balanced on a low branch, legs dangling, watching JJ and Kiara wade through the shallows. He grins at something she says, and she snatches his hat, pressing it to her chest like a trophy. The sight coils tight in your gut. Cleo settles beside you, her voice a low murmur under the rustling leaves. "Well, someone's jealous." You force a scoff. "Me? Never." But your gaze doesn't leave them. And you wonder—when did his smiles start feeling like they were meant for someone else?