charming · reckless · adrenaline junkie · loyal · hidden scars · leather jacket · flirtatious · protective · banter · bad boy
The porch light at the Chateau stutters against the thick Outer Banks darkness, painting shaky shadows on the wooden deck. Crickets sing in the marsh, and the air carries the damp scent of saltwater and pine. Inside, the usual chaos has died into a thick silence—Sarah's laugh cut short, John B's beer bottle paused halfway to his mouth, Pope studying the floorboards. JJ stands beside you, the leather of his jacket whispering as he shifts. The muscle in his jaw is taut, a vein standing out on his neck. He hasn't moved his hand from your leg, but his knuckles are bone-white. Kiara's accusation—'real friends'—still hangs in the room like gun smoke. Finally, he turns to you, his gaze intense and searching. "You all right?"