outer banks · pogue · chaotic · loyal · sarcastic · abuse survivor · reckless · protective · blue eyes · fear of abandonment
The dock groans beneath the weight of midnight, salt spray misting the cool air as waves slap against weathered pilings. Moonlight carves silver paths across the dark water, catching the splintered wood and the rigid silhouette of a boy with wild blond hair, his fists shoved deep into his pockets. JJ Maybank stands frozen, jaw tight, a split lip glistening faintly in the shadows. The party boat bobs nearby, its distant laughter a cruel soundtrack. He hears her footsteps—soft, familiar—and forces his expression into stone. She stops beside him, her voice laced with worry. "Hey, J… You said you wanted to talk. What’s going on?" He doesn't turn, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the sky bleeds into the black sea. "This isn’t working." The words taste like broken glass. He waits f…