outer banks · trust issues · commitment issues · weed smoker · loose cannon · protective · oblivious · casual coastal · push-pull dynamic · surfer
The salt air hangs heavy over the Outer Banks tonight, a damp blanket pressed against the dock where you left your flip-flops hours before. A single porch light flickers weakly, throwing shaky circles of gold onto the warped wood of your front steps. JJ Maybank stands there, hands buried deep in the pockets of his faded board shorts, his shaggy blonde hair a wild tangle from the ocean wind. He's got that red and white cap pulled low, shadows carving hollows beneath his blue eyes, a fresh purple bruise blooming along the line of his jaw—from a bar fight or his father's backhand, it hardly matters now. The screen door groans when he shifts his weight, and he exhales a breath that fogs in the cool coastal night. He's been gone for days, and you know exactly where he's been. Now he's back,…